PDP's New Switch Controller Includes A Collectible Sonic Figurine Inside The Grip

I need that Pikmin one.

Whether or not it’s an actually high quality controller that I’ll use, it’ll be nice to add something else to my humble, yet steadily growing little Pikmin collection

These licensed third party controllers are cool aesthetically but they seem kinda pointless to me unless they have extra functionality not found in the first party controllers.

It looks amazing. I’m tempted to get the wireless one.

This looks awesome! Use the controller or not it certainly adds novelty to your collection. But tbh I wouldn't actually use this controller especially if you also want to use it as display piece.

give them an award, they've surpassed clear purple!

Those garish colors. That obviously cheap and hard plastic. Someone check the Forever Prison.
...Pelican may have escaped.

And what do you know I have been needing a new controller as of late! I’m definitely keeping and eye on this site, he controllers looks so nice!

Wired......such a shame

I think it looks ugly... bit I do prefer more minimalist design in general so that'll be why!

Also, it's wired?! What year is this? I'm definitely not buying something from a company that's clearly clueless.

Kinda reminds me of those books that had Lego mini figures in them. They always had them at book fairs during elementary school.

These look like great collectors pieces, but for the me the official black pro controller is the best.

@Liam_Doolan Ahh missed that, thanks for clarifying.

$20 extra for wireless! Good luck with that.

I'm assuming the missing features are rumble and gyro? Hardly makes it worth more than $5 when you replace all of that for a stupid little plastic sonic inside of a the thing.

@Liam_Doolan ohhh thanks for the highlight.

Eh, why isn't there a Mario series of these too, given this is for Switch, a Nintendo platform?

They look awesome on a shelf (although the wire will be a pain to make look nice in a display) but they're horrible to use because of that cheapo shiny plastic, give it some clear rubber grips on the back and make it wireless, only then would I be tempted but as it is, i dunno who these are for.

I'm still yet to find anything better than my POWER A Fusion Pro 2 Wireless for switch, the Pro Controller is great but the paddles are a must for me now

@nocdaes
You are absolutely correct.

I know I grew up playing with wired gamepads, but with my two rambunctious toddlers, wired gamepads just won't cut it anymore, no matter how awesome-looking.

@Liam_Doolan I think you need to emphasize the availability of both the wired and wireless models more in the article

@Zyph I can’t really see how it the wording could be clearer, to be honest. I’m slightly confused why everyone seemingly decided it was wired when wired and wireless models are mentioned in the same sentence.

EDIT: Just watched the promotional video, which definitely pushes the ‘WIRED’ thing quite hard — with no mention of wireless alternatives… but I think the problem lies with the video rather than in the wording of the article!

Looks cheap and nasty, honestly. I'll be sticking with proper Nintendo controllers.

@LikelySatan

LOL! 😂

I'm not sure, but I think the first "P" in PDP might stand for PERFORMANCE! 😬

if we let Nyko, Interact, and Pelican out, they'll fly around creating havok in our citites, like ghosts in ghostbusters.

@-wc-

God Nyko. That’s a name I haven’t heard in a long time.

They made those awful GameCube controllers.

I really quite like this idea
My only thing though is that they’re calling it a “pro” controller when it’s missing features that make a pro controller a pro controller. Just because it has the same form factor doesn’t mean it gets to be called “pro.” It’s misleading and lazy.

@nocdaes I actually prefer wired third party controllers on Switch (or controllers with 2.4 Ghz USB adapter). They're super straightforward to use and don't have weird issues with syncing.

Does anyone know if the wireless one will include gyro? I’ve become dependent and can no longer play certain games without it unfortunately 😅

I can see them doing one with gold and a triforce in it, and I can back that idea.

Would be nice if the figurine inside is an Amiibo and you could scan it to unlock more contents for Sonic games on Nintendo Switch.

@-wc- it will be just like Pixels. I'm not going back to that world. Ready your cyanide pills.

@OrtadragoonX look up Pelican controllers.
https://media.tenor.com/iEJeSm5u0tsAAAAC/such-sights-to-show.gif

Wait a minute, they swapped the positions of the capture/home buttons with the +/- buttons. I take enough accidental screenshots when switching controllers as it is. It's so important to keep muscle memory in mind when making controllers like this.

