Gadgetory

- Today we've got an exciting new Switch accessory to talk about. We finally have a new Wireless Pro Controller. Let's check it out. (upbeat techno music) So, this is the Enhanced Wireless Pro Controller from PowerA and what's interesting about this controller is that it is the first third-party wireless controller officially licensed by Nintendo. - [Robot] One day earlier. - So, we are on our way to Target right now because while researching an unrelated other video idea that we might still do later, we found out that apparently the PowerA Wireless Pro Controllers are already on sale there. Amazon lists those for the 31st so this is a lot earlier and something I've really wanted to try out. (upbeat techno music) I feel like this is one of those pictures that's not actually a good idea to zoom in on because pixel art doesn't always translate well when it's larger 'cause it just, look at Link's face. - Hey you guys! - There are a lot of wired controllers out there but basically every wireless controller on the market aside from Nintendo's own pro one, isn't really licensed until this one. Now, obviously along with being a wireless controller, there are some additional benefits that this offers that other third-party controllers don't always have for instance it does have motion controls built in, not a lot of third-party controllers offer that. Though it is still lacking in terms of any kind of rumble feature or the ability to read amiibos. One interesting extra feature though, is it does have programmable buttons on the back. They are two right here that are really easy to set up and you can map any of the front facing buttons, the triggers, or D-pad directions to them. All you have to do is hold this button back here until the light in the front starts blinking, hit the button you wanna map, and then hit the button you wanna map it to and you're done, it's as simple as that. Now along with all these other benefits, what other little nice thing about this controller is it comes in a variety of designs. There's actually five that currently exist and when we rushed to Target we were able to get four of the five. The only one they were missing is actually the one I wanted the most which was a red design with a black silhouette Mario on it but we still have this design as well along with a black, a white, and a Legend of Zelda design. So, with all that in mind, how does this controller stack up against PowerA's previous wired controller designs and is it worth grabbing over the official Nintendo Switch Pro Controller? Starting with their previous wired controllers, which by the way, this one is a wired, it just doesn't have the cable in it right now that is one of the upsides to them, they're detachable, but when you're looking at them side by side, one of the things you'll immediately notice is that the wireless design is just a little bigger all around, especially on the back. So it can actually hold batteries which is a thing we'll get to in a little bit. But otherwise the grip designs are very similar. It's maybe just a little larger on the handles for the wireless one which I do find to be a little more comfortable. These two controllers are very similar when it comes to button quality and it makes sense they're made by the same company. The biggest difference you'll probably notice is that the top R and L buttons are just a little more elongated on the wireless, otherwise button feel is basically the same. The biggest area where there really has been an improvement though, is the sticks. The original wired controller for PowerA had these very large stick heads which I didn't really like. They felt slippery, it wasn't really something your thumb could fit comfortably on. It just, oversized. I'm not sure what they were going for here. With the wireless design, they've redesigned them to be basically the same thing as the Switch Pro Controller which is a massive improvement. Otherwise, the only other major difference is that there are some additional functions of the wireless that are not present in the wired controller like those motion controls and these programmable buttons on the back. Considering that this is roughly twice the cost at $50 whereas these normally run for 25 to 30, I actually think it's worth it. Now of course the more interesting question is how does this controller stack up against the official Nintendo Switch Pro Controller and the debate's actually a lot closer than I would have first thought because there's some really interesting differences going on here. Now the first one I wanna talk about is one of the kinda obvious ones you have to accept with these, it's a third-party controller, it feels a little cheaper. It's not quite as heavy, the plastic's not as sturdy. It's just all around a little different but that's part of what you expect when you're paying less money. As far as actual button quality goes, they're actually very similar. The sticks feel about the same. I think the only major difference on this one is that the buttons feel just like they have a little more resistance which could be an upside or downside depending on personal taste. The only ones that feel outright worst, are the plus, minus, screen capture, and home buttons but considering how rarely those are directly relevant to gameplay, not that big of a deal. Where things get really interesting is when we talk about additional functions each of these controller offer and the difference in price 'cause there's a couple things I didn't really think about going in that really do make this an interesting offer. To begin with, this actually uses batteries instead of being a rechargeable controller. A lot of search controllers out there still rely on rechargeable batteries and these days the only really major company that still uses double a's, at least initially at launch, are the Xbox One controllers and depending on personal preference, this can actually be a major upside because it lasts a lot longer before needing to be replaced but once it does need replacing, it's not as simple as just plugging in to something, you have to go out and buy batteries if you don't already have them on hand. That being said, it does have a little indicator light up top which does let you know when the batteries are getting low so you're never gonna get caught off guard if it all of a sudden dies mid gameplay. Now aside from that, the main differences really come down to the functions we've already talked about a little bit. They're both wireless controllers. They're both gonna give you the ability to use motion controls but this one's not gonna let you scan amiibos, it's not gonna have rumble, which is honestly I think one of the biggest losses it has, but over the official Pro Controller, it does have those programmable buttons on the back which can be very handy depending on the game you're playing. Price-wise when we're talking MSRP, this is 50 bucks, and this is 70 bucks, but realistically, if you're just looking for a standard black Pro Controller, you can find them for about as low as 60, so it's really only a difference of $10 which when you first hear that you might be like, oh, 10 bucks, I might as well just upgrade to the official one but honestly, thanks to the additional buttons on the back and the fact that the only really big feature really missing is rumble, if you're willing to part with that and you like the idea of using standard batteries, this is a great alternative.