Up on the review block today I’ve got a beautiful looking game pad controller from Thrustmaster. I normally wouldn’t associate the word beautiful with the controller but this one deserves it. It’s a Limited Edition Ferrari 430 Scuderia themed controller that is so limited that it’s actually numbered. The controller is wireless and it works with both PS3 and PC games. It resembles most other controller out there but Thustmaster added an optical wheel to the pad specifically for driving or racing style games so you can get an edge over your competition. So read on to check it out…

Tech Specs,Features or the Basic Info:

Ferrari Wireless Gamepad 430 Scuderia Limited Edition

The exclusive wireless controller featuring OPTICAL CONTROL

* The ultimate 2.4 GHz wireless controller: EXCLUSIVE & NUMBERED

– Metallised design inspired by the Ferrari 430 Scuderia “musetto” (nose)

– Lower grip featuring a full peach skin texture, for unrivalled comfort

* DUAL PROGRESSIVE TRIGGERS

– 2 progressive and programmable triggers

– Unrivalled control: independent and measurable braking and acceleration

* OPTICAL WHEEL with auto-centering

– For ultra-precise control over your progressive actions, featuring an auto-centering feature

– 90° rotation angle (whereas mini-sticks offer only 40°)

* 2-in-1: for PlayStation®3 & PC

– One controller for your two systems

– Home button for PlayStation3

* Fully programmable (simple, no CD required) (exclusive on all platforms!)

– The buttons, mini-sticks, directional buttons, optical wheel and triggers can be swapped

* MAPPING, PRESET & Internal Memory functions (exclusive on all platforms!)

– Enables users to switch from one configuration to another in just 1 second!

– The controller stores all programmed button configurations, even when disconnected!

Soft touch grip

Price: $40 (From Amazon at time of review)

Unboxing and Pictures:

The box is attractive looking:

Inside you’ll find documentation, gamepad and the wireless USB dongle.

The dongle itself resembles a large USB drive, there’s a switch on the side to change from PS3 to PC gaming modes or compatibility.

Here’s the game pad from several angles and close up views as needed.

Installation and Testing:

I do like the design of the controller, it’s comfortable to use for long periods. When I first got it I wasn’t quite sure I’d like it, but after using it for an hour or so it was fine.

I had no issues with installation, I used it with Win7 64bit and it installed automatically in a matter of seconds.

The controller itself seems well made and durable, the bottom has a soft-touch non-slip grip. The button positioning is fine it’s comparable to other controllers so you can just pick it up and start playing. There are buttons on the bottom as well that you wouldn’t find on an Xbox360 controller for example, and of course there’s that sliding button on the left side where the D-Pad is.

The D-Pad can be used like a steering wheel for games, it’s optical so it’s nice and sensitive.

The controller has very good battery life and the wireless range is very good as well, so no issues there.

Using it with games though was a bit hard as I couldn’t find many games that it worked with. No FPS type game I have worked with the controller, but most racing games and even HAWX worked with it.

It seems perfectly fine with the games it does work with though, there’s no lag at all and it’s programmable so you can customize the controls when the game allows it.

I don’t own a PS3 so I couldn’t test that functionality, but I read some other reviews and they really had no complaints about using it with the PS3 except for button placement, specifically the ones on the bottom.

Summary and Comments:

Overall I do like this controller a lot.

Aesthetically it’s beautiful, and using it is a great experience, but I just wish it worked with more games than it does.

If you’re a racing game fan then I think you’ll surely want this controller as the addition of the optical wheel really does help

We give the Ferrari Wireless Gamepad 430 Scuderia Limited Edition a 4 out of 5 score.

Pros:

+Excellent and attractive design

+Comfortable to use

+Good battery life

+Good wireless range

+Easy to use and setup

Cons:

-Does not work is a lot of games