Razer Hydra PC motion controller $40 at Woot.com

poopdogjr

poopdogjr

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http://www.woot.com/offers/hydra-pc-gaming-controllers-2

Woot.com is having a sale on the Razer Hydra PC Motion controller for $40. I got a Hydra controller myself from Woot.com a few weeks ago when they had this same sale going on. I like the device. I wouldn't pay $100 for it, but at this price I'd recommend it if you're curious to test it out.

Plus if you have any interest in the Occulus Rift, the controller can be used with it for some cool VR experiences.

Here's a video with me messing around with it in Crysis-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QANy-d5Vrc
 
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That's an awesome price for a very nice gaming controller.

I bought a Hydra a few months ago, and I highly recommend it for PC gaming on the couch. It's the only thing I use for gaming on PC now, and works very well as essentially a virtual "air mouse." It makes PC gaming on the coach and HDTV more feasible than before, and it's a lot of fun to use. Playing shooters and first-person games like Far Cry 3 and Amnesia has a great sense of immersion and fluidity to it.

The one caveat to effectively using the Hydra is that you need to download the latest drivers for it: MotionCreator Beta 3154 (Link). You need to spend some time learning the program and how to customize buttons and controls for your specific games; fine-tuning the controls is crucial for being able to use this thing in-game effectively. I recommend "Mouselook" mode--simulating the movements of a mouse in the air--and playing around with the in-game and controller sensitivities a little bit (lower controller sensitivity=less shakiness).

Worst comes to worst and you decide the motion control thing isn't for you, you can always use the Hydra as a regular dual-analog controller.


www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQkATuxo2c8
 
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sk3chcom did you buy the thing when it came out? Since then there have been some nice software updates for it that have added extra functionality.

Just make sure you download the Drivers from Sixense not Razer. Sixense are the people behind the software side of the device. They have much more recent updates with the added useability.

sTaTIx has a link to their drivers in his post. I agree with him I think the controller is a fun piece of hardware. Many games are supported right out of the box, and you can configure it to work with any game that currently isn't. I'm looking forward to Clang and The Gallery which both are supposed to have native support for it. You can also download and try out a cool demo called Tuscany for free showcasing some of the neat features-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-BsWqn0OHA
d-BsWqn0OHA
 
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I used to work with the CEO of sixense. Awesome guy. This product was almost picked up by sony and would have been the ps move controller.
 
As I said, serious gamers shouldn't dismiss this as a viable alternative to the mouse and keyboard, especially if you're looking for a solution to PC gaming on the couch. The 1:1 precision is there, and works well as an "air mouse" of sorts--provided you fine-tune the filters/sensitivity settings. Like all things, you also should practice a couple days/weeks to become proficient with it.

I discuss "Wand mode" as another mode that might be the best way to use the Hydra for first-person shooters and games, here in this post. Might want to give that a try, as I find it superior to any of the other modes supported by the Hydra. It's somewhat buggy at this point in time, however.
 
Ah, sTaTIx so you were the one posting on Wand mode at the Sixense forum? I've been wanting to try it out, but I can't seem to get it to work properly. I've been using Hybrid mode mostly. I've tested out some of the other modes, but so far I haven't made any of them my default. The whole ratcheting idea is something that would take some getting used to for me. But I could see Wand mode being a cool way to go.

That's pretty neat that Sixense tech almost became the Playstation Move. I didn't know that.
 
Well, if you dislike ratcheting, then Wand mode wouldn't be to your liking anymore than regular Mouselook is. Ratcheting was weird for me at first, but after a couple days/weeks of practice, it becomes second nature. Just like how lifting your mouse became second nature.

That's exactly how people should think of the ratcheting button as--it's essentially equivalent to lifting your mouse up from the surface.
 
I think if i use the ratcheting technique enough, i would probably get used to it. As much as i like the hybrid mode, i can tell it's not as accurate. But it is more comfortable for me to use. Whatever the case, it's nice to have different options to play with.

I dont know if i could say there are any advantages of using the Hydra over a 360 pad for most games. It's just a cool alternative. It is wired however, so that may make comfy couch gaming a bit more difficult with it.
 
Thanks OP, bought one for myself... It should be arriving tomorrow and I can't wait to play portal 2 with it.
 
[quote name='pROvIs']I do mot of my gaming from the couch.

How is this better than a 360 pad? Any reason to try it over that?[/QUOTE]

I also enjoy using a controller to play console games. However, mouse is arguably better for aiming, and the Razer Hydra offers much of the same 1:1 fluidity and precision of a mouse (if you take the time to customize/fine-tune the controller settings to your exact liking). I can score headshots in Far Cry 3, Killing Floor, etc. with relative ease.

Make sure you buy a USB extension cable, because the provided cord will likely not be long enough to reach your PC from your couch. I set the base station on a little Ikea mini-desk I have parked right in front of the couch. You can probably just place the base station on the couch seat right next to you though--that should work fine.

[quote name='DANIEL']does anyone know if you can use one side for the movement (A, W, S, D) and for the other side just the mouse?[/QUOTE]

The way everyone uses the Hydra is to map WASD (movement keys) to the left controller analog stick. The right controller is what you use to aim (like a virtual/air mouse).
 
I have been burnt by many controllers/peripherals over the years that had support for a short time and then didn't get game updates. $40 still seems high.
 
