There are many peripherals out there to serve the pro gaming market. Some are gimmicky, and some are useful, but they all have one purpose; to be bought and used by pro gamers and those that would like to be. Saitek has been known for many of the better peripherals out there like the Saitek Eclipse II and the recently reviewed Cyborg 5.1 Surround Sound Gaming Headset. Their Cyborg line is definitely producing some interesting products that require a second look.
Of the Cyborg line, we are taking a look at the Cyborg Command Unit. This is a keypad, with a dedicated set of keys targeting the number and pattern used most frequently in first person shooters. It’s not unlike the Wolfking Warrior Xxtreme we reviewed a while back, but much smaller with fewer keys.
Saitek also notes that this can be used with real-time strategy games, and there are some features that lean towards that. Overall the unit has the keys you would look for in an FPS, with the WASD cluster highlighted and the most frequently used keys around that cluster included. However in true Saitek fashion, each and every key is customizable and can be configured exactly the way you need it. Here’s a quick rundown of the other features found in the Cyborg Command Unit. The full scope of product information can be found on the product home page.
- Instantly switch between 3 modes for First Person Shooter, Strategy and Role-Playing games
- Backlit ergonomic keypad with laser-etched keys for total visibility in any lighting environment
- 4-way analog hat switch
- 21 buttons including space, shift function and 3 mode states for up to 144 programmable commands
- Adjustable thumb control area with 2 way tilt mechanism, slides forwards and backwards
As for pricing, the Saitek Cyborg Command Unit can be had on the street for as little as $35 USD. This price is on par with many similar game pads. A quick browse through the Futurelooks Price Engine will show that as long as you aren’t looking for super advanced features, a customizable gamepad such as this is in the $30 – $35 USD range. So this pad must have something to differentiate it from the rest, right?. Well we’re going to find out.
Also in the Box
Included with the Cyborg Command Unit is a small package of paper work, and a CD. The paperwork includes a brochure for other Saitek products, and a multilingual manual. The CD is the really interesting part, as it includes the drivers and configuration software for the Cyborg Command Unit. It also includes a much more in depth manual in PDF. The game pad is plug n’ play, and will work just by connecting it to your system. However the CD offers much more; the software included allows you a great degree of customization. There will of course be more on this later.
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The Gamepad
The main bank of keys on the Saitek Cyborg Command Unit come arranged in a pattern similar to the WASD cluster on many standard keyboards. The WASD keys are of course highlighted, as they are the most commonly used keys for First Person Shooters. However each of the keys are numbered, and all the keys can be assigned to any function. This is where the pad starts to come in handy for those who enjoy Real-time Strategy games.
Next to the main bank of keys is an additional column of three keys. These are meant to emulate the Tab, Shift, and Ctrl keys in both FPS and RTS, and are also fully programmable.
The right of the Cyborg Command Unit is where things get a little more unconventional. Rather than normal keys, Saitek has used these contoured switches that are not unlike mouse buttons. This is where you would want to place your jump and possibly crouch commands in an FPS. As for the RTSers you get a POV hat trigger, which can be used to very quickly move about the map or battlefield. The angle of this set of keys, as well as it’s distance from the main game pad are all fully adjustable. All you need to do in undo the thumbscrew and adjust accordingly.
One lonely key sits on the wrist rest. This is an additional shift key, and can also be mapped to voice chat, a command menu, pr anything else. Next to it is the main red EL light strip.
On the top left of the Cyborg Command Unit is a three-way switch, labelled Mode. This switch is where the fun really begins. The “Mode” this switch is referring to is the mode of operation selected in the installed software. On the fly, you can select from one of three modes that control what each button does. This can be handy as you can setup different profiles for different genres, different games, or even different classes within a game.
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Pretty Colours
Each of the three modes is associated with a colour of LED back lighting. As you move the switch through each mode, the LED colour changes. There’s green, yellow, and red to choose from.
The Software
The software pack Saitek has included with the Cyborg Command Unit comes in two parts. The first part is the relatively simple control panel. Here you can do what you can with most game controllers in Windows; you can test the buttons for functionality and configure some minor features (like LED brightness in this case). The second part is where the bulk of the fun comes in.
The Profile Editor makes up the second part of the software package, and this is the real claim to fame for the Cyborg Command Unit. Here you can tweak the existing key configurations, as well as make your own completely original profiles. You can load these profiles into the slot for each mode, allowing you to select them on the fly. This is great for FPS players to switch configs between player classes, or for RTS gamers to select different configs depending on the mission.
