Lately,mechanical keyboardshave been experiencing a renaissance ofinteresting designsand incredible performance. While it’s not talked about as much, controllers are alsoexperiencing similar innovation. That is certainly the case when it comes to the PB Tails Crush Defender. This controller is unlike anything we have ever seen before. It is made entirely out of metal and gorgeously designed to have a battle-damaged look. This controller easily stands out from the crowd.
Over the last couple of weeks, Game Rant was lucky enough to get a hold of one of these controllers to test it out, marvel at its design, and see if the reasonably hefty price tag is worth paying for this controller. Without going any further, though, if you are looking for an art piece that can also play games wonderfully, this might be your next gaming purchase.
PB Tails Crush Defender
Each Crush Defender is truly one-of-a-kind, meticulously handcrafted to perfection, making them quite the collector’s item. The Defender controller not only boasts a distinctive and rugged appearance but also features the revolutionary K-Silver TMR (Tunneling Magnetoresistance) joysticks, making it the first gaming controller to incorporate TMR technology.
What’s in the Box
When we first unboxed the Crush Defender, we were blown away by its incredible presentation and premium feel. While it’s not necessary, the hard-shelled carrying case is a very nice touch for a controller at this level of detail. You want to take care of it and kind of baby it. But also, it’s made entirely of metal, so it is shockingly heavy the first time you pick it up, especially if you are used to first-party console controllers.
After getting it out of the box and staring at it for a couple of minutes, it was time to hook it up to a console and start playing some games. The setup process for the Nintendo Switch and PC was straightforward. There were no confusing button combos to get everything going; just turn it on and put it into pairing mode by pressing and holding the pairing button on the backside.
PB Tails Crush Defender: Design & Comfort
The design is obviously one of the things that stands out most about this controller, and for a good reason: it is absolutely gorgeous. While from pictures, the battle-damaged design can look a bit gimmicky in person, when you feel the metal and look at the design, it all comes together to make this amazing-looking controller. While it is not officially branded with theFalloutseries, that is the first thing that comes to mind when looking at this controller. The label of being handmade is sometimes lost in this day and age, but it makes its presence known with this controller; it feels like a collector’s piece.
From the rusty paint job to the texture of the buttons and the chrome finish that still sits on top of the joysticks, you’re able to tell love was put into this controller while it was being made. There are even gouges in the case that are incredibly satisfying to rub your fingers over while playing games or just passively holding the controller in your hand. With the right games, the texture and feeling of this controller make them feel so much more immersive. Users might be tempted to ask PB Tails to make a flight stick version of this, but then they also may never stop playingElite Dangerousif that happens.
Controllers as a whole are never going to be perfectly ergonomic just by the way they are designed, but as long as they don’t cause discomfort, they are pretty good in our book. This controller is very comfortable to hold and play games with for extended periods. We had no issues with strain or wrist pain even after playing hours of games. It is shaped fairly similar to the Xbox One controller, so if you have used one of those in the past, it will feel reasonably similar in your hands right away.
If you have larger hands, this controller can feel small and cramped at times, but for most people, you should have plenty of room to spread out your hands and grip the controller however you find most comfortable.
PB Tails Crush Defender: Connectivity & Performance
While this controller is not compatible with every gaming platform, notably Xbox and PlayStation, it is compatible with many options that are not always available on higher-end controllers. The big three for most gamers are Windows, SteamOS, and Switch. All three platforms work flawlessly with the Crush Defender, whether you are connected via Bluetooth, 2.4GHz wireless, or wired.
While Bluetooth is a no-go for most gamers looking for the best latency performance on PC, we had no issues with the Bluetooth connection causing noticeable lag on the inputs. Of course, this can vary from computer to computer, depending on which Bluetooth version your PC supports, but most gamers should feel confident using this controller with any of the three connection options for PC gaming.
When it comes to raw gaming performance, that is where the second most exciting part of this controller comes into play. This controller uses TMR joysticks like Hall Effect joysticks but on steroids. The Crush Defender is the first pre-built controller ever to feature TMR joysticks. Instead of the average 500 Hz polling rate from Hall Effect controllers, TMR joysticks are capable of a 1,000 to 2,000 Hz polling rate, which is a significant performance boost. The biggest argument over controllers compared to mouse and keyboard was their lower polling rate, but now, with the Charge Defender, this controller has the same polling rate as many high-performance gaming mice.
Secondly, TMR joysticks offer a much higher resolution than Hall Effect joysticks. This means that you can be much more precise with this controller. Subtle movements you might be more used to making with a mouse are easy to replicate with these joysticks. Whether in a first-person shooter, a racing game, or just a casual point-and-click game, this controller never left me wanting more precision out of it.
In-game, this controller makes users feel like their skills have suddenly increased in performance compared to their typical daily driver controller. As someone who tends to prefer a mouse and keyboard for most games, over the last few weeks of testing, this controller kept ending up in my hands regardless of the game being played. Even in games likeHelldivers II,where having more buttons is a huge advantage, the Crush Defender was an excellent companion for slaying bugs and bots alike.
TMR joysticks also absolutely sip on power, compared to Hall Effect and traditional joysticks. Side by side with Hall Effect joysticks, TMR joysticks use about 98% less power, making the battery life incredibly long, especially when you consider how much performance you get out of this controller. During the two-week testing period, with a fair amount of play time, we did not have to charge the Crush Defender once.
Is The PB Tails Crush Defender Right For You?
The PB Tails Metal Crush Defender is one of the most impressive controllers to come out this year in terms of performance alone. When you add the fact that this controller is built entirely out of metal and has a gorgeous design, it is really hard to find faults with it. Of course, the battle-damaged look is not for everyone, but PB Tails also offers this controller in a sleek all-chrome design as well, but it doesn’t come with the impressive K-Silver TMR joysticks.
If you are looking for a controller that looks and feels like a collector’s item, but also offers unrivaled performance in the controller world, the Crush Defender is hard to beat at the moment. At the time of writing, this is the only pre-built controller that offers K-Silver TMR joysticks. You can buy TMR joysticks separately and mod a controller with them, but you have to be pretty handy to get them to the point that PB Tails got them with the Crush Defender.
On the other hand, a $110 controller can be pretty expensive for most gamers, so while this controller offers unrivaled performance and is absolutely gorgeous, it might be a bit overkill if you don’t need that extra performance.
Related Products
If you aren’t convinced by the PB Tails Metal Crush Defender, you might be better off with one of these excellent options:
FAQ
Q: Are Hall Effect joysticks less accurate?
One of the main advantages of Hall Effect joysticks is their accuracy; unlike mechanical joysticks, which can wear out over time and become less accurate, the Hall Effect joystick will always return to its original position when released.
