Nyko 80610 AirFlo PC Game Controller

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good controller, but could be better
Review Source : AmazonUS
Review Type : User from other site
pro's: good grip and feel, lots of buttons, dual analog, best directional pad on a pc game controller ive seen and works well with fighting games but not as good as a ps2 or super nintendo directional pad, the fan does prevent sweaty hands

con's: i bought 2 of these controllers and 1 of the fans would not work after some use and i ended up having to take it apart and pieces of the fan fell out, at random moments your controller will think the analog stick is being pressed left when it is not

overall it is sadly the best controller available for pc's

Better than average, but with glitches...
Review Source : AmazonUS
Review Type : User from other site
This controller is excellent in comfort and ease of use. The fan really helps, although for a real idea of how much it helps you will have to play the same game for an hour with the Nyko controller, and then for an hour with a different controller. The form factor follows the Playstation 2 controller design, which is really the best controller out there (much as the designers of other game systems may wail and gnash their teeth, lol.) However, there are a few improvements over the base PS2 design here. First, the analog thumbsticks' tips are textured with raised ridges, making them much less slippery than the PS2 equivalent, and the handgrips have "cleats" of soft rubberized plastic to give both better grip, and add a bit of "give" to it. It is a VERY comfortable controller to use.
It does have a couple of drawbacks. Other reviews I've read online indicate that a problem I ran into was not limited to me, but seems to be general, which is that after a few weeks of use, the controller "forgets" its calibration and will cause *ahem* unintended results *ahem* in-game. Sadly, there is A) no way to prevent this, and B) no way to tell it has happened until you're in-game and your character (for example) runs in place in a corner and cannot be moved.
This sounds more serious than it is; all you need to do is go to Control Panel -> Game Controllers and recalibrate it, but this IS a hassle some users might want to avoid. If this is no big deal to you, this is an excellent controller, and much more comfortable than its competitors.
Especially if you're playing Final Fantasy XI on PC.

Almost Perfect...
Review Source : AmazonUS
Review Type : User from other site
There's not really much I can say about this controller that any of the other reviewers haven't said. The "Airflow" technology really helps, the PS2 button scheme is excellent, and the D-pad is awesome. The one error that I've run into, is that none of my games let me use the d-pad to control! I always have to use the left analog stick! This isn't really a big problem, except in games like "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3". It's actually better in games like "LOTR: Return Of The King". I don't understand why it won't let me use the d-pad, but other than that, this is the best controller available to the PC.

Pretty good controller
Review Source : AmazonUS
Review Type : User from other site
UPDATE (6/26/2008): Just wanted to fill anyone in who may still want to buy this (do such people exist?) that one of my Nyko controllers actually broke. The left analogue stick no longer works correctly and is constantly stuck in "LEFT! LEFT! LEFT!!!" mode, which is unfortunate for all the other directions I'd like to use. All right, that's all for the update.


Unlike all the other reviewers, I'm using this controller with a Mac. None of the packaging or instructions say it supports Macs, but the Nyko website offers a Mac driver that works perfectly well with OS 10.4.3. I mapped the controller to keyboard functions so I get universal support in all my games... and I can even use one of the analog sticks to manipulate my cursor from a distance (great for using it as a remote to watch DVDs on the computer, especially with the long cord). I should note that both the Windows and Mac drivers were updated early in 2005, so some of the older complaints by reviewers here may be solved with a driver update.

The usefullness of the fan is arguable, but I like it because it works and I hate the feel of even the tiniest bit of perspiration. Besides, controllers get passed around and no one's going to wipe them down, despite the inevitable hand sweat. However, the fan on low makes more noise than my Powerbook's fans going full-steam, and it wafts up some plasticky scents from within the controller (not foul, but I'd rather not smell my controller). But I'd deal with the minor faults for sweatless gameplay.

As for use and comfort, the controller is very comfortable in my hands, and I have ridiculously small hands (I've seen 10-year-old boys with hands the same size as or bigger than mine). I can get at all of the controls just fine, though it takes a bit more work to get the analog sticks to respond quickly with short thumbs. For the RPGs, racing games, and occasional 2D fighting game I play, these controllers are great.

The controller feels very sturdy (despite being laden with holes), though some of the buttons on mine are very wobbly (might be due to it being a refurbished controller). Still, it works perfectly fine and I'd recommend it (though not for $25; get a wireless controller if you're going to pay retail).

