Matbip Switch Pro Controller

Hardware Type: Controller

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Review:

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

I talk a lot in controller reviews about the best controllers for Nintendo Switch, but it’s worth remembering that not everyone wants to spend the money to get the best controllers. For some, it’s all about getting a decent controller without having to spend much to get it. It is that market that the Matbip Switch Pro Controller, released in 2024, seeks to target, selling for the minuscule price of $14. As wireless Pro-style controllers go, they don’t get much cheaper than this. So of course the question then becomes, what do you get for that small price tag?

Like many third-party Pro-style Nintendo Switch controllers, the Matbip Switch Pro Controller mimics the size and layout of Nintendo’s own Pro Controller, with the same asymmetrical analog stick placement, and a comparable button layout for both primary and secondary buttons. However, there are some slight differences when you look more closely.

On the positive side of things, the analog sticks in Matbip’s controller are concave rather than Nintendo’s convex analog sticks, indented inward for a better grip. However, on the other hand, while the D-Pad here seems pretty good, the face buttons on the right side of the controller are too much on the squishy side for my tastes, sticking a little when you press them in. Meanwhile, the ZL and ZR buttons mostly feel good, but rest a bit higher than Nintendo’s Pro Controller, and as a result they’re a bit less comfortable.

Looking at the other standard features that are and are not included here, the Matbip Switch Pro Controller features good gyroscopic motion control and can wake the Nintendo Switch from sleep mode. Like most third-party Pro-style controllers, Matbip’s controller lacks HD rumble support, but in its place it has an adjustable rumble, and as usual I think this is a decent trade-off. In the end, the only feature that is outright missing entirely on this controller is the ability to scan Amiibo figurines.

Having said that, there are a few extra features included here. On the front-center of the controller is a Turbo button, which works in the standard way Turbo buttons tend to, in conjunction with other buttons to make them “turbo” versions of those buttons. Meanwhile, on the back of the controller are a pair of macro buttons, joined together by a long bar. These buttons can be used to save sequences of commands, such as the Street Fighter “Hadouken” move.

In documentation, this controller also claims to support both wired and wireless control on PC, but in practice I found that this simply did not work. My PC could sync up with the controller using Bluetooth, and the controller was a recognized device when I connected it using a USB-C cable, but in both cases it refused to work at all for games I tried to play it with. Curiously, when using an online gamepad tester, the website could not find the controller when it was connected via Bluetooth, and it seemed like the controller was going absolutely haywire when testing it with a wired connection, as if I was madly tapping random buttons. In any case, long story short, don’t use this with PC, it doesn’t work.

However, if you’re looking at the Matbip Switch Pro Controller purely as a Nintendo Switch controller, this is a decent (but not great) low-cost controller that has a few nice features, but also has issues with its face buttons. I would argue that if you can spend just a little more, you’re much better off going for the Ligame Switch Wireless Controller, but if you absolutely must get a Nintendo Switch controller as cheap as you can, this should be sufficient.

tl;dr – The Matbip Switch Pro Controller is a budget Pro-style controller that has some decent features, but the face buttons are too squishy and they stick, and the advertised PC connectivity simply does not work. On balance, this is still a decent controller for the price, but if you’re willing to spend just a bit more, you’ll find much better options available to you.

Grade: B-

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