Horipad Wireless Switch Controller

Hardware Type: Controller

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Review:

Those who have read my previous hardware reviews will know I’m always on the lookout for a good Pro-style controller, or at least one that can outdo other controllers on the market in some area or another. Ideally, I’d really like to say that there’s one absolute “definitive” controller on Nintendo Switch, but as much as I’d want just one “best” controller to point to, as of this writing I have four – Nintendo’s Pro Controller, Exlene’s Wireless Pro Controller, 8BitDo SN30 Pro+ Bluetooth Gamepad, and 8BitDo Ultimate Bluetooth Controller, each with their own positive and negative qualities.

It always tends to catch my attention when I discover a new Pro-style controller that can wake the Nintendo Switch from sleep mode, and this is how Horipad Wireless Switch Controller came to my attention, as it claims to be able to do so. At $60, it’s still much pricier than Exlene’s Wireless Pro Controller, but otherwise its price point is on par with or better than the other top-tier Nintendo Switch controllers. Could this be another controller on par with my top four? Better?

Looking up user reviews, I saw conflicting information about this controller, so allow me to clarify what features this controller does and does not have. There is no rumble feature at all. This controller cannot scan Amiibo figurines. And while it is accurately detected when connected to a PC, the controls do not work on PC – this device is strictly for Nintendo Switch. Additionally, don’t expect any extra features like Turbo or programmable buttons, this is pretty basic when it comes to features.

On the other hand, this controller can indeed wake the Nintendo Switch from sleep mode, it has gyroscopic motion controls (that work quite well), and beyond the missing rumble and Amiibo support it has all the basic functionality of Nintendo’s own controller.

In fact, in many ways the Horipad Wireless Switch Controller is a lot like Nintendo’s Pro Controller – it’s almost exactly the same size, with the same button layout. I could see some players viewing this controller as a somewhat less-expensive alternative to a Pro Controller and if they don’t care about Amiibo or rumble, that might seem to make for a good trade-off.

Unfortunately, I had to deal with multiple problems with this controller. The controller is very light, but this also means it feels pretty cheap. The grips are only just barely textured, meaning this controller has a poor “grip”. And the way that the Home and Screenshot buttons jut out instead of being recessed like on Nintendo’s controller mean that it’s far too easy to hit them on accident, and it’s harder to feel out which is which when you want to quickly use one instead of another.

That’s a lot of problems, and given this controller’s standard price isn’t all that much better than the controllers I list above, I just cannot see this as worth it. If you’re going to get a cheap Pro-style gamepad and don’t mind it feeling cheap, get Exlene’s wireless Pro controller instead – it’s less than half the price of this controller, and has more features. If you don’t mind spending more to get a better-quality controller, get any of the other three controllers I listed above. With all the issues the Horipad Wireless Switch Controller has, I would expect it to sell at a bargain-bin price, not at this premium amount, and that they thought they could get away with charging this much for such a poor alternative feels like an insult.

tl;dr – Horipad Wireless Switch Controller has a form factor comparable to Nintendo’s Pro controller, can wake the Nintendo Switch from sleep mode, and has good gyroscopic motion control. But it lacks rumble and Amiibo capabilities, feels cheap, has zero extra features, and has issues with its buttons, all for a price that feels far too much for what’s on offer here. You have multiple better alternatives than this.

Grade: C-

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