Disclaimer:This review was made possible by a review unit provided by HyperX.
The company did not see the contents of the review before publishing.
HP, as the parent company of HyperX, may sell the Clutch Gladiate controller.
The Clutch Gladiate looks like… a basic Xbox controller, and that’s fine.
The HyperX Clutch Gladiate struggles with the former but excels at the latter.
Distinct lines separate the controller grips from its body, as well.
It’s all put together very well, with no unsightly gaps or concerning creaking and flexing.
Credit where credit is due, the Clutch Gladiate has lovely build quality.
I’ll preface this section by saying that Clutch Gladiate’s controls aren’tbad(with one exception).
They’re just not as good as even similarly priced controllers.
The entire time I used the Clutch Gladiate, I categorized its controls as being “meh.”
The Clutch Gladiate is pretty comfortable to use, and its rear buttons are nicely placed.
The joysticks are perfectly fine, except the button action feels mushy.
The face buttons are perfectly fine, except they also feel a little mushy.
A little less fine and a little mushier.
All of the Clutch Gladiate’s controls can be forgiven, but I don’t like anything about the top of the controller.
Finally, the trigger locks…
However, enabling the trigger locks meant the triggers justdidn’t worksometimes.
For one, the aforementioned trigger locks are technically extras, despite their reliability.
It’s nice to have trigger locks, but not if they don’t work every single time.
Those rear buttons are programmed via a third, non-customizable rear button labeled “P1.”
It’s… Fine.
Sure, it retails for $10 more than the Clutch Gladiate, at USD 44.99.
The GameSir G7 is just the better controller, even when it’s full price.
Even at full price, it’s worth the extra $10.
HyperX Clutch Gladiate: Should you buy it?
Genuinely, it works, and it’s designed relatively well.
The HyperX Clutch Gladiate isn’t a bad controller, I just feel there are better options currently available.
Its control woes can be forgiven, and its few extra features are nice to have.
It’s just notgreat, and the competition that’s available to buy right now is.
