Astro Gaming, which has been associated with headsets and audio equipment, is now expanding into the controller space. The company unveiled the Astro C40 TR pro PS4 controller today on the fifth anniversary of the console and it comes with swappable sticks, remappable rear buttons, wireless audio, trigger stops, a 12-hour battery life, and more. It will be available for $199.99 sometime in early 2019.
As the trailer below shows, players can easily swap out stick nubs and where the left stick is positioned, making it possible to look more like an Xbox controller. It even showcases a disc-like nub stick that looks similar to the Steam Controller. Triggers also have trigger stops, which means the pull distance that considers it a button push can be longer or shorter. This is especially useful for those who want a hair trigger in first-person shooters.
The rear buttons can also be remapped without a PC and are designed to be easy to access. For example, reloading can often take your finger off the right stick since that function is usually mapped to the face buttons. But, with rear buttons, players can reload without making themselves as vulnerable since their right thumb will stay on the right stick.
Although you can use a PC to customize your profile and have reign over what button does what, stick sensitivity, audio output and EQ, and more. It’s a welcome feature if players want to dive deeper into the how the controller operates on a software level.
Like a regular PS4 pad, the Astro C40 TR also has a 3.5 mm headphone jack, allowing players to plug their headphones right in. This works alongside its wireless and wired mode and Astro claims that “both offer low-latency for pro level performance.” However, it is likely that the wired mode is just a hair faster, which is something the newer standard PS4 controllers offer.
The Astro C40 TR even has its own travel case that holds all its extra components and a 12-hour battery life. Regular PS4 controllers are often criticized for their relatively poor ability to hold a charge for more than a few sessions. Aron Drayer, vice president of marketing at Astro Gaming, stated why the company finally decided to jump into the realm of controllers.
“Our products have dramatically changed the esports landscape – improving team and player performance along the way,” said Drayer. “Our new ASTRO C40 TR Controller is the next natural evolution of our continued commitment to esports, pro gaming and gamers in general. After more than two years of development while incorporating feedback from pro gamers, we’re excited to finally get the C40 TR into the hands of customers. The C40 TR will be a literal game changer.”
Sony has still yet to make its own high-end controller like Microsoft. The C40 TR is not even the first stab at a pro PS4 controller as SCUF released its SCUF Vantage earlier this year.
