Technologies

Nacon’s Revolution X Unlimited Xbox Controller Equips You With Pro-Level Tuning

Incredible levels of customization set this controller apart from the pack. For a price.

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Nacon Revolution X Unlimited

$200 at Amazon

Pros

Extremely customizable for fine-tuned performance
LCD screen for software customization
1ms wired latency

Cons

Expensive
Only comes in Black
Back buttons take a bit to get used to

When Microsoft dropped the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller almost exactly a decade ago, it set a new standard for professional-style controllers, and more importantly, it made them much more accessible to all gamers.

The best part for us is that the popularity of the Elite Series controller, and others like it, has spawned a whole range of excellent, pro-grade Xbox controllers like the $200 Revolution X Unlimited from Nacon.

Designed for play

I really dig the look of the Revolution X Unlimited. I wish there were more color options, but the matte black with subtle green trim looks quite nice. I don’t like controllers that try too hard to stand out with their designs, so the understated yet quality look of the Revolution X is great.

It’s a bit flatter and more squared off than most other Xbox controllers, including the Elite, and I was worried that it would feel too big in my small hands. But it doesn’t: It sits comfortably in my grip, and I don’t need any crazy finger gymnastics to reach the buttons. I was even surprised that I could easily reach the two additional middle bumpers without having to switch to a claw grip.

The face buttons are pretty flat, which makes them much easier for me to press, and the larger surface area makes them a bigger (and easier to hit) target. The XYAB buttons, eight-way D-pad, trigger stops and four back buttons are all microswitches, and they feel very solid. The Hall Effect triggers and joysticks have a bit more tension than I’m used to, but they are extremely responsive andquite solid.

I only have a couple issues with the hardware. For one, there are only two stages to the trigger stops, but at least it’s a full stop instead of halfway like on the Revolution X Ulimited’s PlayStation sibling, the Nacon Revolution 5 Pro, and you can customize it more in the software.

My other frustration is with the back buttons. They’re nice, but if you tend to tightly clutch the grip, like during an intense match or boss fight, it’s quite easy to accidentaly press the bottom ones with your pinky. Thankfully, you can disable them if it becomes a problem. I prefer paddles to buttons, anyway.

Nacon claims 10-plus hours of battery life on its website, which initially disappointed me — that’s pretty bad. But during my testing, I was extremely impressed. It lasted well over 10 hours without needing a charge and is honestly some of the best battery life I’ve seen in a controller.

Neither of these gripes would keep me from recommending the controller; they’re just things to note if you’re going to spend $200 on a controller.

Fine-tuned feel

Customization is Revolution X’s biggest strength: It gives you the most granular hardware and software options I’ve ever seen. You can insert a set of 10-, 14- or 16-gram weights (included in the box) for the exact in-hand feel that you want. You also get extra joystick caps and little metal rings intended to increase the physical thickness of the joystick. Nacon also gives you a traditional four-way D-pad for games where you need it.

Nacon has a free PC app for all the standard software modifications you’d expect, like button remapping, multiple profiles, joystick dead zones and trigger response. You might not expect that the joysticks and triggers can be adjusted via a linear graph for extremely fine-tuned responsiveness. Other controllers I’ve used let you choose from a few pre-selected ranges, but Nacon lets you set it precisely for split-second response.

It comes with four built-in profiles, but you can create as many as you want (only four active at a time), and Nacon makes it easy to export and import them across your Nacon controllers, or switch among them. An LCD screen on the controller helps streamline the selection process and to remind you want the current settings are.

I was also impressed by the bundled accessories. In addition to all the stuff I already mentioned, you also get a charging base (that also houses the wireless dongle), and the carrying case is top-notch (including the zipper). It’s nice to see a company pay attention to details.

No matter how you look at it, $200 is a lot of money for a game controller. Especially when you can get great controllers like the Elite Wireless 2 or the Victrix Pro BFG for as low as $140-$150. But if you want solid hardware with granular customization for tuned performance, the Revolution X Unlimited is one of the best.

