What is the next best thing for a true hardcore gamer to hear about except a new game? A new controller of course. As Saitek develops some of the finest gaming products for PC, gamers should know that the company is now making available a multi-functional gamepad that allows gamers to fully customize its features, even the controls' layout.

Now that's something you don't hear every day, is it now? But don't just settle with hearing about it and take a look at the image to the upper left (click to enlarge). That's right, the Cyborg Rumble Pad, which strikingly resembles Microsoft's Xbox 360 controller by the way, allows for the the Cyborg module to be unclipped for a 180 degrees (reverse) turn of the left stick and d-pad.

So practically, if you're going to play a game that makes better use of the D-pad, and you want it to be where your left thumb feels comfortable, this is what you have to do.

Most importantly though, this feature will enable console fans to play PC exclusive titles in a manner that's more familiar to them.

But what about first person shooters? Everyone knows that FPSs work best with mouse-and-keyboard control. That's a proven fact which no console gamer can deny. Still, this shouldn't mean that owners of an Xbox 360, PS3 or Wii, should be deprived of playing a PC exclusive shooter using a gamepad. And this is where the FPS Button comes in.

Although we're mentioning this as a second feature of the Cyborg Rumble Pad, it's certainly equally important to the rest of the stuff this peripheral has to offer. As Saitek themselves confirm, "the FPS Button automatically sets up the pad's controls for typical commands found in most current games of the genre," while "'Precision Mode' decreases the sensitivity of the pad's left or right sticks making aiming easier and more accurate." They say it's a first as far as PC gamepads are concerned.

Last, but not least, switching the Cyborg Rumble Pad into X-Mode configures it to work in the same way as Microsoft's Xbox 360 controller, proving that its design is not at all accidental, nor a rip-off on behalf of Saitek.

The controller setup includes:

2 quick fire triggers
2 analogue triggers
8 way d-pad
6 responsive buttons
2 analogue joysticks

The Cyborg Rumble pad is also fully programmable with SST programming software, making it suitable for any game genre. Here's where you can take a closer look at Saitek's new game pad and even buy it if you're already convinced that it's a must-have accessory for your PC. It's priced at £24.99.