Thrustmaster has unveiled the Heart, an Xbox and PC controller with Hall effect thumbsticks
Gaming peripheral manufacturer Thrustmaster has unveiled the Thrustmaster Heart Controller. Compatible with both Xbox and PC, this new gamepad features Hall Effect thumbsticks and mechanical buttons.
Accuracy and longevity seem to be central to the design. The name, which is actually an acronym, stands for “Hall Effect AccuRate Technology” – a fancy marketing term for what sounds very similar to the Hall Effect technology already found in many of the top Xbox controllers and PC controllers.
The company claims that the controller leverages its 15 years of experience in manufacturing Hall effect flight SIM peripherals for top accuracy and performance and will not suffer from stick drift over time. The mechanical buttons have an actuation distance of 0.3mm and are also said to be 64% faster than regular membrane inputs.
This is also a wired controller, which will presumably also help reduce potential input latency (and costs). Specifications aside, the Thrustmaster Heart Controller has quite a striking design. It features a rather unconventional two-tone black and white pattern, meaning it should match both the standard Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S models.
A bright LED strip runs down the center of the controller, separating the two colors and giving it some extra flair. This lighting is customizable and can be set to six colors, including orange, blue and red. On the back of the controller you will find two remappable rear inputs. A range of settings, including the ability to remap and change thumbstick sensitivity, can be accessed via the existing ThrustmapperX software.
The controller is compatible with PC, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and Xbox One. The game is available to pre-order now for $99.99 / £89.99 via Thrustmaster and Amazon and shipping is expected to begin next month.