Better Living With The Pinnacle Game Profiler

I recently got excited about Microsoft's PC Gaming Initiative. Of course to make progress you have to break eggs and apparently wallets too. Enter the Xbox 360 controller for Windows, with exciting cross over games streaming onto shelves it's becoming a necessity.

Weighing in at a hefty $40 is it really peanut butter for windows gaming jelly? The short answer is, only sometimes. Unless a game specifically supports it your on your own to make it work. The hardware is great, It's simply a shame the software which ships with the device is utter rubbish.

Perhaps thats being harsh, it certainly changes the entire paradigm of “PC gaming” and seizes control over your keyboard and mouse in the process. You simply can't mix and match different input devices and develop your play style to it's full potential, which is exactly what computers excel at. Essentially your getting an Xbox 360 emulation, while this can be good it could be better.

It's great to play console games on the PC but sometimes you just want to play a true PC game. This is where Microsoft leaves customers out in the cold huddling together for warmth lost in a wilderness of confusion: Enter Pinnacle Game Profiler, this little gem takes a great concept and opens up all the possibilities. With it your controller becomes a true keyboard and mouse, in other words the ultimate PC game pad!

Of course with power comes complexity. Just as with any macro pad, before one can actually use it one must configure it. This will be virgin territory for some but it's well worth the effort. Those patient enough to travel the slight learning curve will be rewarded with customization options unable to be achieved otherwise.

However after buying a top notch controller many will be apprehensive about coughing up another $20, luckily theres a 30 day free trial with no limitations. My initial test results with BioShock have me impressed and It's not likely that I will be uninstalling it anytime soon.

While I have only used the Xbox controller for windows Pinnacle claims that it will work with any gaming device. So with any luck end users will be able to upgrade and replace controllers regularly without compatibility issues. My only regret is that something this essential doesn't come installed as part of the operating system.

For more information on games for windows visit: GamesForWindows.com

For more about pinnacle game profiler simply visit: PinnacleGameProfiler.com