The Chillstream is the high-end gamepad from Logitech.  It looks almost identical to the Xbox 360 pad, although Logitech has added two subtle innovations to tempt you away from its rival.  Firstly, this pad has a built-in ventilation system on either side to cool your hands.  Secondly, the parts of the underside in contact with your hands has also been redesigned to allow for a stronger grip.


This is also apparently why the two handles are now curvier, with your hands sitting squarely over the ventilation system.  However, gamers with big and small hands alike will likely soon tire of bending their fingers to adopt this position, which is not particularly comfortable. 

All in all, this system did not really tempt us to change our gamepad any time soon.  

All of our testers had a go, and none of them bought the theoretically improved ergonomics, preferring the simpler, more practical forms of the Xbox 360 pad.

On the other side of the pad, there are four buttons, four triggers (two analog), two analog sticks and one directional pad - all absolutely standard.  To be fair, the triggers are a little less spread-out than usual, so it's a bit easier to reach them, but they are stiffer and less comfortable. 

The analog sticks aren't as high quality as those on the Xbox 360, and the material which covers them is also less easy to get a hold on.  The supports in the center, which used to mean it was easier to grab them have now disappeared, which is a definite mistake on Logitech's part.

As for the finishing, the plastic is good quality, but again, not as comfortable as that found on the Xbox 360.  

In-game behavior

This pad actually worked quite well across our range of different games.  The lack of vibration, which is replaced by the bulky ventilation system is the main problem. 

Once again, though, your fingers are too close together, mostly because of the room taken up by the air vents underneath.  The comfort offered by this pad is, we would say, average at best. 

Comparing it to the Xbox 360, the sticks are also disappointing.  Logitech's sticks slide away under our fingers all too often, leading to a frustrating lack of control whether you're driving to speed round a track or blast your opponents in a first person shooter.