Very Cool Controller
Review Source : AmazonUS
Review Type : User from other site
Awesome Controller... cools your hands... pain in the a** to calibrate, Other then that... Sweet

Nice control
Review Source : AmazonUS
Review Type : User from other site
This is a very nice control, it REALLY cools ur hands and i was surprised on how light it is. It worked for all the games i tried it on. The only reason I gave it 4/5 stars is cuz I dunno if it was just mine but it only lasted me 3 months. At first a fan blade broke off somehow i dont even know how that happened, and a week later the whole control just stopped working completely. I got the Logitech Cordless rumblepad 2 now and hasnt given me any problems yet. Read the reviews for the Logitech one.

Never liked that "fan your hands" idea.
Review Source : AmazonUS
Review Type : User from other site
Wireless I guess has some reason to exist, and Turbo was always nice, but I never jumped on the "fan your hands" bandwagon. It just seemed like a dumb idea, gadgetizing the controller way too much. Though I do like the design of this pad. Very nice "cross" d-pad unlike the stock "4 slivers of hard plastic" the standard PS1&2 pads give you. Its got rubber grips, so it probably has more ruggedness than the common flimsy PC gamepad. But if you really want console ruggedness on your PC, just go get an adapter from Lik-Sang and Joy2Key software, then you can use any PS1 or 2 pad you've got lying in your closet as a PC device and you'll have the ability to map it to keyboard and mouse.

Solid and easy to set up however...
Review Source : AmazonUS
Review Type : User from other site
No diagonal on the direction pad or the sticks. That's a big problem.

Stunning!
Review Source : AmazonUS
Review Type : User from other site
I bought this controller because I needed something to be able to play console-style games on the PC and frankly, this was the only choice in the store at the time. I'd looked over Belkin's, and it just seemed too cumbersome in my hands. I'd read that Thrustmaster's had weak sticks and a tendency to break.

I've been impressed with the Nyko Airflo ever since I took it out of the package. On any of my Windows XP Pro machines, I just plug in the controller and it works out of the box. No drivers, no configuration, no calibration mess. For Windows 98 users, you can download driver files to support it, but I haven't tried them.

I've been playing Silent Hill 2 and 3, Metal Gear Solid, and a handful of emulated games, and the controller has just naturally worked every time. The Airflo has fans in the handles that blow cool air directly onto your palms. A switch controls two different speeds for the fans, or you can turn them off. I didn't buy this for the fans, but having used them I'm really grateful for it - I'm surprised how well they cool your hands. I'd been concerned that my hands might block the intake, but it's tucked up under the middle, so no worries there. The rubber grips are pretty solid to hold, and although I don't intentionally bang the analog sticks, I have accidentally knocked them around and been surprised they didn't snap right off, but instead kept working.

I've got relatively large hands, so this controller is about the right size for me, and I recommend it to anyone looking to get the "Playstation feel" to their gaming.

One thing to note: some of the older (or just lamer) games I've seen don't support the Nyko. For instance, Sonic Adventure DX for the PC says it'll only work with an analog stick. It's a poorly-built game, and no matter how I fiddle with it, it won't even see the analog sticks on the Nyko. Ditto for games like South Park Rally and Sonic R.

I love it!
Review Source : AmazonUS
Review Type : User from other site
Not much to say. The controller is easy to use, has cooling fans for your hands, and is just the right size. Its great!

Bad PC Game Controller. . .
Review Source : AmazonUS
Review Type : User from other site
The controller does not retain your custom settings, its way to bulky and the D-pad does not work on alot of games and theres nothing you can do about it. I read alot of the reviews on here and I see everybody seems to compare pc controllers to that of the PS2, then I suggest you go with the (Logitech Rumblepad 2 Vibration Feedback Gamepad) It has all of the features of the PS2 (size, vibration feature, and all the same buttons) and you can use the D-pad on just about every game. Its trully the best pc game controller out in the market now for its features and price.

Not an avid gamer, but I like it a lot
Review Source : AmazonUS
Review Type : User from other site
I don't play a lot of games and almost none on the PC. Call me sentimental, I still pick up my Nintendo64 every now and then. At any rate, I bought the Harry Potter Quidditch World Cup game and loved it muchly, but my fingers got tired using the keyboard for it. So I went out and picked up this controller to use. It was a completely random choice (as I said, I'm not a gamer, so I didn't know what to look for) based more on price than anything else. I discovered that it was the best choice I could have made.

The controller works perfectly with the game and I was able to program all the buttons and analog sticks and everything. Made playing so much easier and better. I don't use the air flow thing so much because I don't have the sweaty hands problem, but I like that it has a bigger grippy area so it fills my hand more. I've been playing with it for several months now and it hasn't broken or gone wonky on me. Very sturdy, works as it should, and helped me win the World Cup :)