ASUS’ fondness for sticking small screens on devices now extends to gamepads. As part of its many gaming hardware introductions at CES, the company has unveiled a ROG Raikiri Pro controller with a built-in, customizable OLED screen. The 1.3-inch display on the Xbox- and Windows-ready peripheral can show useful information like the charging status, microphone mute and the active profile, but you can also use it for purely cosmetic animations, images and text. No one will forget that it’s your controller, then.
This is also the first licensed Xbox controller to offer “tri-mode” connections. You can use Bluetooth, RF or USB-C. You’ll only get to use the wireless functionality with a PC (ASUS only promises Xbox support through USB), but this is still handy if you’d like flexibility in how you connect to your gaming machines. Even the audio is slightly excessive, as the Raikiri Pro includes an ESS DAC to boost audio from the 3.5mm headset jack.
The gamepad unsurprisingly offers extensive controls. Beyond the familiar Xbox layout, you can program four rear buttons for hotkeys, sensitivity toggles and similar commands. Top buttons let you switch profiles mid-play, and trigger locks can limit the amount of travel. An app also offers control over dead zones, vibrations and other finer points.
ASUS hasn’t mentioned pricing, but you can expect the Raikiri Pro to ship sometime in the first quarter of the year. This isn’t the first controller with a display (hello, Dreamcast fans) or even the first with OLED (Hyperkin’s Xbox “Duke” revival had that). However, the technology might help it stand out in a crowded field where modular designs, wild colors and extra buttons are relatively commonplace.
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