Pro gamers love the keyboard and mouse. This controller wants to pry them away from their hands.
Game peripheral maker Nacon revealed the Nacon GC-400ES Alpha Pad (rolls right off the tongue) today. It’s calling it an esports-focused device that would give players of games like League of Legends or Counter-Strike: Global Offensive an alternative to the usual keyboard/mouse control setup. The Alpha Pad will launch a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo on May 23. The esports scene continues to grow, with millions of gamers watching professional players these days. More than a billion people will know about the concept of esports before the end of 2016, according to industry intelligence firm Newzoo. Those fans are also aware of what devices their favorite players are using, which gives peripheral companies like Nacon a new way to market their products.
The Alpha Pad is similar in appearance to an Xbox One controller. You can also adjust its weight and create multiple, customized player profiles. You can learn more about it in the video below.
As nice as it looks, it’s hard to imagine pro gamers using it over the keyboard/mouse setup. The keyboard has a lot more buttons than any controller ever could, which gives players tons of options. The mouse, meanwhile, provides for faster movements than a gamepad’s stick.
It’s similarities with the Xbox One controller (before the regular and elite versions) is another obstacle, since that device also works with PC.