So, I figured I'd write a quick little review of the Cronus Cross-Over Gaming Device.
For those of you who haven't heard of this it essentially allows you to run any controller on any console. For instance, if you are like me and can't stand the PS3 controller for FPS games, you can now happily run an Xbox controller on a PS3 console.
The other major benefit is that it also allows you to remap the buttons to however you want them. For example, a few FPS games on the PS3 have R1 as fire. The device allows a remap so that R1 now becomes R2 similar to Xbox games.
The downside to this all is perhaps the cost. Retailing at $69.95 dollars and $29.95 for shipping it comes in at around $100 or the equivalent of about £65. Shipping incidently was relatively quick as it took 6 days from placing my order to it arriving on my doorstep.
What do you get for your money:
Contents include:
- The Dongle itself
- Xbox 360 Wireless Adapter
- Bluetooth 2.0 Adapter
- USB Lead
Initial Setup:
Like all men, I didn't read the instructions. And like most things that the instructions were not read, it didn't work.
I'd downloaded the control remapper software; plugged the dongle into my PC so I could set it up and Windows did nothing. So, resorting to the manual after initial checks, it turns out that you connect via the USB lead into the side slot of the dongle.
Once this is done, you can configure up to 9 different profiles for the Dongle. I created 2; 1) Xbox controller on PS3 with shoulder buttons switched (R1 becomes R2 and vice versa). 2) PS3 controller to Xbox (no remap). The device reflashes itself and apparently we're good to go.
Tests:
So my first test was to try an Xbox controller on a PS3. I turned the console on, popped in the dongle; plugged the wireless adapter into the dongle and attempted to sync the controller. Worked like magic and my PS3 interface is working correctly. My game of choice to test was Dust 514. The controller worked perfectly. R2 was now the fire button (as the game states R1) therefore the remap had worked perfectly. I also noticed the PS3 was also detecting that the wireless battery was low (which it was) so that works perfectly as well.
Next test was PS3 controller on the Xbox. This was not as streamlined as the PS3 unfortuntely. Upon plugging in the dongle into the console, I inserted the bluetooth dongle into the Cronus. It sat there staring at me doing nothing. After a quick scout through the manual again, it turns out that MS have authentication on their controllers. If the checks are not passed, the console does not allow the controller. To get around this you need a wired controller. You turn the control on with the wired Xbox controller plugged into the dongle. Once the checks are done (the dongle displays this information) you can switch out the wired controller for a bluetooth adaptor. Once that's done; works a charm.
I tested Fifa Street using the PS3 controller and it was great.
The switching of profiles is simple enough and can be done at the touch of a button on the Cronus dongle. It clearly displays in a red LED screen which profile is selected.
On either of the consoles, I didn't notice and lag time either. The manufacturers of Cronus have stated it is lag free and I can actually believe them.
The device can also be used to use the Wii controller on either a PS3 or Xbox. I'm also lead to believe you can use a mouse on consoles as well for those of you who like mice and keyboard gaming. I however, didn't try either of these as I don't have a Wii nor use a mouse for gaming.
Conclusion:
If you hate the PS3 controller for certain games (or all games) then yes, this is the device for you. I'd previously tried different controllers and found the lack of remapping was an issue not to mention 3rd party build quality. If you're using the dongle on an Xbox for PS3 controllers then you'd be a bit disappointed as the wired controller trick has to be done every time you turn the controller on. It should also be noted that you can only have one controller per Cronus device but this may not be an issue for a lot of people.
I'd personally give this a good 4 out of 5. The price point knocks a star off. I'd ordinarily reduce points for the Xbox issue with controller authentication but this is an MS requirement rather the the Dongles inability to handle the Xbox.
Highly recommended (to the point I even decided to write this review).
Link to Official Website
