This Adaptive Controller is definitely a simple machine at first blush, but it's easy to tell that Microsoft put a lot of thought into it, from the minute you open the box.

... If only they made it as easy to open the controller itself? We can forgive the hiding of screws under the rubber feet, but the liberal use of T9 and T6 Torx security screws here is less than ideal.

There aren't many moving parts when compared to your standard controller—which means fewer points of failure—but each of the button switches and the majority of the 3.5 mm ports are soldered directly to the motherboard. So should any of those fail, you're out $99.

Speaking of those soldered-on 3.5 mm ports: while it's a bummer they're all stuck to the main board, it's nice to see Microsoft stick with what appears to be the standard port for these assistive gaming accessories. Most of the popular switches, buttons, and toggles all appear to be plug-n-play ready.