I was hesitant to buy another possible dud peripheral as well. But the software devs seem to still be releasing updates for it, people are constantly adding support for new games, and there has been additional buzz for it due to the Occulus Rift.

With that said there really are only two games that have full support for the device, and promises for adding Left 4 Dead 2, and Half-Life 2 have been happening for a few years now. So who knows what's going on in that whole area.

Also I've heard rumors that these sales are sort of a way to clear stock and a newer version of the controller may be on it's way at some point. That's something to consider as well.

All in all it's a fun little alternative for your PC if you want to try something new.
 
I bought one recently for more complex games that don't have controller support, Mass Effect, Dragons Age, The Witcher, etc.

There is a lot of support on the forums from other users. Don't install the drivers that come with it install the Motion Creator instead, otherwise you have two sets of almost the same software trying to run.

If you own Portal 2 you can get the Hydra DLC for free.
http://sixense.com/forum/vbulletin/showthread.php?3692-How-to-get-the-Portal-2-MotionPack-DLC
 
Another big problem is the lack of driver support (official or not) out of the box if you buy many new games. That is more the developers fault than Sixense, but it is what it is.

I don't normally play/buy games upon release, but if I do I want to have full peripheral support (Bioshock Infinite for example), and that isn't going to happen.
 
Wow woot.... I ordered one day shipping and you give me ups ground? -_- Isn't woot's warehouses somewhere in Texas?

Looks like I wont have the hydra until next week or something
 
I got mine today. I convinced myself to be pretty excited about it as I'm always looking for new ways to control from the couch.

I haven't used it yet and I'm not sure I will short of a quick test. I guess I expected the controllers to be wireless. I saw a cord in the picture where they attached to each other but had no idea they attached to the base as well. This thing is a nightmare to use from the couch.

One cord to base station from computer
One cord from base station that splits to both controllers.

I have two dogs and three cats (don't ask why we have so many, we are suckers). Not sure I can use this thing without it being a complete mess and getting caught on a million things.
 
As much as I like the controller, it is somewhat baffling that it is wired. Maybe if you get a long enough USB extension cable, it will be more useful to you pROvIs. I've got two dogs who like to camp around my desk at times, and it is worrisome to have them around the cords.

Jason I got my Hydra's from Woot for this same sale price about month ago. And they had that same sale a few weeks prior to when I had bought mine. So there's a chance they will have this special again in the future I'd think.

I re-installed Starcraft 2 over the weekend and tried the Hydra with it. It functions well, but I'm rusty with that game and I'd think there would take some time to adjust to it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2VlknYWK_A

I also started playing Penumbra Overture with it, and increasing the Deadzone for Freelook in Hybrid mode helped make things more comfortable for me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7lYTe9e3yE
 
[quote name='poopdogjr']As much as I like the controller, it is somewhat baffling that it is wired. Maybe if you get a long enough USB extension cable, it will be more useful to you pROvIs. I've got two dogs who like to camp around my desk at times, and it is worrisome to have them around the cords.

Jason I got my Hydra's from Woot for this same sale price about month ago. And they had that same sale a few weeks prior to when I had bought mine. So there's a chance they will have this special again in the future I'd think.

I re-installed Starcraft 2 over the weekend and tried the Hydra with it. It functions well, but I'm rusty with that game and I'd think there would take some time to adjust to it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2VlknYWK_A

I also started playing Penumbra Overture with it, and increasing the Deadzone for Freelook in Hybrid mode helped make things more comfortable for me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7lYTe9e3yE[/QUOTE]

Well, I decided to reconnect the powered USB hub to my usb over ethernet line behind my couch to try this out. It resolves most of the wire issues but still a bit of a mess.

Does the base have to be directly in front of you? I was hoping to set it on an armrest next to me.

Will report impressions later.
 
[quote name='turls']I have been burnt by many controllers/peripherals over the years that had support for a short time and then didn't get game updates. $40 still seems high.[/QUOTE]

The thing is, you don't really need any more game updates. All you need is the free MotionCreator 2.0 (current version is Beta 3154) program, which allows you to customize the controls to work with ANY game, including all of the newest games. There is a learning curve to using the program properly, though.

You can grab the latest drivers and discuss tips & tricks with other Hydra users at the official Sixense forums.

[quote name='turls']Another big problem is the lack of driver support (official or not) out of the box if you buy many new games. That is more the developers fault than Sixense, but it is what it is.

I don't normally play/buy games upon release, but if I do I want to have full peripheral support (Bioshock Infinite for example), and that isn't going to happen.[/QUOTE]
Like I said above, the Hydra works with pretty much any new game. Just like how a mouse and keyboard works with any new game. You just need to create an .MCE profile for the game you want to play (takes a while to get used to the process, but fairly quick and simple once you do). No need to wait for developers or other users to create the .MCE profiles for you.
 
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[quote name='pROvIs']
Does the base have to be directly in front of you? I was hoping to set it on an armrest next to me.

Will report impressions later.[/QUOTE]



nope, as long as its perpendicular to the front of the base(the razer logo) it'll work
 
I have a feeling we'll see this deal again. Just keep your eyes peeled for it.

sTaTIx thanks for posting your info on Wand mode. I finally tried it out, and it worked well. I left a message on the sixense forums about it. Nice of you to give a description of how to set it up.
 
I would have picked one of these up, love gadgets like this. Hopefully it does come back. If so, someone please post it again. :)
 
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