Play Sega USB controllers are not as bad as I expected

I just bought a new Play Sega USB controller off of ebay (Propoganda brand hl-f2412). These are the Saturn style controllers that were given away with an online Sega subscription a while back. Well, I had a chance to take it apart and examine the case molding, buttons and circuit boards and I can says its not as bad as I heard and read on other forums and blogs.

From what I can tell the top half of the mold is identical to the old Sega Saturn controller (model mk-80116). The bottom half/backside is slightly different, with smaller screw holes and about a millimeter or two thicker. The plastic mold seems to be about the overall same weight and sturdiness as an original saturn contoller. The buttons are identical to the original Saturn controllers, as are the rubber pads between the buttons and control pad. The control d-pad seems a slight bit looser and I can see why some peoples Play Sega controllers have broken, but my feeling is that its a quality control issue and not a design or manufacturing issue (meaning bad examples are not set aside and/or reworked at the factory when found, they are instead just sold).

The circuit board is a lot cheaper than the beefy original Saturn controller circuit boards, but this is to be expected. Eventually after testing it stock I swapped out the circuit boards and the Play Sega internals are interchangeble with an original Saturn controller and vice versa. The only difference is the shoulder buttons. On the Play Sega Control they used a much smaller switch, so some thickness needs to be added to the inside of the orignial shoulder buttons so they can reach the play sega board switch (I used electrical tape).

So what am I missing? I have heard a lot of folks complaining about these controllers, but I don't see what the problem is. It cost me $6 USD shippied, I could buy 7 of these controllers for one Original Gray Sega Branded USB controller (they currently sell for over $40 USD on ebay). Also I owned an original Sega USB 6 button controller long ago and sold it at some point and quite franlkly I don't notice any difference. Plus if the control pad does break, its easy to just swap out the casing. I guess this is easier for some, but I have a ton of Saturn controllers laying around, so I have parts to spare. I don't think its a bad buy at all and easily better than the 15th aninniversary PS2 controllers released a while back (I don't think those are too bad either as long as you get a good one, same kind of QA/QC problem I assume).

 

I was wondering about those, they looked interesting.

Thanks for the info, might pick one up now.

 

idk I like mine, but one of mine broke within about 2 week's time. The plastic dpad cross that hits the rubber buttons broke on me and is relatively thin. My other hasn't had this issue, but it was kinda disappointing.

 

This is the kind of thing I was wondering about. The Play Sega d-pad must be made out of a more brittle plastic than the originals. That would not be very easy to spot because when I took my Play Sega control apart the underside of the D-pad, to me at least, it looks identical to an original sega saturn control. For example the 6 button Sega Genesis D-pad underside is made from a very Brittle plastic. When I pick up used ones, I open them up to clean them and sometimes see the underside of the d-pads cracked because the plastic they used was brittle. I don't see this with original Saturn controllers. But even if you did break it, just swap out the circuit board to an original sega saturn controller.

I have read in a few other places that some people took them apart and they were completely different than an original Saturn controller, but I don't see how that possible. Maybe they were talking about the shoulder buttons, but they are not really that different, just a very slight different shape that make the Play Sega Shoulder buttons fit too tight in an original Saturn controller (BTW, nothing sand paper couldn't fix), but not the other way around. The play Sega Shoulder buttons fit in the original Sega Saturn Controller.

 

I've got a real official Saturn USB pad by Sega Tech' Institute Now that is heaven. Identical to a Japanese Sega Saturn standard pad. nI would like to feel on of these new ones though.

 

Totally forgot about these. Lucky you, Yakumo! I wish I had bought one of the official ones when they were still relatively reasonable in price.

I might pick up one of these cheap ones for kicks. It'd be nice to have around, for sure. Less bulky to bring in a laptop bag than, say, a 360 pad.

 

I owned this too, before there was much use for it with PC gaming, emulation etc (I used it mostly for MAME). I sold it and at one point regretted it, but having held the Play Sega version, Black USA version, Gray Japanese version and the official USB version, I can't say that I see or feel any significant difference in actual use. Mind you, I am not talking abut durability.

 

x

 

I use a real genesis controller with a USB Adapter

 

I have this set up too, but the center of the genesis 6 button d-pad feels more squishy to me than the Sega Saturn D-pad, even more so that the 15th Anniversary Street Fighter 6 button controller. In my opinion the Saturn d-pad feels much tighter than these two.

 

x

 

Naturally, Druid.


I ordered a couple of the Play Sega pads off ebay. Mega cheap!

 

Dude... wall of text. Try adding some paragraphs in there.

 

With some of the cheaper ones and knock offs. Apparently you can substitute an original Controller's parts (buttons, casing and everything) and it will work great.

 

A lot of them on eBay are bootlegs, so be careful.

 

I'm working on the Mega Drive

 

I have a few of the SLS USB and PS2 controllers but they don't compare to the original on the Saturn. The one thing that I don't like about them are the shoulder buttons. They have a harder click than the soft and smooth action on the Saturn version.

 

Did the official Sega Saturn controllers have other models besides the mk-80116? I've got a bunch of original Saturn controllers, I used to own the SLS usb controller and have the Play Sega Propoganda controller and I feel no difference in the "clickiness" of the shoulder buttons between the various models. In fact I have taken them all apart and the switch on the boards has the same click (some boards look a little different pending on the year manufactured). Only the Play Sega Propoganda controller has a smaller switch on the board and noticeable slight difference in the shape of the plastic shoulder button mold. I also see barely noticable slight molding differences with the shoulder buttons on the original Saturn controllers, meaning Sega possibly had some loose tolerances for the buttons and shells between the many plastic molds they used in the manufacturing process. But that does not explain the difference you are describing between the various controllers. Are the ones you are refering to simply "worn in" like a good pair of boots perhaps?

 

I have a Saturn USB controller that's most likely a bootleg, and honestly I'd say it's just as good as any of my real Saturn controllers.

 

Look what came in the mail today!



(Mind the discoloration - my phone camera started doing that and it annoys the crap out of me... the plastic is perfectly white)

So far they feel, to me, just like my official Saturn pad except for the shoulder buttons which are chunkier feeling. On one of them the X button doesn't have the same tactile feel as the other, but the other is just as good as the official. Probably just a defect. It's like the button doesn't travel as far, and the feedback isn't as pronounced.

I might weigh the shells (bare) to see how they differ. Some other day.