The WIN has been out for about a year now, and with a new device on the horizon, now is a perfect time for a post impressions review. I've actually had mine since early March, but 10 months is more than enough time to know the device's quirks, problems and pitfalls, as well as know what it does well. I've done some searching and there really haven't been any long term reviews. Everything is pretty much right after it's received. Let's get right into it shall we?
Build Quality:
I'm just going to say that this was every one's biggest concern when the device was first launched. And it was well founded too, as over the last year, several known issues have popped up. Things like the membrane for the buttons tearing, problems with the hinge and other issues. I will note that mine has had zero of these issues. I'm not sure if I'm just lucky, or if I baby my device more than other people, but I use it nearly every day and play games like platformers and fighting games which are known to be hard on controllers. But 10 Months in, no issues thus far. The Shoulder buttons feel a little.... floppy, but they've held in place and have not become even slightly worse. I still use my device, and in fact will be using it as soon as I'm done writing ;). I also want to note that the fit and finish of the device has held up. Everything is still as it should be, nothing is loose, falling apart, or abnormally scuffed, scratched or damaged in any way.
Controls:
Another area that can be considered a weak point for the WIN in several areas. The biggest complaint is with the Directional Pad. The membrane is too stiff, or the pivot isn't high enough, and it's really easy to accidentally hit more than one direction at a time. There's also the problems with the location for the L3 & R3. I've gotten use to it, but it is a pretty large point of contention for many. Over-all however, I'm very pleased. The Joysticks feel as nice now as when I picked up the device. All the buttons still feel plenty clicky, and overall the controller still feels nice in my hands.
The keyboard has held up nicely. I actually use mine too. I've gotten use to keyboards like this over the years, and once your use to it, it's a non issue. The key presses could be a little softer. But that's a preference issue. The build quality on it is very good.
Display:
The display on the WIN is very nice. There are complaints that it's not a high enough resolution, but they are a minority. The display quality is high with a wide degree of view angles. I'd say my biggest complaint is it doesn't support more displays natively. In order to reduce the display size, you have to create a custom display in the video drivers. This is a minor point, however, as it's pretty easy to do. After a year, the display is still in good condition, no dead pixels and everything is still working.
Sound:
Possibly the lowest scoring area for the WIN for me. The single Mono speaker located where you hold the device just isn't acceptable. Thankfully, it's easily remedied. It supports both Bluetooth speakers and has a jack for a 3.5mm headphones. So you can at least greatly improve upon sound quality. The the built in the speaker though , ya no. As far as durability, it still works and hasn't broke yet, so that' good. Just crap sound quality.
Overall Impressions:
After a year of solid use, I'm still very happy with the device. There are some things that could use improvement, which it seems is being done in the WIN2. But For what it is, and what it can do, I'm extremely happy with my WIN. Like I said, I use it nearly everyday, and it works extremely well. I do contribute some of my fortune to luck. But I also contribute it to not abusing the device and handling it with kit gloves. If you do pick one of these up, I recommend treating it as a fragile device, and it will hold up better for you.
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