What does a high-end headset manufacturer know about making a game controller? Well, when it’s Astro, the fact that they were bought up last year by Logitech means they probably know quite a lot.
The company have now announced the Astro C40 TR Controller, where TR stands for Tournament Ready. It’s designed to be compatible with PlayStation 4 and PC, and will launch in early 2019 for $199.99 USD.
As with many pro controllers, there’s a litany of features that go beyond what you find on a simple DualShock 4, and the C40 is quite staggeringly customisable. You can replace the analogue sticks and D-pad to suit your desires, but you can also swap the positions of these on the left, letting you go for an Xbox-like asymmetrical layout if that’s what you prefer. There’s also programmable rear buttons and trigger stops that shorten the travel of the triggers. These can be programmed via Astro’s PC software, with sensitivity, EQ, button maps and more then stored as profiles on the controller.
The C40 can be used wired or wirelessly, where it promises a 12 hour battery life, though this comes through using a dongle and Astro’s own 2.4Ghz wireless mode. The upside to that is that the C40 can offer sound and voice chat through its 3.5mm jack, whether wired or wireless.
It’s a pretty great sounding package, to go up against Nacon and Razer in the PS4 pro controller space. Here’s hoping they deliver on the promise when it launches next year.
Source: press release
