Cable length
The length of the cable provided in the design or delivery set of the wired or combined controller (see "Connection").
In general, the meaning of this parameter is obvious: a longer cable gives more freedom of movement, but can create inconvenience at short distances. In fact, the length of the wire is important mainly in cases where a wired connection is used to play on a large screen: for comfortable viewing, it is desirable to be at a fairly large distance from such a screen. However, even in this case, a relatively short cable can be compensated for by the length of the wires going from the console (or other gaming device) to the screen, or even by connecting the set-top box to the screen wirelessly (many modern models have this capability). If the controller is used for a computer, this parameter can be ignored: the system unit or laptop is usually located in close proximity to the user, and even a fairly short wire is enough to connect.
Number of buttons
The total number of buttons provided in the design of the manipulator.
The more buttons — the more additional features you can "tie" to the manipulator, the lower the likelihood that during the game you will have to turn to other controls (for example, a PC keyboard). However, many game consoles (see "Platform Compatibility") provide a certain minimum number of buttons for a compatible gamepad — a smaller number simply would not allow full use of all the functions of the console. For example, the original PlayStation 4 controller has 11 buttons.
Note that the D-Pad (see below) is not included in this calculation: it is considered a specific control, although it is based on buttons.
Rear buttons
Additional buttons located on the rear panel of the game controller housing.
Such equipment is found exclusively among gamepads (see “Type”). As a rule,
the back buttons are made customizable and assigned to certain functions at the discretion of the player or depending on the requirements of a particular game. They are designed to allow you to control the game without having to take your fingers away from the main buttons or sticks. The extra buttons on the rear panel are especially useful in first-person shooters and fighting games, where responsiveness and precise control are critical to success in the game.
Backlight
The backlight gives the manipulator an unusual and stylish appearance, thereby emphasizing that the device belongs to the segment of gaming devices. Its simplest varieties are monophonic options. In this case, specific colors are different: red, turquoise, green, etc. The most advanced options are multi-color and RGB lighting. Multi-color systems are called systems in which more than three color options are provided, sometimes with intermediate shades. And RGB-backlighting allows you to choose almost any shade at the request and mood of the user.
Detachable cable
The presence of
a removable cable in the design of the game controller.
This feature is found exclusively in models with the possibility of a wired or combined connection (see “Connection type”). This design feature allows you to replace the “original” wire with another: this can be useful if you need a longer cable, or if the supplied one was damaged. Plus, detaching the wire makes the game controller easier to store and transport.
