Switch! (Part 1)

a_new_duck · January 31, 2020, 9:27pm

Probably not gonna be a lie then.

At some point real hardware upgrades are coming and I’m really hoping Nintendo knows not to start another DSi/New 3DS clusterfuck.

It’s wild. After the Switch, can Nintendo ever make a sits-next-to-your-TV standard console again?

Felix · January 31, 2020, 9:28pm

no reason for them to, unless >30W arm chipsets take off

a_new_duck · January 31, 2020, 9:30pm

I mean, I don’t want them to. The Switch is really the exact way I’ve wanted to video game always.

idiot · January 31, 2020, 9:40pm

my main problem with the switch is adjusting to ridiculous load times on a supposed portable after having a samsung nvme for a while

problyfine · February 1, 2020, 5:36pm

For the fourth time, one of my joy-con needs repairs because the thumbstick drift has gotten so bad. But sending it to Nintendo means I’ll be down half a controller for a few weeks. And the courier service that Nintendo of Canada uses to fulfill repairs is a pain in the ass.

So I decided to take a chance on a “Controller for N-Switch” instead:

This connects to the bottom of the Switch by USB-C, so it’s technically a wired controller. There’s an extra USB-C port for charging, but this setup won’t fit in a Switch dock.

The controller sells under a few brand names, such as Dobe and Zacro. It has gyro and rumble, yet it’s 20 Canadian dollars cheaper than the gyro- and rumble-less Hori split pad pro.

Here are my thoughts about the Controller for N-Switch:

It’s super comfortable to hold.
Gyro and rumble work well.
The thumbsticks feel great. The right stick is a nub that fits comfortably under my thumb when I use the face buttons. (I bought the Zacro-branded version, which comes with swappable thumbstick tops. But I haven’t felt the need to try these.)
The triggers and bumpers feel good.
The face buttons and dpad feel ok. They’re a bit crisper than how I remember the buttons feel on a DS Lite.
The dpad is the potential dealbreaker. It works for distinct button presses, such as for quick inventory access in Breath of the Wild or for navigating a Picross grid. But the dpad frequently misses inputs during rocking motions, such as when changing direction in 2D Mario. I can live with this trade off for a more reliable and precise thumbstick. I didn’t miss a dpad on the joy-con, and I can play Mario just fine with a thumbstick.

I’m going to keep using this controller. Mostly because for handheld play, it massively improves the gamefeel of my beloved Grid Autosport.

Sakurina · February 1, 2020, 6:20pm

Not gonna lie, my first thought when seeing that photo was “are they repurposing Stadia controller thumbsticks?”

problyfine · February 1, 2020, 7:16pm

Haha maybe they are?

I’ll add that these sticks feel better than the sticks on my two 8bitdo SN30 pros. (The dpads on those controllers also mess up inputs–more annoyingly so for distinct button presses.)

km · February 2, 2020, 2:15am

Are there any switch controllers with a good dpad?

Rudie · February 2, 2020, 2:32am

Bluetooth Saturn.

Hilariously does not work with Virtua Racing.

vikram · February 2, 2020, 8:21pm

aren’t the 8bitdo pads supposed to be good?

idiot · February 2, 2020, 10:31pm

i use a wii-u pro controller, it’s ok

problyfine · February 3, 2020, 12:03am

Dunno about the new pro+ ones with handles, but the other 8Bitdo’s with replica SNES dpads are notorious for registering accidental diagonals. There’s a really simple fix that involves putting tape or hole-punch reinforcers on the PCB, but I haven’t gotten around to trying that.

vikram · February 3, 2020, 3:13am

oh that’s a bummer. same thing happens with the official Pro controller, the Dpad is so wonky. I do wonder if the Pro 8bitdos are better

daphaknee · February 3, 2020, 5:55am

my 8bitdo controller (the one that looks like a snes pad with handles) seems totally fine! ive only played nes games so far with it

Drem · February 3, 2020, 4:49pm

I think I’ve also seen mention of dpad complaints in regards to the vanilla SN30Pro but I have a 8bitdo SN30Pro+ and haven’t noticed any issues with the dpad in my experience. I can’t speak to them overall but at least mine is good.

OneSecondBefore · February 3, 2020, 6:58pm

I’m not the most discerning about d-pads, but i haven’t had any problems with my SN30pro+ either.

LaurelSoup · February 3, 2020, 8:45pm

I love the form factor of my new 8bitdo Lite but it is noticeably harder to do a quarter circle on.

Oddly I was just visiting a friend and he mentioned having to bust out his Gameboy buttoned SNES style pad because he likes the d pad more than the one on the actual pro controller. Might just be a placement thing.

Ymer · February 3, 2020, 11:08pm

[…] test their d-pads by going into their Switch system controller input test, alternating between right and left d-pad presses there and see if any up or down presses ever occur.

Mr_Mechanical · February 6, 2020, 1:58am

Be interesting to see how performant this version is. Apparently Saints Row 3 on switch doesn’t run very well.

geist · February 6, 2020, 2:49am

I don’t know why it’s so fucking hard to make good dpads. why don’t 8bitdo put their god damn sega rip off controller dpad on the 30pro+ and be done with it. it’s not 1994, everyone, we don’t need to arbitrarily maintain decades old controller philosophy differences just so you can make money using SNES colors on one of your pads.