




Flydigi Apex 6 'Pro' FCC registration: adding linear drive rumble motors
Flydigi have registered an 'Apex 6 Pro' controller with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the US. This is separate from the 'Apex 6' (non-Pro) that was registered around four weeks earlier.
tl;dr:- The Pro version of the Apex 6 appears to use linear drive rumble motors in the palm grips, which could enable DualSense- or Switch-style haptics. However, the adaptive trigger mechanisms are removed compared to previous Apex models (just like the non-Pro Apex 6).
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Comparison of Apex 6 Pro to Apex 6 non-Pro
The Apex 6 Pro seems very similar to the regular Apex 6 (information in this post). That is also very similar to the Apex 5, so I'm not repeating all the details, just highlighting differences:
- Swapping eccentric rotating mass rumble motors for linear drive motors: allows for a wider range of rumble effects, although the pictures don't indicate how rumble is implemented
- Removing the rumble motor window on the front shell: makes sense as there are no moving parts to see with the new sealed unit motors
- Adding 'Pro' labels on the controller and on the front page of the manual: makes sense to avoid confusion about which version you have since the 'pro' controller term is used loosely
- Removing the adaptive triggers: there are trigger locks/dual-mode triggers instead of adaptive resistance triggers, and small vibration motors may have been added to the triggers
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Commentary: benefits depend on software/firmware
The precise rumble motor technology and specifications are not obvious from the pictures, but the 'barrel' form factor is similar to the DualSense's voice coils or GuliKit's Maglev motors. This could address a disappointing omission in the regular Apex 6. However, software/firmware support and acoustic tuning (how the vibrations interact with the rest of the controller design) will be just as important to get a good result.
Flydigi have some experience in translating/emulating DualSense effects through the Space Station software, but for the adaptive triggers rather than haptics. Therefore, this might require some work to rebuild game support. The rest of the controller design doesn't appear to have been adjusted to account for the different motors, so the acoustic effects might not be great.
I previously guessed that Flydigi might try to implement Xbox-style 'impulse triggers', but now think this is unlikely. Trying to knock-off a Microsoft technology in a non-licensed controller could cause problems for Flydigi's licensed controller arrangements (Vader 5S and any others in future). It might make more sense for any trigger vibration in the Apex 6 to be used to complement or just mirror the grip haptics.
I think this is the first time that Flydigi have had separate Pro/non-Pro versions of an Apex model, although they used that segmentation with some Vader models in the past. It's also not clear why they would do this: is there enough demand for the two different variants, or will one variant be reserved for special editions/collabs?
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More information
You can look up the details and documents yourself and might spot other differences, or have better interpretations of what you see.
| Model | Flydigi Apex 6 | Flydigi Apex 6 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| FCC ID (Federal Communications Commission) | 2AORE-K6 | 2AORE-K6P |
| CMIIT ID (China Ministry of Industry and Information Technology) | 25J313R3K601 | 25J313R3K602 |