It is amazing how each part of the Xbox 360 is being looked at in detail to show how much thought Microsoft put into this console, and the controller is one of the devices that is getting much applause from the gaming and technical community.

Team Xbox have a review of the Controller on their site saying things like:

One of the things that we noticed when we grabbed the wireless Xbox 360 controller for the first time is how weightless it is, even with the batteries inserted. It is hard to believe until you hold each controller, but the truth is that the Xbox 360 wireless controller (with batteries) is lighter than the Xbox Controller S.

We can’t imagine how Microsoft found a way to make the previous controller even lighter without compromising the features, but somehow they found a way to make it fluffier. In fact, the quality of the materials used in the controller, from the enclosure to the different buttons and sticks, are first rate and feel much more solid than the previous controller.

Extreme Tech as a look at the Xbox 360 controller for a Windows PC, which is really the same as an Xbox 360 controller for the Xbox 360.

Many in the console game press are calling the Xbox 360 controller the “best controller ever,” and once you use it, it’s not hard to see why. Though in many ways traditional, it is simply one of the best-designed controllers ever. It’s lightweight, comfortable, and very easy to hit all the right buttons at the right time without having to look down, or stretch and contort your hands uncomfortably.

Looking at the face of the controller, it appears very much like the “Controller S” for the Xbox (the slightly newer, smaller pad originally designed for the Japanese market that has become the standard controller included with the Xbox over the last several years). Actually, the X360 controller is a little bit smaller, but still large enough to be comfortable in big hands. The angles are a bit different, and it’s definitely thinner and lighter, making it extremely comfortable to hold.

The difference between the PC version and the Xbox 360 version is that the latter comes with a driver disk, and thus a $5 surcharge. You don’t need the PC version as the normal Xbox 360 version works just fine on the PC, and the drivers can be downloaded from Windows Update when the USB cord is plugged in. The wireless controller, however, will not work with Windows, so don’t try.

In the end the controller earns an eight out of a possible ten in Extreme Tech’s scoring system.