Xbox 360 controller issue

[Dessert Tears]

I just got a new Xbox 360 and have been playing it for around 10 days. Yesterday, I noticed that the LB "bumper" on the packaged controller wasn't registering all of the time. I tested it in one of the menus in Marvel Ultimate Alliance, and the LB missed about half the time, while the RB missed occasionally. Both bumpers have a soft, squishy feel. I could get them to register 100% by pressing harder than usual and directly over the recessed letters. I compared the feel to a controller that I had borrowed (the bundled controller from a launch 360, I think), which had a very positive, clicky feel, even from the outside edges of the bumpers.

From the labels and visible circuit boards in the battery compartment, the two controllers are different revisions. I doubt that my bumper issues are related to the revision, but I'm not sure.

I'm 80% sure that there's a problem with my particular controller, but I wanted to make sure, and see if anyone had experience dealing with MS support for accessories. The closest thing I found with Google was a guy who broke one of the bumpers by dropping the controller and who intended to replace it by buying a new controller and fraudulently returning the old one.

Update:

Originally posted by: skillyho
They wont...you have to ship it in (at your expense) to them, and they'll send you out a new one.

I called MS, and exactly as skillyho wrote, I have to ship it to their repair center, and they'll send a new one back. The CSR quoted a 3-10 day turnaround, which isn't too bad.

I bought another controller (as a second controller and interim replacement) from Amazon, and it has a similar problem with right on the d-pad. I'm going to see how the return goes before I decide what to do with it.

Update 2008/02/12:
I received a replacement controller. According to the USPS DC, they had it for 8 business days before USPS processed it on the way back.

The replacement was unpackaged. The buttons and the d-pad all feel fine, but the sticks have a greenish tinge. I'm going to wipe the whole thing down and test it.

 

[Scarpozzi]

I've not had any problems with mine...

My 360 is a holiday bundle one and I don't really consider the RB or LB buttons to be 'clicky'. They just work.

 

[gorcorps]

Sounds like it is indeed broken, and I don't think replacing it will be any different then getting your console replaced. Call them up, and they'll probably ship you box, which you use to ship your controller. Wait 3-5 weeks and you'll have a fixed controller delivered to your door.

 

[tatteredpotato]

Yea I've been thinking about doing this for the Black controller I got with my elite, the X button is definitely going bad.

 

[Dessert Tears]

Thanks for the replies. I'll contact MS and see what they say. I hope the turnaround is quicker than for the consoles.

Originally posted by: ObscureCaucasian
Yea I've been thinking about doing this for the Black controller I got with my elite, the X button is definitely going bad.

It looks like the controller has the "90 Day Express Warranty on Accessories", so keep that in mind if you've had it for a while.

 

[skillyho]

They wont...you have to ship it in (at your expense) to them, and they'll send you out a new one. The same thing happened to me, I just called the store manager where I purchased the console and told them what was going on, they said just bring it in and they'll swap it out. I grabbed a new controller (white) and they replaced the bundled one with that and sent it back as defective.

 

[Oyeve]

I've had that issue with one of my 360 gamepads. Opened it up and noticed the membrane was not set up correctly, a piece was not pulled all the way through the hole so I just popped it through. Had a simular issue with the green button on my rockband guitar.

 

[bucwylde23]

I got a black controller for christmas and the rumble doesn't always seem to kick in quite right like my bundled controller does.

it's not all that bad, though.

 

[purbeast0]

i've dropped BOTH of my controllers which BOTH happened to land square on the LB button. now they both work as you are describing.

i have to either press them really hard, or I have to press them as close to the right side of the button as possible for it to register.

 

[holden j caufield]

Originally posted by: chrisg22
I got a black controller for christmas and the rumble doesn't always seem to kick in quite right like my bundled controller does.

it's not all that bad, though.

you play cod4 with the rumble on? Does it heighten your senses? I never have vibration on simply because I don't like recharging batteries. But if it helps I might

 

[tdawg]

Originally posted by: holden j caufield

Originally posted by: chrisg22
I got a black controller for christmas and the rumble doesn't always seem to kick in quite right like my bundled controller does.

it's not all that bad, though.

you play cod4 with the rumble on? Does it heighten your senses? I never have vibration on simply because I don't like recharging batteries. But if it helps I might

I don't think I've ever noticed any rumble feedback in COD4. Maybe when bombs are dropped during an air raid, but I really can't remember noticing it. Maybe it's turned off for that game, though I usually have rumble turned on any time it's offered.

 

[nycxandy]

Originally posted by: tdawg

Originally posted by: holden j caufield

Originally posted by: chrisg22
I got a black controller for christmas and the rumble doesn't always seem to kick in quite right like my bundled controller does.

it's not all that bad, though.

you play cod4 with the rumble on? Does it heighten your senses? I never have vibration on simply because I don't like recharging batteries. But if it helps I might

I don't think I've ever noticed any rumble feedback in COD4. Maybe when bombs are dropped during an air raid, but I really can't remember noticing it. Maybe it's turned off for that game, though I usually have rumble turned on any time it's offered.

The controller rumbles everytime you shoot. 🙂

 

[Dessert Tears]

Updated OP.

Originally posted by: holden j caufield
you play cod4 with the rumble on? Does it heighten your senses? I never have vibration on simply because I don't like recharging batteries. But if it helps I might

When playing split-screen recently, I noticed that the rumble from nearby explosions is left-right directional, which is more information since audio is shared.

 

[Dessert Tears]

Update 2008/02/12:
I received a replacement controller. According to the USPS DC, they had it for 8 business days before USPS processed it on the way back.

The replacement was unpackaged. The buttons and the d-pad all feel fine, but the sticks have a greenish tinge. I'm going to wipe the whole thing down and test it.