Binbokplay Switch Controllers

Hardware Type: Grip / Controller

.

Review:

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

(Note: This product is also offered under the brand name Doyoky.)

My first time using a grip-style Nintendo Switch controller was when I reviewed the Gammeefy JC200 Switch Controller, and I feel like every grip I’ve reviewed in the time since has been compared to it. This probable isn’t entirely fair, as the JC200 does a few things that are unusual, but at the same time it has its share of flaws too.

The awkwardly-named Binbokplay Switch Controllers, which is just one grip-style controller and seems to be an alternate look for the Doyoky Wired Game Controller with a transparent casing, is more in line with what seems typical of grip-style controllers in that it is only usable when a Nintendo Switch is slotted into it (minus the Joy-Cons, which this replaces). And perhaps this should be my baseline for what to expect from this type of device, as it mostly serves its function quite well.

Compared to a Nintendo Switch with its Joy-Cons, the Binbokplay Switch Controllers with a Nintendo Switch housed inside is taller, wider, deeper, and all-around chunkier, though this is kinda’ the idea, as the wider and deeper grips with added texturing make for a much more comfortable way to hold the Nintendo Switch than the Joy-Cons alone can do. Having said that, I still don’t think this beats the JC200 when it comes to comfort, both in its shape and the quality of the texturing in the grips.

That said, it has quite a few other things going in its favor. The asymmetrical analog sticks work well, with concave tips that I personally prefer. And unlike the JC200, both the D-Pad and standard face buttons work quite well here – both are fairly clicky, but they seem pretty responsive and the complaints I have about the noise they make are minor. Another area this improves on the JC200 is in its shoulder buttons, particularly the ZL and ZR triggers, which are completely digital, making them far more responsive than the JC200’s analog triggers, a feature that’s unnecessary on the digital-only Nintendo Switch.

The plus and minus buttons are in pretty much the standard locations for a Nintendo Switch controller, but the screenshot and home buttons have moved under the D-Pad and Right analog stick, respectively, where they are joined by a turbo button and a lighting adjustment button, both of which work just as you would expect them to. And at the very bottom in the center there’s a pass-through for the USB-C port, allowing the Nintendo Switch to be charged without removing it from Binbokplay’s device.

Flipping the device over, we see three buttons on either side. The small middle buttons on either side are used to increase or decrease the adjustable vibration of the device, while the small top buttons are used to program the larger macro buttons on bottom.

This is probably the one thing on this device that doesn’t really work as well as it should. The method for programming these macro buttons is odd and awkward, requiring players to hold both buttons down while entering in the sequence of commands to be used for the macro button in question. This is difficult enough as-is, but even doing it correctly frequently leads to disappointing results. I’ve programmed macro buttons in dozens of controllers, and I don’t think I’ve ever had this much trouble getting a macro button to accept a simple “hadouken” command sequence. My advice to you if you get the Binbokplay Switch Controllers is to just use these buttons to mirror face buttons, or memorize a button sequence that doesn’t require precise directional control or timing.

Before wrapping up this review, there is one more thing I should mention that is nicer about the Binbokplay Switch Controllers than the Gammeefy JC200 – the price. At $37, this is just over half the price of Gammeefy’s controller. And while this controller doesn’t set its sights as high as Gammeefy’s grip did, it succeeds at what it aims to do far more.

In the end, I do wish that the Binbokplay Switch Controllers included some of the better qualities of the Gammeefy JC200. And beyond that, I wish its macro buttons weren’t a huge pain that rarely seem to work right. But on balance I think this is overall the better grip-style controller of the two, and certainly the better value. If you’re looking for a grip to make portable play on Nintendo Switch more comfortable, this is the best bet of those I’ve reviewed thus far.

tl;dr – The Binbokplay Switch Controllers is a grip-style controller that doesn’t have a lot of bells and whistles, and its macro buttons don’t work very well, but everything else is solidly built, and priced reasonably. If you’re looking for a grip for Nintendo Switch, this is a good choice.

Grade: B

^{You can support eShopperReviews on Patreon! Please click HERE to become a Sponsor!}

^{This month’s sponsors are MB, Andy Miller, Johannes, u/RamboFox, Exlene, Eli Goodman, Ilya Zverev, and Stov. Thank you for helping to keep the reviews coming!}