The California-based company Dream Arcades LLC is mostly known for their pre-built arcade machines and kits, but now they have announced the first commercially available wireless arcade controller; - the Dream Stick. This is a wireless arcade controller which is compatible with both Microsoft's Xbox 360 and PC's (using a wireless Xbox 360 USB dongle).
The Dream Stick is big enough to stay put when playing, while it's also small enough for your lap
Packaging and construction
The controller ships in a regular cardboard box with absolutely no fancy packaging or design to speak of. Keep in mind that this is not a mass produced product from Mad Catz, Hori or similar huge companies, so don't expect fancy packaging and thick user manuals. A single page instruction sheet on how to set up the controller is included in the box, but these instructions are hardly required as this controller is pure plug-n-play happiness.
Don't expect fancy packaging or thick user manuals
One particular thing I noticed when unboxing the controller was that the casing had been rather roughly assembled. By "roughly" I mean that the controller looks sort of "home made", with a few rough edges and scratchmarks. The t-molding could be cut more precise and I believe the few scratches I spotted in the wooden panels could be avoided. Again, I accept the fact that the controller is not visually flawless, as this is basically an Xbox 360 gamepad hack from a small arcade manufacturer and not some mass produced joystick you pick up at your local Best Buy. The t-molding and CP overlay can also easily be replaced and there's even the possibility to add a plexi on top of the overlay if you prefer, just like you would on a regular arcade control panel.
The t-molding could have been applied a little nicer, but luckily it's easy to replace it
Mod-friendly
The controller opens up by loosening four screws on the back of the controller. This is a quick task and only needs to be done when you insert new batteries or if you want to replace any hardware.
On the inside of the casing you can easily see that this is a controller based on an Xbox 360 gamepad hack. The Xbox 360 controller board is fastened to the wood panel using wooden screws and the wires are soldered to the 360 board going to the different switches using quick connects.
The stripped down 360 gamepad can be seen inside the controller
Quick connects! - This means that replacing a button or joystick basically takes a minute or two. The wiring is tidy as well so the Dream Stick can definitely be classified as a «mod friendly» stick. E.g. I personally prefer Japanese balltop sticks instead of the oval kind that comes with the Dream Stick, so I will most definitely swap this out in the future. The buttons are from Happ and shouldn't break, but if they do, it'll take you 20 seconds to replace them.
Mod-friendly and tidy wiring, just the way we like it
There is basically no setup process. Just insert batteries and you're good to go, as no additional drivers or 3rd party apps are required if you're using Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7. You simply press the black "sync"-button in the back of the controller, then you press the sync-button on your 360, or on your PC's wireless 360 dongle. The controller should be synced in seconds and you're all set! Your computer or Xbox 360 will recognize the stick as a regular Xbox 360 gamepad, which means that the Dream Stick is compatible with every single game/emulator out there which supports a gamepad/joystick.
Testing the controller
The controller was tested on a Windows 7 PC with the following specs:
- ● Asus Rampage Extreme X48 motherboard
● Intel Core 2 Quad Q9650 @ 3.6GHz
● 8GB Corsair TWIN3X 1600MHz DDR3
● Sapphire Radeon HD4870X2
● Windows 7 RC1 64bit
I figured Street Fighter IV would be a good game to start with and after installing the game I was able to play right away without needing to configure the controls first. The colors on the Dream Stick matches the colors on an Xbox 360 gamepad, so it was easy to navigate the menus without the need of a keyboard or mouse.
No noticable lag
One issue I was a little worried about when ordering this stick, was the fact that it was wireless. I have had some bad experiences with wireless devices in the past and let's face it; - even wireless keyboards and mice suffer from lag! Now, let me just once and for all say; this is not an issue with the Dream Stick. The controller is extremely responsive and there is absolutely no noticable lag even though the controller was placed more than 20 feet away from the wireless receiver dongle. With this being said, let me also say that I am very sensitive to lag and low responsiveness, hence why I was a little worried pre testing.
Playing Street Fighter IV on a 52" LCD in 1920x1080 with an authentic, high quality, wireless arcade stick is a truly awesome experience and it really gives the feeling of an authentic arcade in your home, without actually having to build or buy an expensive cabinet.
Classic arcade games on a 52" HDTV using a wireless arcade controller. What more can you ask for?
After throwing a few Hadoukens and Shoryukens at Sagat it was time to move on, so I launched Maximus Arcade to play some MAME games. I actually had some problems getting Maximus Arcade to recognize the controller, but I haven't had time to find out why yet and I'm sure it's an easy issue to resolve. In MAME on the other hand, the controller worked perfectly and every game I tried played flawlessly with absolutely no lag or jerkyness.
The fact that it's wireless doesn't kill the responsiveness. I experienced absolutely no lag!
I also have a PC-based arcade cabinet with Happ-controllers connected via a MiniPAC interface and I can honestly say that I did not notice any difference in responsiveness between the arcade cabinet and the Dream Stick.
Conclusion
The Dream Stick definitely ranks among the top arcade controllers on today's market and the fact that this is the only wireless controller commercially available, it shouldn't be too hard deciding which controller to go for (at least not if you hate cables and don't mind swapping out two AA batteries once in a while). All in all, the Dream Stick has a responsiveness and sturdiness which should please even the most hardcore beat-em-up and arcade enthusiast. So, if you're looking for a high quality arcade controller to replace your old Saulabi or X-Arcade; the Dream Stick is definitely worth checking out!
Pros:
- ● Sturdy, authentic arcade hardware
● Flawless responsiveness and no noticable lag
● Heavy controller and sturdy construction
● Very «mod-friendly»
● Easy, quick setup on a Windows PC and/or Xbox 360
Cons:
- ● Might look a little «home-made» to some
Recommended product!The Dream Stick currently sells for $129 + shipping costs and can be ordered from Dream Arcades' website here.