Now as configurable as this device is, I found one fairly significant flaw with the software; it doesn’t hold it’s settings. When the computer is rebooted, the setting you’ve selected are reset. The profiles you’ve configured and saved are still there, as they are in data files. However you have to reload those profiles into each slot, and the software will have reverted to defaults. Hopefully the overall experience can make up for this inconvenience.
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The Testing
Products like this require the most gruelling of testing. One must play a large array of games for a couple evenings to really get a feel for the controller, and see how well it reacts in a given situation. This type of work truly separates the boys from the men. Anyhow to test the Saitek Cyborg Command Unit I played through a few hours of Team Fortress 2, a few more hours of Call of Duty 4, and a light sprinkling of Supreme Commander and Company of Heroes. Here’s the rig used for all this heavy gaming.
- AMD Phenom 9600 Black Edition 2.3GHz Quad Core CPU
- Asus M3A32-MVP Deluxe/WiFi-AP 790FX Motherboard
- OCZ Platinum XTC REV.2 PC2-6400 2GB 2X1GB DDR2-800 Memory Kit
- Foxconn 9800GTX-512N Extreme OC Video Card
- Seagate Barracuda 500GB 7200.10 16MB SATA2 Hard Drive
- Cooler Master Hyper 212 CPU Cooler
- Antec P182 Advanced Super Mid Tower Case
- Thermaltake Toughpower 1000W Power Supply
When it came to fit, the Cyborg Command Unit fit my large hand rather well. The adjustable thumb controls were a nice touch, and allowed me to find the most comfortable position for my jump and crouch functions. Obviously this game pad isn’t ambidextrous; it’s designed solely with the left hand in mind. I have heard of some users using Cyborg Command Unit in their right hand, which seems like it would be remarkably uncomfortable. Overall it’s meant for the left hand, and is fairly comfortable there.
Since I’m an FPS gamer, I of course gravitated to the FPS titles for my first tests. To be honest they usually are the games that will make or break any “gamer” peripheral. Within 30 minutes of starting a game, I can tell how good or bad a controller will be. I’m happy to say that the Saitek Cyborg Command Unit performed rather well. The tactile feedback from the keys was quite good, and on par with what I’ve come to expect from Saitek. The keys are soft and don’t have any clicking sound or action, which some may find un-nerving. Also the learning curve on the game pad is a little tough. But once you get the hang of it, it easily takes the place of your normal keyboard.
As for the customization, it was a very welcome feature in Team Fortress 2. I could setup key layouts for my three most played classes, and really take care of business. Unfortunately as I had mentioned before, upon rebooting the computer I did have to reload these profiles before launching the game.
Turing to RTS games, I found the Cyborg Command Unit almost as useful. The hat trigger was a godsend for moving about the map in a quick and efficient manner. The default keys covered a slim majority of the standard options in both Supreme Commander and Company of Heroes. This is where the customization was a nice addition. I could switch between profiles for SupCom and CoH quite easily. Once the profiles were tweaked to my liking, they were easily saved and reloaded later.
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Final Thoughts
In the arena of gaming peripherals, it comes down to personal preference when you are picking what weapon you are going to use to vanquish your foes. One man’s useless gadget might be another man’s doomsday device. With that being said, the Saitek Cyborg Command Unit makes for more than a passing glance in your search for the perfect WMD.
This game pad makes for a nice fit in your hand. It’s fully adjustable, and can be made to be very comfortable. Tactile feedback on the keys is superb; only the apparent softness of the keys being of a concern to some. As for the high level of customization you can apply to the keys, it is more than necessary and any peripheral that doesn’t have this loses serious marks. Add to that the ability to select from more than one customized profile, and you have a nice collection of soft features.
Though it’s quite comfortable in your hand, that hand is only ever going to be the left one. Some reports have come in of people using this controller in their right, but it is definitely targeted at people who use their right hand for mousing and their left hand for the WASD cluster on a standard keyboard. As for the software itself, as stellar as its features are, it doesn’t remember what profiles you had loaded after a reboot. It’s fairly easy to reload them, but if you play a single favourite game this can become quite annoying.
In the end, I would still recommend taking a look at the Saitek Cyborg Command Unit. Software can be fixed, and given enough complaints Saitek will most likely release a new version of their profile editor. This game pad is a solid device, and would work well in the hands of any professional gamer, and make their wannabes feel that much more special. Recommended.
Pros
- Multi-role game pad, suitable for FPS and RTS
- Completely customizable keys
- Fully adjustable for the most comfortable fit
Cons
- Left handed use only
- Profiles must be reloaded after reboot, or reconnecting device
Overall Rating: 8.0/10.0
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