Donajia Switch Wireless Controller

Hardware Type: Controller

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Review:

(Note: This product was received at no cost for review via the Amazon Vine program.)

Pro-style Nintendo Switch controllers tend to be expensive. Nintendo’s own Nintendo Switch Pro Controller is regularly priced at $70, and even somewhat comparable third-party controllers like the 8BitDo Ultimate Bluetooth Controller generally don’t end up saving you much. However, sometimes you get lucky and find a really inexpensive controller that doesn’t sacrifice quality for its low price. I believe the Exlene Wireless Pro Controller is one such controller, and now we have the Donajia Switch Wireless Controller, which also features an extremely low price of $20. So naturally the question here is whether this controller also succeeds at delivering quality.

Released in 2024, the Donajia Switch Wireless Controller is roughly the same size as the Nintendo Switch Pro controller, with a similar button and analog stick placement, with one glaring exception that I’ll get to in a moment. The controller is a good deal lighter than Nintendo’s pro controller, but doesn’t feel cheap like the Exlene Wireless Pro Controller does, and features similar textured grips to Nintendo’s controller. Its charging port is on the top, and the only additional button this controller has that Nintendo’s controller doesn’t is a Turbo button.

Let’s talk about that Turbo button for a moment. It acts much as other Turbo buttons tend to, used in combination with another button on the controller to change said button into a turbo button, with adjustable turbo speeds. It is located where the screenshot button normally is on Nintendo’s Pro Controller, with the screenshot button moved to where the Home button normally is, and the Home button relocated to the center of the controller.

I am not a fan of this layout – my muscle memory repeatedly had me tapping the screenshot button when I meant to press the home button, something that surprisingly became one of the biggest annoyances this controller presented me with.

The other buttons all work well enough. The face buttons are more “clicky” than Nintendo’s Pro Controller, the D-Pad works well, and the analog sticks have a nice indent for the thumb, though they lack the resistance of Nintendo’s Pro Controller. All fine. Apart from the location of the screenshot and home button, my only other issue with the buttons are the ZL and ZR buttons, which are angled much farther upward than I’d like. Overall, this just takes a little adjustment to get used to.

Speaking of the ZL and ZR buttons, these two buttons are completely digital, meaning you won’t get analog input when using this controller with a platform other than Nintendo Switch. The Donajia Switch Wireless Controller works with PC, Mac OS, iOS, and Android platforms when connected via wired USB cable (one included in the box), and I tested the controller out with PC and Android devices and it seemed to work fine.

Okay, so now we get to features, and while the Donajia Switch Wireless Controller doesn’t add much apart from the aforementioned Turbo button and connectivity with other platforms, it also doesn’t take much away. This controller lacks Nintendo’s HD Rumble feature, but instead has an adjustable rumble. The gyroscopic motion control also works great here. And surprisingly, this controller can wake the Nintendo Switch from sleep mode, and with a single press of the Home button, no less. Really, the only feature this controller outright lacks that Nintendo’s controller has is the ability to scan Amiibo figurines.

Is the Donajia Switch Wireless Controller the best Nintendo Switch controller on the market? Absolutely not – the form factor and button layout leaves something to be desired, and this controller lacks a lot of the extra bells and whistles seen in controllers like the 8BitDo Ultimate Bluetooth Controller. However, for the low price of $20 that this controller is selling for, it might just top all of those competitors when it comes to value for money. In short, if you’re looking to get a Pro-style controller for your Nintendo Switch without having to break the bank, the Donajia Switch Wireless Controller is an impeccable choice.

tl;dr – The Donajia Switch Wireless Controller is a Pro-Style Controller for Nintendo Switch that has a few issues with its form factor and button layout, and doesn’t have much in the way of extra features, but overall this is a surprisingly high quality controller given its low $20 price tag. If you’re looking for a great controller that doesn’t cost much, this is a superb choice.

Grade: A-

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This game has been nominated for one or more of eShopperReviews 2024 Game Awards:

Runner-Up: Best Hardware

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