Software and limitation on the PC
The configuration, also for the PS4, is done via a software to be installed, which you have to download on the nacon homepage. This, in turn, can only be done if you register there and create a profile in which personal data is also queried as a mandatory field, which you may not necessarily want to share online and which actually do not concern a manufacturer of accessories. This is a fat minus point in this conurbation, which would even prevent a possible purchase recommendation.
If you have installed the software and want to start it, the first surprise comes. In order to start the software on the PC, you have to switch the controller to one of the PS4 modes! Windows does not recognize both the controller and the built-in USB audio device in PC mode. Then the software doesn't even start and the Windows device manager doesn't find the controller + sound card either. In Windows games, the controller is recognized as such, but the sound is not running.
The reason is the exclusive use of the XInput protocol in PC mode, which (according to the developer) is only used in version 1.3 for compatibility with Windows Vista and Windows 7.
We played a little bit with the SDK ourselves and found that there are significant differences in the audio range in device detection between versions 1.3 and 1.4, which is used from Windows 8 onwards. While version 1.3 with audio is completely in the rain and from XInput 9.1.0 onwards you are still on the road with XInputGetDSoundAudioDeviceDeviceGuids for detection, version 1.4 sets to XInputGetAudioDeviceIds in the DLL and is therefore compatible with xBox360 (and later).
However, the fact that nacon is now explicitly using XInput 1.3 for Windows Vista or 7 and against Windows 8.1 or 10, we cannot understand. If you wanted to be compatible with Windows Vista, 7 or 8, audio support would have been possible with XInput 9.1.0 as an interim solution, as this library also provides audio support. Between the older versions and Windows 10, a simple switch to the left of the DLLs would also have been possible if you put an OS query in between.
In addition, at least the USB sound device and controller could have been paired internally via a kind of HUB as two independent devices. However, this cannot be changed in the firmware afterwards. It's a pity, because if you really believe the advertised functionality on the homepage, then advertising, documentation and product do not match! Point deduction, unfortunately.
Configuration
You switch to PS4 mode, start the software and first select which of the platforms you want to configure the respective profiles (four each). These profiles can optionally even be shared with friends online, but the point of this effort is rather questionable when we think again of the curious registration queries.
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The actual settings up to the very well implemented configuration of the sticks and dead points, as well as the clear change of the key assignments and the force feedback can be done quickly and precisely and then connected to the controller for the later transfer usage without running software.
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Automatic firmware update (online)
This point, too, is well and simply resolved. In three steps you get the firmware installed, but has no chance to back it up beforehand or to re-enter it manually if there are problems with the new version. A file dialog is now god knows no witchcraft.
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Hands-on test
Let's move on to the actual test section, where the controller (now preconfigured on the PC) has to prove itself in practice. If you were only to test a pure PS4 controller, which is not also advertised for use on Windows, then you could well give the part the full score and a purchase tip on top of that (the price sometimes left out).
With the variable weights, the controller is full and controllable in the hand of each test person, most buttons can be reliably achieved and hassle-free even with large hands, only with the freely configurable buttons M1 to M4 long fingers are clearly in advantage, but this is more or less a matter of habituation.
The sticks do what they're supposed to do – and well. Here, of course, the controller plays the well-tunable configuration into the cards, so that, depending on the genre or game, one can also proceed according to the profile. This has its very special charm, if you are really not fixed to a single game or if several people share the controller.
Summary and conclusion
The hybrid solution for PS4 (licensed) and PC could have been so nice if the audio device had worked equally on both platforms. It is, since we can not follow the developers, namely quite possible, instead of explicitly implementing only XInput 1.3 better XInput 9.1.0, in order to remain compatible for the old Windows versions under 8.1 and still use audio. Unfortunately, this opportunity has been wasted at nacon. Or you would have simply left the normal audio device active as a USB device, because XInput 1.3 can also be operated in parallel to the detected audio device without any problems.
As a pure controller, however, the implementation is visually and haptically perfectly fine. This saves this test object over the late summer, because as a pure PS4 controller, the good piece, properly and optimally configured, is then quite a lot of fun.
However, for the sake of honesty, we would recommend pointing out the lack of audio functionality for Windows and no longer promoting it indirectly. It can and will probably never work. The amount of data used to register should also be significantly limited, if it really has to be an online requirement. The full name, including the date of birth and other details, do not matter to anyone.
The approach as such is great, only the finish has been messed up a little. It's a pity, because you can play with it really well. However, product, price and marketing should also match.
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