Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsCurrently My Top Choice When Buying Two-Joystick Controller
Reviewed in the United States on May 28, 2019
This PowerA Enhanced Wireless Controller for Nintendo Switch (PAN, I got the black one) is the controller I use most often when I don't need my keyboard/mouse nor Steam Controller for fine tuned aiming or clicking. If I had to buy a controller that has two joysticks, this would currently be the one to buy.
I like the feel, weight (Footnote #1), rear extra buttons, and like being able to pop in AA rechargeable batteries on the fly (I always have an extra charged set of AAs handy so I never really run out of battery). I hate controllers that you have to plug in to charge, because it runs out of battery at the worst times, and then having a cord sticking out messes with movement as well as injects another point of failure if it’s caught or bent on something. Also, the plug-in-to-charge controllers usually have hard-to-replace and buy batteries whereas AA rechargeables are cheap and insanely easy to find and replace.
I won't really hold this controller to the standard of a keyboard/mouse nor the Steam Controller (SC), because for what those two are good for, they are far superior. You can't beat aiming with a mouse nor plethora of buttons with a keyboard, and the Steam Controller has an insane amount of niceties that work very, very well together (it’s great for games with some aiming). For instance with the Steam Controller, triggers with smooth start that sends analog signal first and then a clicky digital input at the end, touchpads that gently and precisely vibrate to give lots of different feelings (not just BUZZZZ) that also let you do fast and precise motions mimicking a joystick or mouse on your choice, rear buttons that are extremely easy to push that can be programmed to be anything (not just buttons on the controller), it has a gyro that is perfect to use with the touchpads, I could go on ... the Steam Controller is still my #1 choice of controller if I had no other controllers for use cases.
Compared to the Xbox One Wireless (XO), it doesn't work in UWP microsoft store games, which is not PowerA's fault, no other controllers that I have seem to work with UWP games (not SC, not DS4, not this one only the XO seems to be allowed, just one of the many reasons why I don’t buy UWP games). It has to use bluetooth, and haven’t tested it with multiple PAN controllers, so I wonder how that holds up (the XO controller has to use use an adapter to connect multiple controller, but I don’t think a special adapter is required for DS4, PAN, nor SC[plus all SCs come with a free adapter whereas with XO you pay extra]). XO doesn’t have a gyro.
Compared to the Dual Shock 4 (DS4) and XO, the PAN triggers are clicky digital with no analog movement (but that’s apparently true of all Nintendo triggers now oddly, Ive really grown to like the dual-stage triggers on the SC). It turns itself on when you touch ANY PAN button (so annoying when trying to put it away). HAS REAR BUTTONS YOU CAN CHANGE ON THE FLY!!! All controllers need to have this from here on out, I won’t buy a controller without it (PAN has it and SC has it, it’s insanely useful). I wish the PAN controller’s rear button could be mapped to joystick down presses (I hate joystick down presses usually because they are often required when you’re supposed to be moving the joystick too). I do like the button and joystick feel of the XO and DS4 controllers a bit better BUT the PAN buttons joystick, triggers are totally fine and I haven’t felt the need to go back and give up the rear buttons (compared to XO) nor easy-swap batteries (compared to DS4).
Compared to DS4, they both have a gyro. You have to plug in the DS4 to charge it (built in battery instead of easy hot-swap batteries like the PAN). DS4 has a touchpad in the middle WITH different clicks! The joysticks are better, and it’s easier to push down on them (best implementation of joystick click I’ve seen). Otherwise, I think if the DS4 had rear buttons that can be seperately controlled (not just hardware mapped but able to use Steam to change them to whatever I want), hot-swap AAs, and I could put the controller into ABXY scheme so games used it automatically, and no vibration motors inside, it would beat the NAN and XO controller as far as controller performance goes. If the DS4 also had dual stage triggers… wow. I would still use my SC for games with some aiming (and mouse for a lot of aiming or clicking/RTS/management games), but it would probably be my go-to controller.
However, for the price, features and build quality, this PowerA Enhanced Wireless Controller for Nintendo Switch (PAN) is my top two-joystick controller currently.
Footnote #1:
It saves weight by not having those ridiculous vibration motors inside, which some people oddly consider the extra weight to make the controller feel “premium,” which is a bit silly, plus having vibration that strong kills the battery too quickly so I don’t want it)
