When Microsoft came to market with the Xbox Adaptive Controller back in 2018, they immediately opened up the entire gaming landscape to a whole new player. What was once thought of as a controller-only exercise, those with limited movement, mobility or other restrictions could now make the most of the Adaptive Controller’s magic to keep gaming forever more. And with the Logitech Adaptive Gaming Kit, the accessibility options have opened up once more. I won’t sit here and tell a lie – I think the combination of Adaptive Controller and Adaptive Gaming Kit is a match made in heaven. Quite frankly, they are both awesome pieces of kit.
The Xbox Adaptive controller itself is a large slab of white goodness, approximately two standard controllers in length and filled with all kinds of technological goodies that allow gamers who need to utilise something different from the standard controller the chance to do so. With the now iconic Xbox home button accompanied by the menu and view buttons, along with an oversized d-pad, the basics are in place. But also present are two huge A and B buttons – pride of place on the controller, ensuring they are accessible with ease. Plugging the Adaptive Controller into your Xbox One console via the included USB-A to USB-C cable is also an easy process, but from there on out how you wish to use it is up to you.Â
Along the top of the Adaptive Controller are hints of various ports for all the relevant controller buttons, with these hidden away on the back in the form of 3.5 mm inputs. Basically put, you are then able to connect anything that has a 3.5 mm jack on it into these ports. For instance, if you need to connect a little hit switch to a Y button, you plug it in and that then becomes your usual Y face button. The same goes for every other face button, both triggers, the bumpers, the clickable thumbsticks and more. There are no less than 19 different input options here, letting you create the controller of your choice.
A USB-A opening on either side let’s you also attach USB-equipped gear – a one-handed joystick for instance – while the inclusion of a dedicated headset port will allow any 3.5 mm wired headset to work with it. The way Microsoft have laid out the Xbox Adaptive Controller is a bit of a masterpiece, with easy to plug and play inputs allowing you to switch things in and out with utter ease. And what’s more, the underside of the controller is ready for all manner of connectivity options too, working with a variety of mounting structures.
But as a stand-alone unit, the options for the Xbox Adaptive Controller are limited, and you’ll struggle to be able to play many games with it alone. In fact, without further accessories you’re pretty limited to games that make the most of the d-pad, A and B buttons.
This is where the Logitech Adaptive Gaming Kit comes in – a selection of buttons, triggers, stickers, grips and ties. By plugging the various accessories into the Xbox Adaptive Controller, within a minute or two you can have a controller setup that is perfectly suited to your needs and liking.
Included in the box are 12 different button options. Three of which are small mechanically switched buttons that measure around 3.6 cm in diameter, perfect for any action that requires a quick and easy button press. The three larger options come in at 6.35 cm across, reinforced with stabiliser bars for consistent pressure.
Further to that are a couple of gorgeous pressure sensitive triggers which come into their own with any racing games like GRID or Forza, and four lighter touch buttons. These latter buttons need just the smallest of touches in order to see registration occur, perfect for any moments when applying pressure is an issue. As a general rule though, every single button press I have actioned, across a large combination of the pieces Logitech have supplied, have worked as expected with not a single missed beat.
Each of these buttons can be adorned with a variety of stickers, with Logitech deciding to run both the full colour route and that of the black and white option, once more letting you dictate your own gaming style. There are also a number of velcro straps and ties in place for anyone needing to attach buttons to ensure a steady gaming situation however I have to personally admit to adoring the set of two game boards which are in the box. These are weighty enough to ensure that once placed down, they will not be moving in a hurry and are perfect for setting up switches and buttons as you wish.
What Logitech and Microsoft have created with the Adaptive Gaming Kit and Adaptive Controller respectively is nothing short of superb; they are top quality, well created pieces of kits. In my eyes, anything that can ensure a wider range of player can become a full-on gamer is a good thing and that is exactly what these two items allow. While the Adaptive Controller is limited in itself, it really does start to become a central gaming hub once the Adaptive Gaming Kit is attached. The ultimate configuration that the two pieces of kit allow result in an absolute must-buy piece of technology for anyone who struggles to enjoy gaming with a standard controller. I just wish that some kind of joystick would have been thrown in alongside the multitude of buttons for good measure. Because that would have made things perfect.
They may be fairly expensive in cash terms and I’d certainly like to see both the £75 price tag for the Xbox Adaptive Controller and the £90 that Logitech are asking for the Adaptive Gaming Kit be cut slightly, but if you have the need for some gaming gear away from the standard options that frequent the market, then both options are worth every penny. Just remember though, you will need both bits of kit in order to really be able to customise the gaming scene to your needs.Â
Massive thanks go out to Logitech for providing us with the Logitech Adaptive Gaming Kit for review. If you wish to pick up the kit for yourself then head over to their website. The Xbox Adaptive Controller can be grabbed from the Xbox Store too.
Related: Unboxing and first look at the Xbox Adaptive Controller and Logitech Adaptive Gaming Kit
