Nintendo’s best gamepad simply costs too much

The Switch 2 Pro controller is not perfect, however. On the one hand, it costs $ 85 (against its $ 80 price initially announced, thanks to the Trump administration prices). I suppose that it is not as bad as buying a brand new pair of Joy-Con 2 for $ 95, and it is not too far from the double direction 2 of $ 75 of the PlayStation 5, but it still stings. It is even more painful when you consider that Excellent ultimate wireless controller of 8bitdo currently costs $ 50 (against a launch price of $ 70), it works with Switch 2, has rear buttons And It has room effect joysticks. This means that they are impermeable to the drift problem that tormented switch controllers 1.

While players beg Nintendo to implement Hall effect sticks for years, the company has still not listened to. The Joy-Con 2 and Switch 2 Pro controller seem to use the same mechanism as the accessories of Switch 1. In an interview, the producer of Nintendo Kouichi Kawamoto said the company “has redesigned everything from zero”, for the Joy-Con 2, and in my time with the pro 2 controller, he also feels very different than before. But really, all I can do is hope and pray, it does not start to derive. A Reddit user said their Switching 2 jys-consumed directly derived from the boxBut that doesn’t seem to be a widespread problem.

Beyond prices and technical disappointments, however, the Switch 2 Pro controller is a dream to play with. He seriously accumulated my Mario Kart World Performance, because it was easier to drift in the corners and jump to the rails without clinging your hands, something that is inevitable with the Joy-Con 2. I was able to play for several hours with the new professional controller and I did not notice any pain, and I could also hold it easily as my palms are sweating.

Like someone who has been raised on each version of Street Fighter 2 On the SNES, I also had to put the Switch 2 Pro controller to the test for the fighting games. And let me tell you that the Hadoukens came easily. The D-PAD of the controller is comfortably under my left thumb, and it is a breeze to click and to turn to perform Street Fighter 2 Movements. Playing Soulcalibur 2 (Now available as part of the classics Gamecube for Nintendo online subscribers), the Switch 2 Pro controller was also comfortable while holding my straight fingers above the face buttons, similar to an arcade stick. (It’s a Soulcalibur Technique that I learned on the Dreamcast and that I never let go.)

Despite being refined Mario cardThe Switch 2 Pro controller is not ideal for more realistic racing games because it has no analog triggers like its predecessor. Nintendo engineers have said in interviews that the company opted for digital triggers because they react faster. Premium game rides like the Xbox Elite have switches that allow you to choose between fast trigger modes and long analog presses, there is therefore clearly a remedy for analog aversion of Nintendo. But the implementation of this type of customization also makes GamePads much more complex and expensive.

At least Nintendo gave us a minimum of personalization with the GL and GR rear buttons of the 2 Pro Controller switch, which are just above the handle handles. You can instantly remedy their features in any game of the quick parameter menu of Switch 2, which facilitates things like switching weapons or leaping your thumbs from the joysticks. I ended up removing the drift and action buttons in Mario Kart World At GL and GR, which helped me to avoid reaching out to hit the upper trigger pimples. You can also remedy all Switch 2 Pro Controller switch buttons from the switch’s accessibility menu, where you can also create presets for different titles.

After about 10 hours of game game, the Switch 2 Pro Controller battery fell 82%. Nintendo claims that it can last up to 40 hours, but unfortunately, I could not play as much during this review. Based on what I see, however, the gamepad should reach 40 hours easily.

As much as I like the Switch 2 Pro controller, it is undoubtedly an extravagance at $ 85 when GamePad ultimate from 8bitdo offers even more features for $ 50. But if you are a dedicated Nintendo fan, or if you just can’t accept third -party controllers, it is also one of the best gamepads you can buy today.