PowerA Enhanced Wireless Controller
PowerA Enhanced Wireless Controller
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The wireless Pro Controller from Nintendo is one of the best controllers available on the market, not only for the Nintendo Switch, but across all current generation systems. With the HD rumble and gyro controls, there really isn’t a controller like it. Unfortunately, all of that functionality comes with a heavy price tag, to a resounding 89.99 CAD in Canada. While not releasing a cheaper alternative, Nintendo has partnered with PowerA to release a set of Enhanced Wireless controllers, with less functionality, but also at a cheaper price.
What’s Missing
The biggest missing feature in the Enhanced Wireless Controller is the lack of NFC support, and a lack of NFC support means no scanning of amiibo into your games. For many people, this could potentially be a deal breaker. If you often scan amiibo into your titles, then you are really going to miss that functionality here.
The other major missing feature is HD rumble, which is available in both the Pro Controller and the Joy-Con controllers. This is less of a deal breaker, in my opinion. While HD rumble is a great feature, it’s really only utilized in a handful of games, so not having it for, say, Luigi’s Mansion 3, isn’t a big deal, and shouldn’t be a reason not to buy the PowerA Enhanced Wireless controller.
Why It’s a Good Buy
The first major factor in the purchase of a Enhanced Wireless Controller is the price. It comes in cheaper than the Nintendo Pro Controller, and for those one a budget, even $15-20 in savings is better than nothing.
The Enhanced Wireless Controller also comes in a number of unique designs, so you can get the one you really want. Just recently, PowerA unveiled a Spyro controller that looks absolutely outstanding! For the purpose of this review, we were sent the Pikachu and Mewtwo device, which again, looks outstanding.
The weight of the controller is also a bonus for me – while the Nintendo Pro Controller isn’t particularly heavy, I do enjoy the feel of a light controller, and this one – even with the two AA batteries – feels great in my hands!
The biggest selling feature on the Enhanced Wireless Controller, and the feature not in the Nintendo Pro Controller, is the ability to map buttons to the back buttons on the device. While not a major selling feature for some, others are really going to enjoy that. I’m thinking here of games like Super Smash Bros, FIFA, and more. Keeping your thumbs free from bouncing around on the right side of the gamepad by moving some of those buttons to the back can make a fairly significant difference when playing games, especially when you take your skills online!
And after the money savings aspect, I think this is the big reason while you will want to buy the Enhanced Wireless Controller from PowerA. Its fantastic build and programmable buttons is more than enough to justify the loss of NFC capability, HD rumble, and the internal battery.
Just stock up on those AA’s!
Article By Adam Roffel
Adam Roffel has only been writing about video games for a short time, but has honed his skills completing a Master's Degree. He loves Nintendo, and almost anything they have released...even Tomodachi Life.
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