PowerA Reveals Its Pro-Grade Switch Controller, Now Available For Pre-Order

Ugh... Black color.
I prefer White or Blue color.

Gotta pay the bills.

@Anti-Matter swappable faceplates mean everybody wins!! This looks AMAZING!

If there's a controller as good, or better, than the Pro Controller, and drift is fixed, I could justify paying 99$. 3 drifting procons rotting in a drawer (their batteries are probably garbage now, too).

A more expensive pro controller without NFC, albeit with a very nice case. Pass.

Did they fix the drifting issue they had bc if so Man I would buy them.

Does this controller feature HD rumble or amiibo support? If not, it's pretty much useless like all the other 3rd party controllers for switch.

@VoidofLight I wouldn’t say useless, but the fact that it’s $100 and those features are missing really sucks.

For being more expensive than the official pro controller, it better do everything the official one does, and considerably more to warrant the extra cost.

The two controllers I've had from them both started to drift after around 5 hours of use so easy pass.

@Anti-Matter There’s a white version too!

@MisterKorman I mean, I vastly prefer to have a controller that can do the stuff that was marketed for the original controller to do, even more so if they're asking around 100 dollars to purchase it.

HD rumble is a huge deal-breaker to me. If the controller doesn't have it, then it's not worth buying at all. Amiibo Support isn't that big of a deal, but I'd still rather not buy a controller without it, especially when the original pro-controller is cheaper than this and comes with the features that most other switch controllers have.

It has an audio jack!!!!

Imagine paying 100 dollars for a controller without rumble....

Deal breaker if it doesn't have HD rumble or the crazy long battery life of the official Pro controller. I'm not trying to be a fan boy here, but 99.99 is a bit much for something that lacks those features. I could care less about NFC though.

The big problem with this controller is that it's directed towards pro gamers and nintendo isn't a pro gamer company. If I really wanted to be a pro gamer and play all the pro first person shooter games at maximuim quality I would get a playstation or xbox. Most people buying a nintendo switch are casual gamers who want to play mario or animal crossing, like me.

@Automated_Unit_4937 YES. FINALLY.

I’d like to see Hori release an upgraded split pad pro with motion and rumble.

@Snatcher

Switch Pro Controller doesn't have more drift than Dual Shock or XBox controller. It's not possible to "fix", all potentiometers can get drift.

@RasandeRose But from what I have heard the Power A ones do.

PowerA has gotten so close to convincing me to get their controllers. It seems to lack HD rumble and NFC.

Now I'm getting the impression that Nintendo imposed some sort of restriction on licensed products where only 1st-party controllers are allowed to support HD rumble and NFC.

@WoomyNNYes You can send them to Nintendo and they'll repair them free of charge.
https://en-americas-support.nintendo.com/app/ask/ht/789

I am pretty happy with my Super Mario Bros 3 edition Power A controller myself! It has two mappable buttons on the back that I use alot, and the controller itself is super comfortable to use. I don't have any reason to consider a controller like this. I mainly do family gaming.

Looks nice but odes it have amiibo support, motion and 3D rumble?
Because these 3rd party controllers always seems to lack a feature or two, like if the controller seems to have everything then of course it’s wired only.

@AugustusOxy

Sony did with the PS3, because Rumble was last Tech haha

This is a useless cashgrab, no hd rumble, no nfc, looks like the added buttons are an afterthought.

Yeah, paying more than € 10 for this is a scam.

@Kevintendo the world famous YouTuber has commented at my favorite news site?

Add me to the chorus of comments that would consider this if it had HD Rumble, but without, no way.

It comes with anti-friction rings? For when you really need your fingers to slip more?

Interesting for me to see that so many people want the HD Rumble. Rumble is the first thing I turn off in game preferences if there's an option to do it.
Price tag is much too high for this one. If you don't need rumble I can recommend 8BitDo controllers. D-Pad is fantastic and you get 2 for the price of one compared to this one.

So it's basically a knockoff Xbox Elite controller for the Switch?

@Kevintendo Amazing as in an ancient understanding of the word? Are you getting paid to promote this product?

@Anti-Matter it comes with a white faceplate so ☺️

But can it turn on the switch?!?

"Will there be HD Rumble?"
-
"Wild Speculations ongoing for 95 comments"

You know what? I've just sent that question to PowerA. CRAZY isn't it?!?!

I'd be down but for the lack of rumble

It has an audio jack? So the switch does support bluetooth audio now?

