English
MacDev already presented its new flagship, the Prime XTS, at the end of 2019, but due to delays in production and a significantly longer approval period in Germany due to corona, this marker has only been available on the market here in Germany for a few months. We took a closer look at the new MacDev Prime XTS for you and in our big product test we tell you what this new tournament marker has under the hood and what you get for your money.
MacDev from Australia has been one of the most successful paintball marker manufacturers on the market for decades. The markers are still rather exotic and don't have nearly as large a lobby as other brands, but the MacDev products are practically in no way inferior to them and can not only keep up in terms of performance and performance, but in some places even the pass competition. Connoisseurs know about the particularly low working pressure of the MacDev paintball marker models, as well as their high precision. With a good tournament ball in the barrel, a good tournament player with a MacDev Prime XTS can easily keep up with the world's best. For this reason, we want to focus a little more on the brand with today's report and show what these marker models can do. In detail today we are not only dealing with what the Prime XTS can do, but also with what MacDev has changed from the previous model, the old Prime.
All MacDev has retained when designing its new Prime XTS is the previous model's rugged looks and name. All other components and features of the old Prime marker were mercilessly put to the test. The previous model already delivered impressive values that can hardly be found in any other marker model on the market and certainly not bundled in one model. The Prime XTS also works with less than 100 PSI, which corresponds to a working pressure of less than seven bar. This makes it one of the softest marker models in the world. The tried-and-tested Infinity-Drive bolt system, which can be dismantled without tools, has been slightly performance-optimized for the Prime XTS, but has largely been retained, after all it is still one of the best on the market. The same applies to the proven OLED board and the 9V block battery in the handle. Here MacDev has a more traditional touch. But now we come to the changes.
Let's start with the handling: The MacDev Prime XTS is currently the only marker on the market with an adjustable front handle. This can be mounted either in a straight position, i.e. in a zero degree position, or in an angled form at an eight degree position. The background is that many players prefer the dynamic front grip position with the angled design. However, MacDev also wanted to do justice to players who still like to play their setup old-school – hence these two options. At first glance, this might seem like a small feature, but once you pick up the marker and try both options, you'll be surprised at how different the two options feel. You have the feeling that you can choose between two completely different paintball marker models.
In order to further improve the handling, MacDev has also given the Prime XTS new, revised grip panels made of an even softer and more supple rubber material. The shells of the previous model were too hard and too "edgy" for many players. With the new bowls, this problem is clearly a thing of the past. Let's move on to the eye covers. Certainly not a world first, but MacDev has made improvements here as well and relied on a proven system, as is already known from the DLX Luxe, for example. The new eye covers of the Prime XTS are now held in the housing by extra strong magnets and can be removed accordingly without tools. A long overdue upgrade that adds convenience and fills another gap in the marker's feature list. Anyone who is now happy that the laser eye sensors and the bolt chamber of the MacDev Prime XTS can be reached even more easily when the ball bursts will also be of great interest to the following feature. In addition to the more easily accessible eye covers, MacDev has also made sure that you only have to touch them much less often. A completely new laser eye system was developed in which practically no paint residue can collect. This ensures that the marker works more smoothly in the game and significantly reduces the maintenance and cleaning effort. In terms of maintainability, MacDev is very far ahead and also leaves long-established top brands behind. Another point in the area of the eyes and eye-covers that has been revised are the ball detents. Here, too, a new model has been developed that is strongly reminiscent of the detents of Planet Eclipse markers. Anyone familiar with Planet knows that these detents are not only simple, but also work extremely well. So you can see that the focus of the changes was clearly in the area of the eyes, eye covers and detents. Everything that has to do with ball control and maintenance. MacDev clearly wants to take another step in terms of customer satisfaction. From the current point of view and in view of the competition on the market, this was definitely overdue, but in our opinion it was also quite successful. MacDev not only closes the gap and imitates existing systems from the competition, but the Australians have come up with their own, quite interesting solutions that have turned out to be forward-looking. MacDev has also completely revised the trigger. The manufacturer has developed a completely new trigger unit for its new Prime XTS. This can be adjusted even more finely and, of course, like the previous models, has a ball-bearing, four-way adjustable trigger for maximum firepower and an incomparably short response time. Love or hate MacDev Trigger. No other manufacturer is able to produce such "soft" triggers. Other small changes were also made in the area of the housing. The body has received a more aggressive CNC milling, which looks much slimmer and cleaner than that of the previous model. The feedneck screw has been replaced with a new model and the lever on the ASA has been revised. In other words, everything that didn't go down so well with the previous model was consistently replaced or further developed. MacDev really listened to the players' wishes and actively listened to them, which is no longer a matter of course in the scene.
The new MacDev Prime XTS is delivered in a decorative hard-shell case with an attractive carbon look. The scope of delivery includes the marker itself, a two-piece Shift3 barrel system with .681 and .689 insert, as well as tools, a barrel condom, a 9V battery and the operating instructions. With the battery and without the barrel, the marker weighs 840g, which is a really good value in the solid midfield for the size of the Prime XTS.
All in all an absolutely solid high-end tournament marker with top performance and a few very interesting features. We wish all MacDev fans among you and those who might become one a lot of fun with the new MacDev Prime XTS.
