Is the Astro Gaming C40 TR controller really one of the most powerful customizable gamepads you can buy for PC and PS4, or just talk?
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| Astro Gaming C40 TR Controller |
Everything you need to know about Astro Gaming C40 TR controller
Many of our favorite headset models are produced by Astro Gaming. But gaming is much more than just headsets, which is why Astro has introduced its own controller.
The Astro C40 TR is a gamepad intended for use with the PlayStation 4 and PC that is the company's first non-audio gaming device. Aside from scaring away all but the most committed gamers with its outrageously high $200 price, its superb build quality and multitude of customization possibilities make it an Editors Choice and one of the best gamepads we've tried.
The design
It's difficult to confuse the C40 gamepad with any other controller because it's sturdy and nearly intimidating. Nearly all of it is wrapped in a rubberized matte black material, and the face of it has a textured black plastic panel that houses the face buttons, direction pad, and analog sticks. It is substantially heavier than the DualShock 4 that comes with the device and weights more than an ounce more than the bulky Xbox Wireless Controller, weighing in at 11.2 ounces. Large hands find it really comfortable, and the added weight gives it a strong feel without being heavy.
The C40 has every feature found on a DualShock 4. All modern game controllers come with the conventional two analog sticks, direction pad, four face buttons, four triggers, PlayStation, Options, and Share buttons, 3.5mm headset jack, and U-shaped touchpad for the few games that use it. Here, the DualShock 4's big light bar has been replaced with a tiny light strip integrated into the touchpad, allowing you to quickly check its color without reflecting any light onto your screen.
Flipping the C40 around reveals a number of features common to expensive custom and enthusiast controllers. The grip where your middle fingers naturally rest is where two more triggers, UL and UR, are located. If you prefer not to utilize the Astro software to personalize things, you may manually assign them inputs using a small remapping button that is located between them. The L2 and R2 trigger pull distances are shortened by mechanical stops, which are enabled or disabled by two tiny rest switches above the triggers. Two additional red switches, which switch between wired and wireless modes, and one of the two control profiles that you can configure are located on the top edge of the controller.
You may use the six-foot cord that comes with the C40 to charge it, use the gamepad as a wired controller, and customize it using Astro's software by plugging it into the deeply recessed micro USB connector located between the upper switches.
When you order the C40, your only option for cosmetic modification is the matte black gamepad. Partial faceplate customization is supported by the design, however the controller's majority is standardized. The Xbox Design Lab gamepad and custom controllers from firms like Scuf and Evil Controllers are good options if you want a gamepad that you can customize to look like your own rather than feel like your own.
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| Astro Gaming C40 TR Controller |
Options for Connection
One feature of the DualShock 4 is absent from the C40, however it is replaced with what is perhaps a superior product. It does not use Bluetooth to connect to a PC or PS4. Rather, it operates wirelessly by means of a 2.4GHz USB adaptor that you insert into your computer or console.
The C40 functions exactly like a DualShock 4 linked via Bluetooth after the adapter is plugged in. This includes two-way headset audio via the 3.5mm connection on the controller's bottom. Although it makes use of one of the PS4's two front-facing USB ports, the adaptor ought to offer a more dependable wireless connection with lower latency than Bluetooth. Also, it enables the C40 to connect wirelessly to PCs without the requirement for an XInput wrapper, which is required when using a DualShock 4. Naturally, when using the supplied cable, the C40 functions as a wired gamepad as well, functioning similarly to the DualShock 4 on a PS4 and the Xbox One controller on a PC.
Astro comes with a sturdy nylon case that zips up. With a designated recess or mesh pocket for the USB cord, it contains the controller, wireless adapter, hex driver, and four spare analog stick caps all conveniently in one location.
Personalization of Software
Astro provides an almost overwhelming number of configuration options for the C40 through its software. Nearly all inputs, including clicks on the analog stick and direction pad, can be remapped to any button. Though you can also manually remap any inputs to the UL and UR buttons by holding down one of them and the remap button on the controller's underside, that alone makes it a very helpful feature.
You may adjust the sensitivity of the L2 and R2 triggers, as well as the analog sticks, using the software. The sensitivity curve of the sticks and triggers may be adjusted by swiping four sensitivity points up and down on a graph that looks like a bespoke equalizer for each input. This provides an amazing level of granularity by enabling you to design dead zones and quick acceleration arcs at various angles of tilting the stick or pulling the trigger. Additionally, the software offers useful visual guidelines for setting the sensitivity of the trigger and stick.
