Fans of the Xbox 360's analog stick layout may be interested in the
Pro Elite Wireless Controller, as it has the D-pad and the Left Analog Stick in the opposite positions as the OEM PlayStation 3 controller. The placement of all of the other controls are pretty much what you would expect, but a combination of small (SELECT) and (START) buttons, a large (HOME) button (normally the "PlayStation" button) and the close proximity of these, found me accidentally hitting the (HOME) button when I tried to hit the (START) button on several occasions. This gets a bit better with some practice, however.
When JR Nip tried out the Pro Elite Wireless Controller, he remarked that it felt too big. I readily admit that the Pro Elite is a bit larger and heavier than the OEM controller, but to me, it merely made it feel a bit more "substantial." I liked the feel of the controller, but then my hands are larger than average. The Pro Elite has a knurled texture on the grips, which helps you keep a good grip on this controller even in the most energetic gaming sessions. At first, I thought that this texture might also help keep my hands cool, since there are lots of small air channels (on account of the knurl), if held lightly. Of course, once you've been playing for a while and you're gripping the controller a bit, there's not really any air movement, so it really doesn't do anything to keep it cool, but it does prevent sweaty hands from slipping loose from the controller.
When I first tried the Pro Elite Wireless Controller out, I found the (L2) and (R2) shoulder buttons to be less responsive than I was used to, which can be crippling when playing Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, since this (L2) is used for web-slinging. However, after a very short period of time, I got accustomed to the shoulder buttons and it worked fine. The shoulder triggers are uniquely designed to keep your fingers from slipping off, with a slightly concave surface. This attributed to the different response, but with a little bit of use, these were responsive enough for me to play Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions without any issue.
The rechargeable battery in the Pro Elite Wireless Controller seemed to last a reasonable amount of time and charged up quickly using a standard PS3 controller charger. Part of the reason the battery lasts a long time is due to its power-saving sleep mode, which can be a bit overractive, but more on that later. Additionally, the lights that light up the action buttons can be turned off to extend battery life, if desired. This is a nice feature, and merely takes pressing the (Select) and (Circle) buttons together to toggle the lighting on or off.