That looks great, but if there's anything I hate, it's touching glossy plastic. Gross, not for me.

@OrtadragoonX

yeah haha Nyko was definitely among the worst 3rd parties.

Ascii was the best, madcatz was maybe the worst. real old school controller heads will remember quickshot too.

at some point in the late 90s i became 1st party only, except for occasionally ascii/agetec and hori. ✌️

@LikelySatan

i still tend to end up with a slightly janky "player 4" setup, perhaps out of stubborn tradition 😆 though its a wired powerA "pro" controller now, hardly the madcatz gamecube disaster of yore. ✌️

Too beautiful. 😍
There's a cool way to use a figure.

Watch people open the controller to take the figure out

Cool but I prefer just some minimalistic prints and non-drift controllers.

Hori has some with Eevolutions and I'm gonna snatch it

I NEED THEM ALL!!!!!

What fun looking controllers.

@nocdaes It said they are selling both.Believe it or not, people have preferences. Wired controllers aren't in anyway bad and have always been sold. Furthermore wireless controllers have always cost more then wired because it comes with a battery, so idk what you are complaining about?

@RetroGames Perhaps if these do well, they'll make more themed ones?

@KoopaTheGamer I prefer the same. No syncing issues, no paying extra for batteries. Just plug it in and go.

This isn't the weirdest thing I've seen but... it's definitely weird.

@Sputnik_Corner if it's like the other wired controllers it's usb-c and it detaches when not in use. So might get these to hang on the wall

@theModestMouse Exactly. Take out functionality, put in colorful plastic junk that you should not be looking at while playing anyway.

@Ragdoll72 forgive me for saying so, but these look exactly like something someone w a Shadow avatar would hang on their wall.

they make great looking controllers if only they lasted more than 5 minutes.

@Serpenterror So you’d scan your controller with your other controller?

So it costs the same as the Pro controller but has less features...

Not for me but I think that pikmin one looks awesome. Nice detail with the leaves etc

@ancientlii No, they most definitely have not.

@LikelySatan guessing that was you insulting me?

@Liam_Doolan
The controller looks beautiful, but do know exactly what the "missing features" are? 🤔

@Luke937 That's the way I take it. Not only they are not wireless, they don't have the HD rumble or even regular rumble capabilities

So... They obviously removed the rumble, and I'm sure also the gyro and amiibo support... basically all the expensive, "non-essential" features.
Then they slapped some cheap LEDs in it, printed some art on it, jammed a plastic figurine where one of the rumble motors should be- because they know they can trick people into paying the same price as a fully-featured controller by making it look pretty. No, seriously, $60 for the wireless version? Got to be kidding me. No mistake that this is actually a budget controller in cheap makeup.

If it's wireless as well I'm sold. I love being able to plug headphones into my DualShock 4/DualSense and Xbox controller, I was starting to wonder how long it'd be before I was doing it on Switch.

@flighty to be fair, a bog-standard Pro controller is $70. For $50, you can get a wireless Power A controller that ditches rumble and Amiibo support but gain 2 re-mappable buttons on your controller grips (compared to a standard Pro Controller, I think of this as an upgrade). Amiibo are ludicrously difficult to get where I live, so much so that unless you collect them Amiibo support might as well not exist. Doesn't help that Nintendo deliberately makes them scarce. Rumble is something that I'm disabling on a case-by-case basis. If I'm playing a game where I need to make split-second decisions rumble becomes a distraction.

@Aiodensghost I suppose it should have been worth adding that I had a PDP controller a couple years ago. It was essentially identical to these, aside from the colors, and was designed for use with PC/Xbox. I enjoyed the dpad's extra functionality for adjusting the volume, and generally the buttons felt OK, if a bit on the spongy side, however the controller began acting up within a handful of months, and was dead within a year. My Switch Pro controller has been working great since I got it at the launch of the Switch... 6 years ago.
I will not be buying another PDP controller no matter how elaborately they decorate them.

The switch pro controllers always felt wrong in my hands or uncomfy. I'll pass on this. Tho these are cool asf. The sonic one is the coolest controller I've seen yet for switch.

@flighty I buy strictly for functionality. PDP doesn't have the features I use to warrant buying their controller for my use anyway (if it doesn't have the re-mappable back buttons, I don't want it).

where shadow?