Saitek P3000 Wireless PC Game Pad & Docking Station
by Saitek
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List Price: Category: CE See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Saitek P3000 Wireless PC Game Pad & Docking Station
Customer Review: This one's a dud.
Summary: 1 Stars
I love the Saitek 880 wired gamepad. So I figured the wireless would be that much better. Unfortunately, my next purchase will be another wired pad to ensure no problems. There's nothing worse than the few times I really need two gamepads that the wireless one poops out. I bought this and the batteries died. I sent Saitek an e-mail and they sent me two new ones. Great, they worked! Then they died soon after. Hopefully their new wireless, which runs on one AA battery will not have any issues. However, this one's a dud.Customer Review: Problems
Summary: 1 Stars
After 3 days of having this controller, it already started to have problems. The docking station would not pick up charges from the battery anymore making my controller useless. For the amount of money I spent, I am very disappointed.Customer Review: Great feel, one prob
Summary: 4 Stars
I love the feel of this gamepad...after trying several others this is the best. The wireless works ok, i was 20 feet away and it was working.The batteries are what needs improving according to many posts. I thought i had a dead battery but it ended up being a bad connection inside. With a small screwdriver pushed up through the bottom can take apart the battery case. on the positive side of each battery there are two small pieces of plastic. you just need to push these down so the battery has a better chance of connectiing. i also found new batteris at interstate battery store, 1 dollar each. The analog sticks could be a little tighter, but i like the d pad. wireless is great!Customer Review: Buyer Beware
Summary: 1 Stars
I've gone through three of these, and they all had the same problems. A quick view of these reviews and reviews on CircuitCity's website shows the same problems. What makes it even worse is you'll see threads stating the same issues on Saitek's support forums, with their main support guy vehemently denying that there are problems with this gamepad.
The batteries are cheap. They're often dead out of the box (meaning they can't take a charge). They die with minimal use. If you fully charge them too often, the charger kills the batteries.
The analog sticks have a LARGE dead zone, and suffer from calibration issues. The dead zone seems to have been thrown in to hide the calibration issues, so you'd have to hold the stick all the way in one direction to get any response. However, even with that, each stick seems to pull in a direction by default, due to the calibration issues.
I've heard of problems with their range (earlier models were 900mhz, newer ones are 2.4ghz, I own a 900mhz). To be honest, I got mine responding fine about 25 feet away. So while others may have had issues here, I had none.
The main reason to buy a Saitek over, say, a Logitech had to be the grip. Unlike Logitech, this gamepad doesn't feel like a PS2 controller. Personally, I never liked the Playstation brand controllers, so that was the main selling point for me. However, in terms of functionality, I wish I'd have gone with the Logitech.
If you're looking for a gamepad, please follow my advice. First, decide if you want wired or wireless. If you're hooking up your PC to your televison and playing across the living room, then maybe wireless is for you. However, if you're just playing at your PC, please just get a wired controller. Due to the way the base station has to be plugged in, it's practicly the same anyway.
After that, go to CC or Best Buy and FEEL the controllers. The main advantage of a Saitek over Logictech, for example, is that Saitek's don't feel like PS2 controllers. If you love the PS2 style, get a Logitech. If you can't stant the PS2, consider a Saitek or Thrustmaster.
If you do decide on a wireless controller, do NOT buy this one. It has nothing but flaws.
Customer Review: Forget rumble and wireless, work on making a better D-pad!
Summary: 2 Stars
1: How many PC games out there use rumble/force feedback? I can't think of many, maybe Need for Speed or something. Vibration motors only add more weight to the controller.
2: Wireless just means time spent recharging. Besides, you're often in a chair right in front of your computer! Unless you've got great vision and a TV out card you don't NEED wireless.
3: The D-pad is poorly made: Saitek's making a new P990 model, adding two more L and R buttons but they're keeping their D-Pad, why? Because they said customers like it, hah! They obviously haven't read any of the reviews here. I'm afraid I'll snap mine. The diagonals make an annoying, loud popping sound too.
I'm NOT being forceful, I try to be as gentle as possible. Logitech's designs aren't much better. Saitek's D-pad is too raised and clunky, Logitech's D-pad is so recessed, its more like clicking a mouse button and diagonals are impossible.
Whatever happened to quality input methods that were rigorously tested? I miss the SNES "cross" d-pad, the Turbo Touch 360's "touch sensative panel" d-pad. And even the PS2 pad. There ARE adapters to let you turn SNES and Playstation to USB, but you can burn out the controller if it doesn't get correct voltage. I shouldn't HAVE TO go through such trouble.
Just make better D-pads you guys! Sure, you make your stuff for First Person Shooters, but the majority of folks buying these pads are emulation gamers looking for a way to play NES, SNES and Sega without always having to use their keyboards.
We're gamers as much as anyone else.