Compact Xbox controller due next month
Radica step in to release unofficial smaller pad
With Microsoft still denying any intention to release the Controller S in Europe, those of you wanting a smaller joypad for your Xbox may want to check out the Gamester Compact Pro from British manufacturer Radica. Radica claim to have designed and developed the pad in-house with "a team of leading designers", but a cursory examination shows it to be uncannily similar to the Controller S, from the more compact design and curvaceous shape through to the placement of the buttons and the improved thumbstick surface. The obvious differences are the colour scheme (the Compact Pro has some funky grey trimming to go with the black), the lack of a big green Xbox logo (replaced by a big green Gamester tag) and a slight difference in the design of the D-pad. Oh, and a few of the buttons are lozenge-shaped instead of the round versions found on the Controller S. The Compact Pro should be available in the UK some time next month, and with a recommended retail price of £19.99 it's actually slightly cheaper than buying another standard Xbox controller from Microsoft. Related Feature - No Controller S for Europe