Technologies

Spotify Launches ‘About the Song’ Beta to Reveal Stories Behind the Music

The stories are told on swipeable cards as you listen to the song.

Did you know Chappell Roan drew inspiration for her hit song Pink Pony Club from The Pink Cadillac, the name of a hot-pink strip club in her Missouri hometown? Or that Fountains of Wayne’s song Stacy’s Mom was inspired by a confessed crush a friend had on the late co-founder Adam Schlesinger’s grandmother?

If you’re a fan of knowing juicy little tidbits about popular songs, you might find more trivia in About the Song, a new feature from streaming giant Spotify that’s kind of like the old VH1 show Pop-Up Video.

About the Song is available in the US, UK, New Zealand and Australia, initially for Spotify Premium members only. It’s only on certain songs, but it will likely keep rolling out to more music. Music facts are sourced from a variety of websites and summarized by AI, and appear below the song’s lyrics when you’re playing a particular song.

«Music fans know the feeling: A song stops you in your tracks, and you immediately want to know more. What inspired it, and what’s the meaning behind it? We believe that understanding the craft and context behind a song can deepen your connection to the music you love,» Spotify wrote in a blog post.

While this version of the feature is new, it’s not the first time Spotify has featured fun facts about the music it plays. The streaming giant partnered with Genius a decade ago for Behind the Lyrics, which included themed playlists with factoids and trivia about each song. Spotify kept this up for a few years before canceling due to multiple controversies, including Paramore’s Hayley Williams blasting Genius for using inaccurate and outdated information.

Spotify soon started testing its Storyline feature, which featured fun facts about songs in a limited capacity for some users, but was never released as a central feature.

About the Song is the latest in a long string of announcements from Spotify, including a Page Match feature that lets you seamlessly switch to an audiobook from a physical book, and an AI tool that creates playlists for you. Spotify also recently announced that it’ll start selling physical books.

How to use About the Song

If you’re a Spotify Premium user, the feature should be available the next time you listen to music on the app.

Start listening to any supported song.
Scroll down past the lyrics preview box to the About the Song box.
Swipe left and right to see more facts about the song.

I tried this with a few tracks, and was pleased to learn that it doesn’t just work for the most recent hits. Spotify’s card for Metallica’s 1986 song Master of Puppets notes the song’s surge in popularity after its cameo in a 2022 episode of Stranger Things. The second card discusses the band’s album art for Master of Puppets and how it was conceptualized.

To see how far support for the feature really went, I looked up a few tracks from off the beaten path, like NoFX’s The Decline and Ice Nine Kills’ Thank God It’s Friday. Spotify supported every track I personally checked.

There does appear to be a limit to the depth of the fun facts, which makes sense since not every song has a complicated story. For those songs, Spotify defaults to trivia about the album that features the music or an AI summary of the lyrics and what they might mean.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Feb. 7, #502

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Feb. 7, No. 502.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition features a fun batch of categories. The purple one requires you to find hidden words inside some of the grid words, but they’re not too obscure. If you’re struggling with today’s puzzle but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t appear in the NYT Games app, but it does in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Golden Gate.

Green group hint: It’s «Shotime!»

Blue group hint: Same first name.

Purple group hint: Tweak a team name.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Bay Area teams.

Green group: Associated with Shohei Ohtani.

Blue group: Coaching Mikes.

Purple group: MLB teams, with the last letter changed.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is Bay Area teams. The four answers are 49ers, Giants, Sharks and Valkyries.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is associated with Shohei Ohtani. The four answers are Decoy, Dodgers, Japan and two-way.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is coaching Mikes. The four answers are Macdonald, McCarthy, Tomlin and Vrabel.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is MLB teams, with the last letter changed. The four answers are Angelo (Angels), Cuba (Cubs), redo (Reds) and twine (Twins).

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Saturday, Feb. 7

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Feb. 7

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? It’s Saturday, so it’s a long one, and a few of the clues are tricky. Read on for all the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.