EDIT: I checked the Power A site - "wired controller mode only"

Does it have analogue triggers?

@Scollurio
HD Rumble?
Any Rumble at all?
Analogue triggers?
NFC?

All this is unknown.This promotion is a disaster.

I bought the Mario edition wired power A for my son and to be honest it’s awful stiff analog sticks and absolutely useless dpad on the plus side the usb cable is ridiculously long so I use that for other things but no way will this be worth $99

$99.99 for a controller without rumble. NO WAY.
Nintendo wants to keep HD rumble exclusive. But they wont stamp "officially licensed" for any with an alternative rumble.
"Officially Licensed" is becoming a joke. Almost as bad as novelty fake compasses.
Officially licensed should have rumble, it doesn't need to be HD rumble.

@IsabelleIsHot

Got so many hardcore gamers on Switch toward the Smash-community. Just not that many towards FPS-games. Id say the difference is that hardcore Nintendo gamers plays other types of games than say Xbox gamers thats just plays PC-games as Xbox got no exclusives.

@Coxula

8bitdo, can't use it as it got Playstation-style symmetric sticks

No turbo and more expensive than the genuine version, No thanks. All PRO's use Turbo function, that's a simple fact and if you're not, then you're not one, also simple facts.

Drifting right out of the box!

I would've pre-ordered. Not anymore because:
1. No NFC
2. No rumble (so basic)
3. A slew of reviews/reports with PowerA controllers not working after just days of use.
4. $100 price tag. I would bet that this controller won't even reach the quality of an actual Xbox Elite controller even with the cool features it has.

Too bad since it's "certified" and has swappable sticks and has 4 mappable pedals. For now I'm sticking with my 8bitdo SN30 Pro 2 pre-order.

The upcoming 8bitdo Pro2 controller allows for FULL customizability throught their Android app. Can't beat that. Certainly not for half the price. Even with two extra paddles.

The headphone jack is a nice touch though.

@IsabelleIsHot but there are pro gamer games on the Switch, and kids want in on the action.

They call this a Pro?
Let's add some RGB and it will be Ultra Pro then.

xbox elite knock-off. I pass.

So, $100 for a switch pro controller with a few more buttons and less battery life? I'll pass

Given the quality of the wired one I already own, no chance. Having just picked up a Wii U, I'm also shocked by just how much better that machine's Pro Controller is than its Switch equivalent.

The analog sticks are in the proper position. Not a fan of the 8bitdo controllers because of their placement.

Not too happy because their controllers drift after only 3 months of use

@MisterKorman True but most games utilize amiibo and rumble really helpd in games like splatoon

This controller is targeted at people who play FPS games, which is a extremely tiny market I'm guessing on the switch. I have the Xbox equivalent wired version of this controller because my official Xbox controllers constantly disconnect (I've tried a ton of stuff to fix it, seems like it's a Xbox console problem). It's a really well built controller, it's heavier than most controllers and the grips feel nice. I've probably put in 250 hours on it and no drifting problems. Mine is wired so I don't know about battery life. It's a good controller I just don't think it's the right one for the switch.

Please just put an amiibo sensor in one. PLEASE!

@Gus_Campos That would be a valid complaint if this controller were, you know, made for xbox.

I have one of the older wired models and the shoulder button design on these things is not great for me. They're smashed right up against one another and it just feels funny.

@ModdedInkling HD rumble on joycons feels no different to Wii U in all honesty, nfc is also wasted on Switch, it belongs to Wii U.

I find lack of analogue triggers in two generations now of Nintendo to be a total cop out. A pro controller should never be called pro without analogue triggers.

No one is asking the most important question. Can it turn on the Switch?

Sincerely,
A lazy bum

@liveswired
The HD rumble feels like regular rumble simply because Nintendo doesn't necessarily use HD rumble to their fullest potential. It's kind of like how the stereoscopic 3D on the 3DS sort of just died out.

Nintendo doesn't even try to add HD rumble with Wii U ports (Bowser's Fury could classify as an entirely new game at this point, but even that didn't do much).

NFC was indeed quite wasteful considering amiibo has now been reduced to "physical microtransactions" and collectables. However, with Super Nintendo World and re-releases of Animal Crossing amiibo Cards, I think Nintendo has been at least trying to give the NFC some purpose.

Now here comes the part about analog triggers... something I'm always on the border with. Most games, Nintendo or not, don't seem to have a real reason to have analog triggers unless they were the PS5's adaptive triggers. The only games where I do believe that analog triggers should be a thing would be driving games (excluding Kart racers) and a few select others.

