Mad Catz MicroCon Review: A Compact Budget Pad for the Xbox
5.5/10 — Mad Catz MicroCon (Xbox)
Works with: Xbox
Pros
- Small and light, good for younger players
- Cheap second-hand
Cons
- Feels flimsy
- Less precise than Microsoft's pads
- Mad Catz build quality was inconsistent
Mad Catz made a huge number of budget controllers in the 2000s, and the MicroCon was its compact option for the original Xbox. It was aimed at players who found the Duke, and even the Controller S, too big.
Design
It’s small and light, with a full Xbox button layout squeezed into a compact shell. Some players found it a comfortable fit, but third-party pads of this era, Mad Catz’s included, were widely criticised for feeling flimsy and imprecise compared with Microsoft’s own controllers.
Verdict
The Mad Catz MicroCon is a cheap spare pad for younger players or multiplayer nights. For anything serious, Microsoft’s Controller S is the better choice.
