Hyperkin Remotext Sliding QWERTY Controller for PS3 Review (Electronics)

Let’s face it, until our TVs are massive touch screens or we all have extra keyboards lying around to plug into our Playstation 3 consoles, typing on them is a pain in the butt. Well, Hyperkin is hoping they have the answer to that problem and, for the most part, they might.

Hyperkin Remotext Tech Specs

• Compact USB Receiver
• 25 ft. Wide Angle 2.4 GHz
• Full QWERTY keyboard
• Rechargeable NiMH Battery
• Available at Amazon.com
• Complete DVD/Blu-ray Media Control
• Full Slide Out QWERTY Keypad
• Directional Analog Control
• Rechargeable Battery
• USB Charge Cable
• Full Remote Control
• Includes Receiving Dongle
• SRP: $34.99

Wait, what the heck?! A Nichel Metal Hydride battery? That means it’s going to require a full empty/recharge cycle on it and then you’ll have to be sure to run it down to nothing before plugging it in again to charge. How...1980s of them and really, just poor design.

The entire unit is rubberized in that matte black way that so many gaming peripherals have been of late to allow you a better grip, but as you’ll see, it’s far more useful as a simple remote or to type than as a full blown controller.

The Hyperkin Remotext as a Controller

The Remotext is one part Playstation 3 controller, sans any type of rumble and really ergonomic design. It offers all the buttons, D-Pad and thumbsticks you’d expect to find on a standard Dualshock 3 controller. Sure, the thumbsticks are seriously low profile and everything is much reduced, but it is still functional as a controller. In fact, it’s downright handy for those games that don’t require the use of every single button, those casual games, tower defense titles, platformers, etc. They all work just fine on the Hyperkin Remotext which has a shape between an old SNES controller and a new smartphone (albeit a thick, light one). It’s the same length as a Dualshock 3 and about just as wide without the the horns that stick out to hold on to. Oh yeah, it also doesn’t have any motion-controls in it.

Drawback include the odd placement of the L1 and R1 buttons right in the middle of the top face, so if you need to use them in the game they are both left thumb buttons. Another drawback is that due to the way the controller connects to the console, via a wireless dongle, it can’t turn the console on. So you still need a controller handy or have to go press the power button on the console. IN other words, there are a couple drawbacks to using it as a controller because you will have to have an actual controller next to you to turn the console on anyway.

It seems that the Hyperkin Remotext isn’t exactly the ideal controller replacement, and it’s not really aimed at being one. So let’s look at it another way.