Machenike S3 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.)

I have gotten to the point where I have a decent idea what to expect from Pro-style Nintendo Switch gamepads in different price ranges, so it’s always a question when I come across a gamepad that’s on the cusp of two different price ranges, and I have to ask myself, is this a nicely-priced gamepad from the higher ranger, or an overpriced gamepad from the lower range?

At $38, the Machenike S3 Wireless Controller is right between what I would consider a low-end Nintendo Switch controller and a mid-range controller. So, how does it shape up to other controllers on the market?

Like many of the Pro-style controllers released for Nintendo Switch, the Machenike S3 Wireless Controller replicates the general size, shape, and layout of Nintendo’s own Nintendo Switch Pro Controller, with asymmetrical analog sticks with a concave rimmed top, along with standard face buttons and D-Pad in the usual places. The backside of the grips are very lightly textured. Overall I felt this controller was fairly comfortable to hold, much like holding Nintendo’s own Pro controller apart from the ZL and ZR trigger buttons, which are at a slightly higher angle than Nintendo’s controller (but not terribly uncomfortable).

Both the D-Pad and face buttons are more on the “clicky” side of the “squishy/clicky” spectrum, but aren’t too terribly loud and feel pretty responsive and control well in-game. I say this despite that this controller uses a disc-style D-Pad that tends to be the sort I dislike – here it seems to work fine thanks to the way it clicks in the eight cardinal directions. As for the analog sticks, the Machenike S3 Wireless Controller is equipped with hall effect sticks, which work in a way that won’t suffer from drift. The secondary face buttons are also all present, in pretty much the same places on as they are on Nintendo’s controller. In my opinion, everything here works well, no complaints.

Moving on to the rest of the standard features, on the top of the controller, we have a pair of L and R bumper buttons that are midway in the clicky-squishy spectrum, which work fine even if I don’t find this to be preferable – I generally prefer more clicky shoulder buttons. There are also a pair of digital ZL and ZR triggers. While this is ideal for use on Nintendo Switch, which cannot recognize analog triggers, it does mean that this will be less useful on other platforms that make use of that feature, particularly in Racing games.

When it comes to the other standard features of Nintendo Switch controllers, this controller includes the ability to wirelessly wake the Nintendo Switch from sleep mode. The gyroscopic motion control works fine, too. It has adjustable rumble in place of HD rumble, which I find to be an acceptable replacement in third-party controllers. It also does have Amiibo functionality, a rarity in third-party Nintendo Switch controllers, though it wasn’t clear how to make use of it at first – you have to scan Amiibos on the underside of the controller.

Flipping the controller over to look at its underside, we have a pair of macro buttons that can be assigned to a button or a sequence of commands, like a Street Fighter-style “hadouken”. This is done using a pair of smaller macro settings buttons above these macro buttons. And above these buttons are separate buttons to change the lighting and vibration settings. Finally, dead-center in the back there is a turbo button, operating in the typical way that turbo buttons behave.

In addition to Nintendo Switch, the Machenike S3 Wireless Controller is designed to work with PC, Android, and iOS platforms. I wasn’t able to test this with iOS, but the controller worked fine on Android, and I was surprised to find it also worked fine on PC via Bluetooth connection, something that usually makes for a poor connection in controllers that necessitates the use of a USB dongle, but this wasn’t necessary here.

There is one other nice extra that this controller offers, in the form of an included charging cradle for the controller. I personally tend to find these sorts of things superfluous, but players who find them convenient will undoubtedly be happy to have it, and those who don’t will find the controller connects and charges just fine when directly connected using a USB-C cable.

When it comes to downsides, the main negatives of the Machenike S3 Wireless Controller aren’t anything wrong with the controller, but what it lacks. Namely, the lack of analog triggers and app support.

However, overall this is a well-made controller that does just about everything it attempts rather well, including some things that aren’t common for third-party controllers. If you’re comparing this controller to budget controllers and asking if this is worth spending a bit more to get, I would say I think it is. The reliable gameplay on PC via Bluetooth, the Amiibo scanning, and the included docking cradle all make the small jump up in price worthwhile, at least if you think you’ll use those features. That said, if you prefer a controller with analog triggers, you have better alternatives in the budget controllers. Either way, I think the Machenike S3 Wireless Controller is well worth picking up if you’re looking for a good low-to-mid-range Nintendo Switch controller.

tl;dr – The Machenike S3 Wireless Controller is a Pro-style controller for Nintendo Switch that does pretty much everything it attempts well, and it has a good list of features. It lacks app support and analog triggers, but otherwise it has good multiplatform compatibility, Amiibo support, and a convenient charging cradle, as well as the standard list of features we’ve come to expect from modern third-party Nintendo Switch controllers. Despite the few features it lacks, this is an all-around excellent controller for the low-to-mid price range.

Grade: B+

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