There are only a few gamepads out there for PCs, fewer than you might imagine. While the other gamepads we reviewed had a lot to offer, there isn't much that can be said about the USB 2.0 Gamepad. The first thing to take note of is the fact that the software that comes with this PC game controller has been reported to contain multiple types of malware. The software is only needed to get the vibration feedback working, so it isn't necessary, but it's disconcerting that the software is infected. The gamepad will work like a mouse, allowing you to do basic desktop functions, but it doesn't work for all games.

When you are looking for a gamepad, you might find the USB 2.0 Gamepad interesting. It doesn't haven't has many features as the other gamepads we reviewed. It comes with vibration feedback, but as we've mentioned, it requires installing additional software on your computer. That software often doesn't work and sometimes contains infected files. You can use the gamepad without installing the software, which is what we recommend. If you want to use the rumble pad, you really ought to make sure that you have updated antivirus software because you might need it.

The USB 2.0 Gamepad works as we expected. When it is plugged in to your computer it replaces the need for your mouse and keyboard during gameplay. While it worked, it doesn't give you as many options for configuring the buttons for your games. The buttons consist of a D-pad, two mini joysticks, four action buttons and four triggers. The layout of the buttons is similar to the PlayStation controller. If you are used to the Xbox controller, you might find the location of the left joystick and D-pad switched. It will take a little getting used to but shouldn't but a huge problem. We would have liked to see some rubber grips so that you have some traction during playing.

Some other things to consider when looking at this gamepad are that it isn't set up to work with the Windows 7 operating system. It does just fine with Windows Vista and Windows XP. We also weren't impressed with how the buttons were made on the USB 2.0 Gamepad. It felt cheap and the triggers weren't as responsive as we would have liked. It is very difficult to do any rapid fire with any of the buttons. We would have liked to see a longer cable as well. The cord is roughly 5 feet long, which is the shortest length we've seen with any of the products.

The help and support is almost nonexistent. There are a few FAQs provided by the manufacturer but they apply only to shipping and returning items to HDE. They don't give any advice in the way of troubleshooting, which can become necessary quickly when you use this particular gamepad. It doesn't work with all of the PC computer games and you won't know which ones it works with until you try.