If you think back to the GameCube, Nintendo didn't even bother using those analog triggers for every game. All of the Zelda games, Melee, The Thousand-Year Door, and most especially Double Dash, none of them used analog triggers, and even if they did, it wasn't to a noticeable extent.

Plus, imagine how bulky Joy Cons would be with analog triggers. If they couldn't put it on Joy Cons, it's more the reason for them not to put it on the Pro Controller because every Switch game (that supports controllers) would go with Joy Cons by default.

"This "high-quality" Bluetooth enabled design includes swappable faceplates"

I appreciate the"high quality" in quotes there. High quality for a $100 third party controller means it may almost be as good as a $60 first party controller.

HD rumble? NFC? Motion control? Can it boot the Switch?

At that price, it needs to tick all the boxes (except maybe the boot) and it feels like they forgot to mention a few things.

Definitely not pulling the trigger on this one. At least, not yet.

Vs the price of a Pro Controller or an 8bitdo SN30 Pro+ (or Pro 2, now)...this feels like a long shot hehe

@Bret All controllers made for switch usually works on pc. I already have an elite, and if I want to use it on switch all I have to do is plug a usb receiver on the switch.

@erretter True. I love the bog standard Switch Controller, it really fits nicely into my hands, but not having analogue triggers in this day and age, at least on the pro controller is a huge oversight in my book and a reason why I stay away from more "realistic" driving games on Switch.

Oof that’s a hefty price for a controller. I was interested up until that point.

Tadams587 typed exactly my thoughts on the rumble: Nintendo doesn't want third-party options w/ all the tech of the official pro controller. At least, it seems that way to me. It seems like all other, especially cheaper, pro-controllers lack at least one feature of the official pro: wired, NFC, hd rumble, motion controls.

I have a PowerA wired, because I sit close enough, and comfortably enough to my Switch dock. I enjoy it thoroughly. Also, I can get along without many of the pro features, for many of the titles I play.

@NinjaWaddleDee that will be the biggest reason plus No NFC reader.

I have gone through three of their $50.00 controllers. This one at $100 is a hard pass thank you. I do like the controllers they put out but they have not lasted for me. The analog stick or shoulders buttons have had problems on all three.

They don't mention anything about rumble/ haptic feedback. I don't expect HD rumble, but no standard rumble support... 😞

So basically..an Xbox elite knockoff but cheaper.

What I have been waiting for in a new controller is analogue triggers and I am surprised that no controller maker thinks to put this feature in, probably because Nintendo doesn't so games wouldn't use it but I do know one that does, Grid Autosport.

Hope Nintendo does on the next controller they make

This controller looks nice but to me it doesn't do anything that isn't already done and is missing features for the price.

The fact that I got even just a little bit excited by the presence of a 3.5mm jack is sad.

@YANDMAN
What controller are you using with Turbo on switch?

@Gus_Campos I didn't mention PC, so... it'd be a valid complaint if the controller were made for Xbox.

Pro... but arent these banned from tournies?

Without HD Rumble and an NFC reader it's still sub-par compared to the Nintendo 1st party Pro Controller. I don't understand why no one seems to be able to match the normal functionality of the 1st party controllers. Otherwise it looks like a real nice controller, but it's hard not to feel like I'm missing out on something when it doesn't come with features used by the games.

I don't get why people are so bent out of shape over the HD Rumble. You /really/ miss that weak, anemic little Wii Remote vibration? I mean, yeah, for $100 it had better be there, but /really/?

Still no rumble.

What are the paddles for?

No rumble right? Better stick to pro controller, which is a nearly perfect controller.

@thejuice027 I've got about four, HORI wired pad has the best speed.

The support answered:

"Hello Erretter,

Thank you for contacting PowerA!

Upon verifying, the Fusion Pro for NSW does not have Rumble/ Vibration features.

If you have any additional questions, comments, or concerns, please let us know. Thank you for your business, and have a great day!

Regards,

PowerA Customer Service"

@YANDMAN Do you have to hold the button down on that one? I have a different turbo controller but it sucks because you still have to hold the button, I can't just enable turbo and go do something else like I want to.

@thejuice027 No, of course not. You don't have to on any turbo controllers that i own.

Nice, I just go the SN30 Pro 2 yesterday. Going to trying it out later today, but the limited test I did do, I liked it.