The PDP Afterglow Wave is a flashy-looking Xbox controller, but can its performance match its stylish standards? We take a look at the PDP Afterglow wave.
First Impressions
My initial thoughts when taking the PDP Afterglow Wave out of the box was that you could see that PDP opted to not do anything crazy and stick close to the familiar silhouette of an Xbox Series X/S controller.
The only real difference in terms of appearance was the flatter and squarer bumpers and triggers, along with the two flappy paddle buttons on the grips, and a slight change in button design.
The general layout of the buttons is the same as your standard Xbox controller, with the classic X,Y,B,A buttons to the right and a joystick placed on the opposite side.
There is a mic mute button in between the d-pad and right joystick which is one more button than your standard Xbox controller.
The Xbox button has a little LED light above it which tells you if your controller is connected or not, meaning you won’t have the annoying experience of trying to work out if your controller is actually plugged in and working.
Design and Performance
Rating: 3.5/5
Starting with the overall feel of the controller in my hands, the Afterglow doesn’t stray too far from the feel of the standard Xbox controller. It’s light indents of grip scattered around the body is a nice touch, making it feel safe and secure in your palms.
The main difference in terms of feel is the paddle buttons on the underside of the grips, which are quite large and can be hard to not touch when intensely gaming.
Other than this, when I’m actually intending to use them, the paddles are quite good. You can program them to your preferred controller bind on the PDP Control Hub App, giving you an option to make the paddles whichever button you require them to be.
The sticks are quite simple, with a plastic build topped by a basic rubber grip, donning an engraved circle which somewhat helps. The sticks move pretty similarly to your basic Xbox controller that comes with your Xbox, which is both handy as it doesn’t feel weird switching from Xbox’s own controller to the PDP Afterglow, but also slightly underwhelming as there isn’t anything special about them.
I found clicking down on the sticks relatively awkward, with a tendency for them to slightly click when you put a small amount of pressure on them, then followed by the actual click you are intending to do.
This may have simply been a case of that they haven’t “warmed up yet”, although I used the Afterglow for a week or so and it didn’t go away, so make of that what you will.
The d-pad is rather basic, with a very similar design to the standard Xbox controller, apart from the d-pad having ulterior functions.
You can control the headset’s master volume as well as the game and chat balance of the audio. The d-pad on the Afterglow Wave features symbols that help indicate what each direction controls.
The triggers were smooth and sensitive, making them good for shooters or driving games as you get that speed required when shooting in a FPS, but also that sensitivity where you can really get precise with how much pressure is required to go at a certain pace in a racer game.
This accompanied by the bulged-out bumpers, which are comfortable and easy to press down quickly, you have a very solid line-up regarding the triggers, bumpers and buttons department, with them all being customizable in their respective ways on the PDP App.
Customization
Rating: 4.5/5
The area of customization is where the PDP Afterglow Wave most definitely thrives. The PDP Control Hub App lets you adjust all aspects of your controller setup, from the Dead Zone of the triggers and joysticks, the remapping of buttons and paddles, to the colour of the RGB’s or audio settings.
The Control Hub App also has a diagnostic feature where you can personally test and recalibrate any buttons or audio functions. They were spot on when naming the PDP Control Hub App, as you really feel like you have been given full control over the controller’s setup.
You have 4 different profiles which you can customize, meaning you can easily switch between profiles based on your game. These profiles can completely change the look of your controller to the actual performance of your controller, which is an amazing level of personalization.
The RGB’s customization is sensational, with the in-depth menus that let you get precise with the the controller’s LEDs to match your styles.
You can edit and control the LEDs by lighting zones, and designating colours to the specific zones of your controller. You can even edit the lighting effects style, with options such as static, breathing, cycle and stick.
On top of all that, the app itself is very easy and simple to navigate, which is a relief with some other customization apps for gaming devices being quite confusing, slow and frustrating.
Conclusion
Rating: 4/5
When coming to my overall judgement on the PDP Afterglow Wave, there’s no doubt that it is a competent Xbox Series X/S controller in terms of performance, with it feeling very similar to your standard Xbox controller.
The customization aspects are what really propelled the Afterglow Wave to a 4/5 rating, with a great amount of personalization really making the controller able to suit your style, whether it’s how flashy you want the controller to look or how your triggers and sticks feel in game, you can really make this controller your own.
The only real downside is the lack of wireless functionality, however this isn’t a huge downside as you save on buying a truckload of batteries, although the whole wired vs wireless debate is really just personal preference and what suits your set-up the best.
Factoring in the low price of around £30-£40, which is less than your average Xbox Series X/S controller, there’s no doubt that the PDP Afterglow Wave is a solid option if you want something that is a bit different from your familiar Xbox controller, whilst keeping the feel of it being an Xbox controller.
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The afterglow wave controller is a good firm controller. I have two problems. The function button is Finnicky half the time it don’t work, and there’s no where to look up trouble shooting solutions. Last the recalibration is hard to get to work, and without it your joysticks don’t work. I hardresetet my Xbox still just sitting at “sticks calibration in progress” screen. Also there no info on troubleshooting. If these issues where fixed I’d highly recommend this controller.