Large gray circles are used to illustrate the sticks, showing the entire range of motion as an orange line with a dot at the end. As you push the stick, a white dot slides down the line toward the orange dot, showing how far your PC or PS4 will believe you are pushing the stick due to the modified curve. The software displays a white arc for the trigger inputs, and an orange dot that moves along the arc according to the user-specified modified sensitivity.
Lastly, the program makes adjustments specifically for the headset jack. You can adjust sidetone levels (the amount of your speech that is replayed in your ear while you speak; voice chat without sidetone can be confusing) in addition to microphone and headphone volume. Additionally, every sound output via the controller has a five-band equalization panel.You can utilize your modifications on your PS4 or any other PC you wish to play on without the software because they are all written directly to the controller. The mode switch located on the top edge of the controller allows the C40 to quickly flip between the two profiles that it is currently storing. Additionally, the Astro program allows you to keep an infinite number of profiles. This means that you can have your customized controls ready to go at any time, no matter how often you wish to play a particular game.
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| Astro Gaming C40 TR Controller |
Having Fun with the C40
To test on the PlayStation 4, I made two game-specific profiles using the Astro program. I just mapped the triangle button (tool switching) to the UR button and the up direction pad input (item use) to the UL button for Sekiro. The game became slightly simpler to play right away thanks to the UL remapping since it allowed me to activate combat items without having to take my thumb off of the left analog stick, which is required by default due to the game's input mapping.
The two additional buttons on the bottom substantially aid in game control, as all of the face buttons and triggers are already in use for various purposes.
varied games engage the triggers at varied pull distances because, like analog sticks, they give changeable input. I placed trigger stops to limit the distance of the trigger pulls, however Sekiro requires a rather deep pull to utilize your grappling hook, which led to a few deaths by falling.
Although I could have simply adjusted the trigger sensitivity to convey the same value as a full trigger pull with the trigger stop's distance, I chose to disable the trigger stops in order to remedy issue. Because the grappling hook and other combat tools in Sekiro have long animations that could have been mistakenly triggered with shorter pulls, leaving me defenseless when battling adversaries, I chose against doing this.
With the tweaks to the trigger, the notoriously challenging Sekiro became slightly simpler. It was possible to employ consumables in battle since I could use healing goods and other items without using my thumb. Without having to take the additional time to move my thumb from the analog stick to the direction pad, I could still navigate around item usage animations.
I simplified things a little bit for Apex Legends. I remapped the UL and UR buttons to function as the circle button for crouching and the right direction push for choosing grenades, allowing me to accomplish both tasks without removing my thumbs off the analog sticks. Because the triggers in the game activate with rather shallow presses, I was able to configure the trigger stops.
I then began adjusting the analog sticks. Compared to using a mouse, aim with a gamepad is far less accurate and takes longer. I changed the sensitivity of the right analog stick so that it was more sensitive when tilted deeply than it was when tilted lightly. This allowed me to quickly rotate around with massive movements and fine-tune my aim with little ones.
I moved the C40 back and forth between my PC and PS4 to tweak the curve settings a few times, feeling the device in training mode in Apex Legend and adjusting the curve within the app. I experimented for a while before settling on a curve that seemed far more precise and comfortable than the default. In order to bob and weave more quickly and with less tilting, I also adjusted the left analog stick to be more responsive across its whole curve.
It took some getting acclimated to the new analog stick sensitivity curves. It felt strange to combine a pseudo-dead zone in the middle of the stick with a wild swing as I tilted farther, but I could tell that an experienced player could benefit much from being able to construct that kind of behavior. Similar to Sekiro, the UR button mapping let me to switch to grenades while in combat, giving me additional options.
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| Astro Gaming C40 TR Controller |
The Champion Controller
The Astro C40 gamepad is very amazing. It has several of the features that are now commonplace on high-end, boutique-modified controllers, such as additional, remappable controls and a variety of analog sticks. It has a modular input design that makes it simple to convert between analog stick configurations in parallel and off-set, as well as unique software that offers an amazing array of input sensitivity changes. With a sturdy and cozy design that functions seamlessly both wirelessly and wiredly on PCs and PS4, this amazing controller easily earns our Editors' Choice award despite costing $200.
Not everyone needs such a costly controller, but if you're a serious PS4 or PC gamer looking for something you can really adjust and personalize to your preferences, the C40 is certainly worth looking into. The PowerA Enhanced Wired Controller is a solid and well-built solution for a sixth of the price if you want the convenient underside buttons but don't want to pay nearly as much (though you won't get any of the accessories or comprehensive customization possibilities).