Key conclusions
- Thrustmaster has announced a new HEART controller for Xbox consoles and PC.
- The gamepad uses Hall effect sensors that promise to be immune to analog stick drift, one of the biggest annoyances of modern gaming.
- The Thrustmaster HEART is currently available for pre-order for $99.99.
Thrustmaster has announced a new HEART controller for Xbox consoles and PC, which promises to completely eliminate stick drift. To that end, this Xbox-licensed gamepad uses Hall effect technology.
Simply put, a Hall sensor is a device that detects magnetic fields. This allows it to be used to create extremely durable analog connectors, the central components of which are not in direct contact, which increases their wear during use. Instead of their rods, small magnets are attached, which move together with the stick itself. Perpendicularly located sensors with the Hall effect next to the magnets detect changes in their position and smoothly transfer them to the input of the controller. Most current solutions of this kind use two Hall effect sensors per stick, one for the X-axis and one for the Y-axis.
Thrustmaster introduces the HEART controller with analog Hall effect connectors
American game accessories manufacturer Thrustmaster has now decided to use this technology in the development of its newly introduced HEART controller. The gamepad includes Hall effect sensors that promise to be completely immune to analog stick drift, thus maintaining maximum accuracy over time. The name of the controller is an acronym for HallEffect AccuRate Technology, which Thrustmaster calls its own implementation of these sensors. The Thrustmaster HEART will be available for pre-order in early October 2024 for $99.99 / €99.99 / £99.99. Pre-orders are currently available through Best Buy and the manufacturer's own online store.
The premium Xbox controller still doesn't have a firm release date. But since Thrustmaster has historically revealed new products months in advance of their release, it's likely that the HEART will hit store shelves by the end of Q4 2024. The gamepad comes with a power cable and a manual with an official description, bearing in mind that it will only a wired controller, not a battery-powered wireless connection. Its left side also has an LED strip whose colors can be customized by the user.
Thrustmaster HEART is noticeably lighter than official Xbox controllers
HEART measures 160 x 45 x 110 mm (6.3 x 1.8 x 4.3 inches) and weighs 214g, making it significantly lighter than the current-gen Xbox Series X and Xbox Elite Wireless Controller 2, which weigh 287 g and 345g, respectively, its overall shape and button configuration largely mimic the official Xbox gamepads, so owners of Microsoft controllers should get used to the HEART.
At $100, the HEART will be positioned as a compromise between entry-level and premium gamepads in the vein of the Elite Series 2. But seeing as not even every high-end controller on the market currently uses Hall-effect sensors, the promise of analog sticks without drift could be a pretty big selling point for a future Thrustmaster product.