Design

What am I getting here?

Both the Freestyle and the Wingman feature 8 programmable buttons to do whatever tasks you need in the game, like shoot, accelerate, brake, etc. On both pads, six are arrayed in two rows of three buttons each, just like a Street Fighter machine, and two "trigger" buttons on the top. Each pad also includes a standard digital directional pad, a button to turn the motion sensing on/off, a start button, and a programmable macro button. There is also a colored LED on the each pad that tells you if the motion sensing is enabled or not. The Freestyle does go one up on the Wingman by offering a throttle wheel in the center.

Wingman face up

Face down

So how do they look?

The first thing you're going to notice is the look of each pad. The MS Freestyle has a more subdued looking design with a black shell and dull gray buttons. On the other side, the Logitech Wingman shows off a more colorful iMac inspired design, with translucent blue plastic on the buttons, d-pad, and handles. Orange highlights give the Wingman a more gaming/playful feel. Overall the Wingman is a much more attractive design.

Microsoft's Freestyle

Looks aren't everything

There were couple of design aspects that the Freestyle has over the Wingman. First of all, the Freestyle is heavier and just feels more solid in your hands. The Wingman by comparison feels a touch too light, but not quite flimsy. Secondly, the D-pad on the Wingman is far too squishy. To Logitech's credit, the Freestyle isn't all that much better; I have yet to find a PC d-pad that matches a Nintendo controller for overall feel, save for the old Gravis 4-button pad. Bottom line is that neither of these D-pads are anything to write home about, but the MS does have a slight advantage. It gives better tactile feel, thanks to a longer travel distance when you press it. Thank goodness that neither of them emulated the horrible 4 button separated design of the Playstation controllers.