Evil Controllers Evil Shift

The sample controller Evil sent us features a soft-touch orange faceplate, a black pro grip, Evil Sticks at different heights (left stick low, right stick high), sensitive triggers and buttons, and remappable paddles.

As a modified Xbox One controller, the X1 Evil Switch feels comfortable and familiar. The connection options are the same, so you can hook the controller up to an Xbox One or a PC.

The paddles on the underside are the biggest physical differences, and they feel like natural extensions of the grip rather than aftermarket buttons slapped onto the gamepad.

My fingers had little trouble differentiating between the four paddles.

You can upgrade to more sensitive face buttons and hair triggers. The thumbsticks are also customizable, switching the concave thumbcaps of the stock gamepad for convex caps, and offering low, standard, or high heights for each stick.

Even with a soft-touch faceplate and textured back grip, the shape and sturdiness is identical to the stock gamepad.

By default, the four paddles on the Evil Shift are mapped to the A/B/X/Y face buttons, reproducing their actions. If you get the hardwired version of the controller, the paddles will only serve their predetermined functions. If you get programmable paddles, though, you can assign them to perform any input.