Thrustmaster Ferrari Wireless Gamepad 430 Scuderia Review

Nov 3 2009, 12:00am CST | by Shane McGlaun

Today I am going to check out one of the hottest looking PS3/PC controllers ever to hit the market called the Ferrari Wireless Gamepad 430 Scuderia Limited Edition. The gamepad is an officially licensed Ferrari product and has programmable buttons. If you are looking for a new game controller that can work for your PC and your PS3 read on for all of the details.

Gallery

3 images

Benchmarks

Features & Specifications
The Ferrari Wireless Gamepad 430 Scuderia uses 2.4GHz wireless technology to connect to the PS3 and PC via an included USB receiver. The controller also sports dual progressive triggers with independent braking and acceleration. Other features include an optical wheel with auto centering and 90 degrees of rotation. No drivers are required for the controller to be programmed. The controller has internal memory for mapping of buttons.

In Use
The Ferrari Wireless Gamepad 430 Scuderia is a very good looking controller with the famous Ferrari red color and stripes like those found on the hood of the Ferrari 430 Scuderia. The controller is very well built and has features not found on the stock PS3 controllers. Around the D-pad on the controller is an optical wheel. This allows you to use a sort of mini steering wheel for driving games. The controller also features two analog sticks as well.

The four buttons on the face of the controller are labeled with the familiar PS3 square, circle, triangle and "X" and have numbers as well for use with the PS3. One area where the Ferrari Wireless Gamepad 430 Scuderia deviated significantly from the stock PS3 controllers is in the location of the R2 an L2 buttons.

Rather than being under the R1 and L1 buttons where you expect them to be the R2 and L2 buttons are on the bottom of the controller and are a bit hard to reach. They take some serious getting used to and if your game needs those buttons frequently, you will want to remap them for sure.

Under the R1 and L1 buttons are controls for the same R1 and L1 functions that allow for more precise control of the throttle and brakes in driving games. Power for the Ferrari Wireless Gamepad 430 Scuderia comes from a set of AAA batteries, which are not included.

The controller worked very well on my PC for playing driving, fighting, and flying games. The controller feels very different from the stock PS3 controllers in the hand with a much thinner grip area. Overall, the controller is comfortable and has a bit of a learning curve because of the odd L2 and R2 button locations. The controller has an on/off switch to save battery life when not in use.

Verdict

Conclusion

Pros

Great looks
Programmable
Wireless

Cons

Off R2/L2 button location

Verdict
The Ferrari Wireless Gamepad 430 Scuderia is a great looking game pad that takes some getting used to if you need the L2 and R2 buttons frequently. It is a fantastic controller for driving and racing simulation fans on the PC or PS3.

8.5

where to buy

Buy from Amazon

What Others Say about This

Traction PR Hits a GlandSlam

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Feb. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Traction Public Relations, LLC., a multi-award winning full-service public relations agency for the games industry, announced today it has become the agency of record for four new clients including: Thr ...
Full article at: Freshnews.com More like this 19 hours ago, 5:37am CST

Traction PR Hits a GlandSlam

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Feb. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Traction Public Relations, LLC., a multi-award winning full-service public relations agency for the games industry, announced today it has become the agency of record for four new clients including: Thr ...
Full article at: PR Newswire More like this 20 hours ago, 4:39am CST

Traction PR Hits a GlandSlam

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Feb. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Traction Public Relations, LLC., a multi-award winning full-service public relations agency for the games industry, announced today it has become the agency of record for four new clients including: Thr ...
Full article at: Street Insider More like this 20 hours ago, 4:31am CST

Don't miss ...

Shane McGlaun
Leading our review center, Shane knows technology inside out. His extensive experience in testing computer hardware and consumer electronics enable him to effectively qualify new products and trends. If you want us review your product, please contact Shane.
Shane can be contacted directly at shane@i4u.com.