CES 2023 is in full swing, and Dell is showing off its futuristic new gaming controller known as the Nyx gamepad. The new input device is part of a conceptual gaming platform it showed off last year, effectively allowing gamers to store titles on a central hub before picking up and playing them on various displays around the home, splitting larger TVs into dual gaming screens, and more. Fast forward to the 2023 show, and the brand has now brought the sensor-packed, pro-grade gamepad you’ll be using to control it (and other platforms presumably) out into the open. Head below for more details on the Dell Nyx gamepad.
Dell Nyx gamepad
Made in combination with the folks at Alienware, the new Nyx gamepad takes on the form of the many pro-grade controllers we have seen out in the wild for years now. Much like the Elite Series models from Microsoft, the upcoming DualSense Edge Sony is about to launch later this month, and even the divisive Steam variant, it takes the usual console controller and attempts takes it up a notch with a host of additional controls, back buttons, and more. However, Dell is seemingly taking things a few steps further than that with what could be some interesting new additions and sensor technology.
At first glance, the Nyx gamepad looks a lot like something of the Razer variants with its all-black appearance and RGB lighting, not to mention your usual pair of thumbsticks, four face buttons, shoulder triggers, and the back paddles we have become familiar with on many of the controllers out there. But there’s a little bit more to it than that.
You’ll notice Dell has, at least in this year’s concept, optioned a circular touchpad in place of what, for many gamers, should be a traditional directional pad. It will presumably offer up a smoother mouse-like control in certain situations, but it also leaves the Nyx void of the ever-important D-pad gamers naturally reach for in 2D side scrollers and vintage titles, much like the Steam controller.
From there, along the front edge of the gamepad, Dell has installed a pair of scroll wheel-like controls for zooming, menu selection, and things of that nature – not something we see very often in console-like input devices. On the sensor side of things, the central button hides touch sensor capabilities while the adaptive triggers that sound as though they mimic Sony’s DualSense treatment also feature touch-based sensor tech. They, by all accounts, seem to allow gamers to not only press the triggers as per usual with adaptive sensory feel, but also to sort of slide or scroll your finger along them for various effects – this would, like with the DualSense, give developers more input control options but likely something that would have to be implemented into gamers from the ground up to really shine.
9to5Toys’ Take:
All in all, the Nyx gamepad does have some interesting elements to it. While familiar in many ways to other pro-grade controllers, it is seemingly doing everything it can to stand out and, at least, in part feels as though it’s adding everything but the kitchen sink to do so. But gamers are creatures of habit in many ways – fully ready to embrace the future, even to a fault, but still requiring the same D-pad found on controllers four decades ago. The touch sensor tech could be interesting if developers truly embrace it, but only time will tell if the Nyx concept takes hold, or ever becomes a real thing in the market place at all.
Stay locked to 9to5Toys as we report back straight from the show floor at CES 2023.
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