Nacon RIG Pro Compact Xbox Controller Review: The Best Sounding Controller Around

Who Is The Nacon RIG Pro Compact Xbox Controller For?

• The Nacon RIG Pro Compact Xbox controller is ideal for those who want a smaller, more form fitting controller for use with Xbox consoles or PCs
• The Pro Compact controller includes a lifetime subscription to Dolby Atmos audio
• The Pro Compact was designed with pro gamers in mind

Video game controllers are incredibly important, not just to play games, but also for accessibility and comfort. The greatest game system in the world wouldn't sell nearly as well if it had a bad controller. That's why companies are always trying to innovate on what is already available. Nacon, who just recently finished its acquisition of RIG, has a new controller for Xbox and PC that is designed with pro players in mind. While there are features with the Nacon RIG Pro Compact wired Xbox controller that do improve performance, there's also something for everyone who plays games, professionally or otherwise.

The Looks

Looking at the Nacon RIG Pro Compact Xbox controller, this is a fairly attractive piece of hardware. At a quick glance, the Pro Compact looks similar to the classic white Xbox controller, but there are a few differences that help the Pro Compact stand out. The biggest, or should I say smallest, difference is that the Pro Compact is overall smaller than the Microsoft-branded controllers. We'll get more into that when talking about how the Pro Compact feels.

Other major differences with the Pro Compact include the size of the buttons. These are larger than the ones found on the basic Xbox controller. There is also a metallic ring around the area of the joysticks. I found this to be a nice little pop of color, and one that isn't found on Microsoft controllers.

The Pro Compact controller is a wired controller, meaning there's a three meter long cable that connects the controller to an Xbox or PC. There are two reasons why the Pro Compact is wired instead of wireless. The first is that it cuts down on costs. The second is that wired controllers have slightly faster response times. Seeing as how the Pro Compact was designed with professional gamers in mind, those milliseconds that are saved with a wired controller do make a difference.

Overall, the Nacon RIG Pro Compact looks pretty decent, if a little generic. It doesn't deviate too far from what Microsoft has already released for its line of Xbox consoles, but makes a few minor changes that add a little flair without being too distracting.

The Feel

Regardless of what a controller looks like, the feel is much more important for any gamer. With the Nacon RIG Pro Compact controller, the controller's feel is really going to come down to each gamer's personal preferences.

As previously mentioned, the Pro Compact is 15 percent smaller than Microsoft's line of controllers. This helps the controller fit into all hand sizes, and is especially helpful for those with smaller hands. While the basic Xbox One controller isn't a behemoth like the original Xbox "Duke" controller, it can still be a bit bulky.

Nacon has also made the most of the reduced space by increasing the size of the buttons on the Pro Compact. These buttons are large and flat, making them very easy to push. There's just the right amount of resistance from the buttons, meaning that they aren't mushy and have decent bounce back.

The Pro Compact has also rearranged the placement of the "View" and "Menu" buttons, or the "Start" and "Select" buttons for those of us who are still stuck in our dated nomenclature. These are now towards the top of the controller instead of in the middle. I kind of like the placement of these buttons, but it does take some getting used to. When trying to pause a game, my thumb instinctively tries to go to the center of the controller.

Xbox controllers have never been known for their D-pads, as most of them going all the way back to the Xbox 360 have been mediocre or worse. Unfortunately, the Pro Compact keeps that tradition alive and well. The D-pad on the Pro Compact somehow feels a little mushy, despite the other buttons having a nice and snappy click to them. I definitely prefer the Microsoft branded Xbox One controller's D-pad over the Pro Compact.

The triggers on the Pro Compact feel really nice. I've used controllers like the standard Microsoft one that have a large pull-back distance for their triggers, and controllers like the Evil models that treat the trigger as a button with virtually no pull-back distance. The Pro Compact falls in the middle. There's some pull-back distance, but definitely less than what's available in the Microsoft offerings.

I personally really like the way the triggers are set up on the Pro Compact. It seems like a healthy mix between being able to pull triggers fast and being able to pull them accurately. This allows for a healthy mix of game types as well, from shooters to racing games.

Speaking of the triggers, perhaps my biggest issue with the Pro Compact controller is that it somewhat forces users to hold it in a specific way. With most controllers, I use my index fingers for both the trigger and bumper buttons. With the Pro Compact, the controller is clearly made so that I use my index fingers for the bumpers and middle fingers for the triggers. Is that a more efficient and "better" way to play games? Maybe. Is that the way I like to play games? No.

The texture of the Pro Compact is also virtually identical to the texture on the standard Microsoft controller. However, the Pro Compact seems like it causes my hands to sweat more than the Microsoft controllers. I'm not sure if my hands are actually sweating more or if it is just made more noticeable. Regardless, it would have been nice to get a little bit of texture, like from some kind of grip, on the Pro Compact.

Finally, there are the control sticks. The Pro Compact's control sticks are very nice, and do have a decent texture on them. The left stick is my personal favorite with its small holes that help grip my thumb. The right stick has the Nacon logo in it, which doesn't do much to improve grip, but it does look nice.

The Features

The Nacon RIG Pro Compact has a few bonus features under the hood that help to improve the overall gaming experience. The big highlight is the inclusion of Dolby Atmos audio. The Pro Compact comes with a lifetime subscription to Atmos built in, allowing gamers to simply use the 3.5mm headset jack to plug in a pair of headphones and get immersed in audio.

To avoid this review turning into a Dolby Atmos review, we'll keep it simple and stick to the highlights. Atmos is a playback method for audio that goes beyond simple surround sound. Instead of locking audio into specific speaker positions, the goal for Atmos is to make audio sound more natural and all-encompassing. Regardless of what you may think of Atmos, it is pretty cool that it is bundled alongside the Pro Compact at no additional cost.

The second major feature built into the Pro Compact controller is the ability to reprogram all the buttons. Both the latest PlayStation and Xbox consoles allow for button remapping right on the console, but the Pro Compact's free app goes even further to allow for fine tuning stick and trigger responses. Different profiles can be saved for different genres of games, and two profiles can be saved on the Pro Compact itself. There's a small switch on the back of the controller to jump between these two profiles.

Final Thoughts

The Nacon RIG Pro Compact wired Xbox controller is a perfectly fine option for those who want a new controller for their Xbox One, Xbox One S, Xbox One X, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X or PC. It largely retains the look and feel of the standard Microsoft controllers, though it does shrink the overall controller slightly while making the buttons a little bigger.

My biggest issue with the Pro Compact is that it seems to force gamers to use both their index and middle fingers to control the bumpers and triggers at the top of the controller, as the arms of the controller don't really have the space for three fingers. That said, the addition of Dolby Atmos support is awesome and something that shouldn't be overlooked.

At only $50, the Pro Compact is less expensive than most other Xbox controllers, especially wireless controllers from Microsoft. Because it is wired, users also don't need to spend on batteries or a rechargeable battery kit, and never need to worry about losing connection in the middle of a game.

Personally, I will probably not switch to using the Pro Compact permanently, but it is nice to have in my collection if I ever need another controller or don't feel like changing any batteries.