In the current generation of game systems, I like theXbox One($200.00 at eBay)(Opens in a new window)better for the user experience, but thePlayStation 4's($799.95 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window)DualShock 4 gamepad stands out as the best controller I ever felt in my hands. I yearn for a way to play Xbox One and PC games with a DualShock 4; while athird-party toollets me play with the DualShock 4 on my PC, for the Xbox One, so far, I've been out of luck. That changes with theControllerMAX CronusMAX(Opens in a new window), an incredibly powerful, if esoteric, gaming device that lets you use nearly any controller with any PC and many game systems. That includes using the DualShock 4 on the Xbox One. It's not perfect, but at $59.95, it's an absolute steal for any hardcore gamer with very specific tastes in controllers, but very broad tastes in systems.
Design
The CronusMAX looks like a sort of USB diagnostic device. It's about the size of a USB flash drive, but with a red numeric LED display on the top, a USB port on the end, and a mini USB port on the side. A small button sits below the display, but unless you're going to juggle multiple profiles you won't have to worry about it. Finally, a pinhole button sits on the underside of the device for manually resetting it.
In order to be so flexible, the CronusMAX has to be a bit complicated to set up. It's worth it, though. Its USB connector plugs into your game system or console. The USB port connects either to your controller or to a compatible USB Bluetooth dongle, while the mini USB port connects to your computer for configuring the device with Gtuner, the program you use with the CronusMAX.
Gtuner
Gtuner is the Windows program that lets you set up the CronusMAX. You need a PC to get the CronusMAX running, because nearly every setting and mode is configured in the software, with a wired connection to the mini USB port. The software itself looks complex and intimidating, but you only need to use one menu and change a few settings to get going.
The main setting you need to access is Output Protocol. This setting is found in the Options menu under the Tools tab, and it determines what sort of commands the CronusMAX sends to the connected device. It can be configured to output commands to anXbox 360,PlayStation 3, or Xbox One. It also has an Automatic mode for both the Xbox 360 and PS3, but its PS3 support in that mode is spotty, and you can't use it with a PC in that mode.
该软件是如果你想真正深入得多customize your gaming experience. You can program the CronusMAX to translate controller commands into nearly any other command, create macros, and assign individual profiles for different games. The CronusMAX can hold up to 10 different profiles, which you can create yourself or download from the ControllerMAX community through Gtuner.
Connecting
If you want to connect a Sixaxis, DualShock 3, or DualShock 4 controller to your computer, you need to set the Output Protocol to Xbox 360, plug the CronusMAX into a USB port, and plug the gamepad into the CronusMAX. You can generally connect any USB controller to your PC already, without a CronusMAX, but for gamepads like the Sixaxis, DualShock 3, and DualShock 4 it can be helpful (unless you want to go through the third-party driver and Xinput wrapper hack explainedhere).
Even for supported gamepads like the Xbox 360 controller and other USB gamepads, Gtuner and CronusMAX offers extensive button remapping and macro features you won't find if you just plug the controller directly in to your PC. Hooking up a DualShock 4 gamepad to a PC was an incredibly simple process; I was up and running playing Super Meat Boy on the PlayStation 4 controller much more quickly with the CronusMAX than if I used the DS4Tool hack.
For PlayStation 3, the process is similar. You just set the Output Protocol to PS3, plug it into the system, and plug the controller into the CronusMAX. I got both the DualShock 4 and Xbox One gamepads working with a PlayStation 3 without issue.
Using different controllers with the Xbox 360 and Xbox One requires a slightly more convoluted process. After you set the Output Protocol to Xbox 360 or Xbox One and plug the CronusMAX into the appropriate system, you need to "prime the pump" with an official controller. The Xbox 360 and Xbox One need to authorize connected gamepads, and the CronusMAX can't do that on its own. The display will flash "A" and "U," signaling that you need to plug in an Xbox 360 or Xbox One controller depending on the console. Once it's plugged in, the display should show an "O," signaling that it's ready to accept whatever gamepad you want. You need to repeat this process whenever you connect the CronusMAX to your system or turn it on. After that, though, I had no issues controlling the Xbox One with a DualShock 4.
PlayStation 4 support was recently added through a firmware update, but it's even more awkward than the Xbox One and Xbox 360 setup, and too limited to be useful outside of the CronusMAX's macro and mapping programming features. Essentially, it only works with a DualShock 4 controller, so you can't use other controllers with the PlayStation 4.
Bluetooth
The CronusMAX supports Bluetooth, so you can pair your PS3 and PS4 gamepads wirelessly to any system. However, the module itself doesn't have built-in Bluetooth; you need to get your own Bluetooth 2.1 EDR USB dongle. Support for the dongle is inconsistent among brands and builds, but the Asus USB-BT400 and Trendnet TBW-106UB adapters have both been confirmed to work by CronusMAX. I used a USB-BT400 with the CronusMAX and had no problem pairing a DualShock 4 to it and using it with my Xbox One (after the Xbox One gamepad authorization process) just as if it was paired to a PS4 directly.
In my tests, the CronusMAX was daunting to get used to at first. But once I got the hang of the basic functions I appreciated it as one of the most powerful and elegant gaming tools I've played with. It requires a level of tech savvy to get working and you need to provide your own Bluetooth adapter if you want wireless support, but it can make nearly any controller work with any PC, PS3, Xbox 360, or Xbox One, and it can smooth over any ugly or awkward control issues you might have when playing with a gamepad on your PC. It's genuinely impressive, and should be a priority purchase for any hardcore gamer who isn't married to a single platform, but has a favorite controller.
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