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The SteelSeries Stratus XL Bluetooth Wireless Gaming Controller brings the same feeling as the Xbox One. The SteelSeries Controller is made of slightly rough plastic material which is quite comfortable when hold in hand. It features an ergonomic design that feels similar to the typical modern console controller. The most impressive thing is that the Analog triggers is smooth and stable. Console styled buttons looks beautiful and quite bouncy when pressed.
On the Stratus XL Wireless controller we have four small orange lights to indicate the battery status, connectivity status or search device status. Once connected to a PC or mobile device, the light would be lit up and shows the controller is connected. This idea is similar to the Xbox 360 controller.
With views from the side, the D-pad navigation button is molded into a round block. The D-pad is a bit softer than the other buttons, knobs quite tempered and moderate rather sticky and uncomfortable on hand, so the D-pad design is quite ideal. LB and RB buttons are slightly better and easy to press, but two buttons are a little bit shorter than it would be perfect to play. The SteelSeries Stratus XL looks pretty smooth and quite reasonable in price. Although not as stunning as the Xbox One but the feeling is still better than the Xbox 360. It has a dedicated On/Off switch to enhance battery life even further, also includes dedicated pairing button.
Battery of Stratus XL is quite impressive. It uses two standard AA batteries and bundled with a pair of batteries. With this battery you can continuously play up to 3 to 4 hours. Unfortunately, the bundled battery is not rechargeable. But do not be too freaked out about it by other companies often also included disposable batteries. You should buy a rechargeable battery for a longer usage and also saving the cost of the batteries.
To evaluate performance of Stratus XL. When you play on PC, Stratus XL will use integrated Bluetooth to connect. Any PC with a Bluetooth connection can be used, but PC without Bluetooth, the best solution is to buy a Bluetooth receiver to use the controller. With mobile devices runs Android OS, you just connect the SteelSeries Stratus XL to the device via Bluetooth and everything was on your device screen to setup. You can also use it as a remote control which is extremely convenient for you to use with the Android TV box or smart TV runs on Android OS.
With the games like Asphalt 8 or Fifa, you just made a connection. When in game control settings will automatically switch to the controller without the need for cumbersome setup. Unfortunately, not on Android you can customize many things. Hopefully in the future Steelseries will release a separate app for Android and iOS.
Overall, the SteelSeries Stratus XL Bluetooth Wireless Gaming Controller is a perfect when comes with an extremely high quality, good compatibility with PC and Android devices. An additional point is that the Controller has a very good price of $69.99 and available for purchase from the Amazon online store.
