Although it seemingly had little damaging affect on console gross sales, each Nintendo Switch proprietor would possibly someday expertise the dreaded phenomenon of Joy-Con Drift. The solely actual answer to the difficulty to date has been to ship your Joy-Cons and controllers again to Nintendo for restore, or simply routinely substitute them. GuliKit has an alternative choice: a third-party Switch controller that it guarantees won’t ever succumb to joystick drift (the generic title for the difficulty). It’s a daring promise, and one which’s backed up by some really glorious {hardware}.

Joystick drift is a phenomenon the place a controller’s analog joystick appears to detect inputs even when a participant isn’t touching the stick in any respect. For these fortunate sufficient to have prevented it to date, because it’s pretty frequent within the Switch’s first-party controllers, think about fastidiously guiding a online game character by a harmful dungeon solely to search out they proceed to slowly stroll in the direction of sure peril after you launch the joystick. It’s a serious subject that may make a console unplayable for those who don’t have a backup controller available.

Joystick drift has just a few potential causes, nevertheless it largely appears associated to components in modern controllers called potentiometers that merely aren’t as sturdy as they was once and don’t final as lengthy they should. It’s a difficulty that impacts controllers from all the key console makers, nevertheless it’s been a specific headache for the Nintendo Switch, as billions of individuals immediately discovered themselves with a number of further free time to obsess over video games like Animal Crossing: New Horizons when the pandemic began. Both the Switch’s Joy-Cons and the non-obligatory Pro Controller can succumb to joystick drift at a reasonably excessive price, to the purpose the place there’s an entire separate time period for it: Joy-Con drift. Despite this nickname, it’s a difficulty all the large console makers want to noticeably handle sooner or later. For now, GuliKit has crushed them to the punch.

A Seemingly Better Approach to Joysticks

On the floor, the KingKong Pro 2 (sure, it’s a little bit of a bizarre title selection) appears similar to the Switch Pro Controller and the Xbox X|S controllers, with their asymmetrical joystick format. But that’s factor, as a result of the design and format isn’t the wheel that must be reinvented.

Even the KingKong Pro 2’s joysticks feel and appear nearly equivalent to what Nintendo and Microsoft use of their controllers, however under-the-hood, the corporate has taken a very totally different strategy to how they perform.

Most joystick drift occurs as a result of the parts inside the bottom of the sticks which might be consistently rubbing towards one another to detect actions finally put on right down to the purpose the place they malfunction. This is why you consistently change the oil in your automobile; to stop parts within the engine which might be at all times rubbing collectively from breaking down. But there’s no such upkeep that may be accomplished for a controller’s joysticks.

The joysticks within the KingKong Pro 2 as a substitute make the most of one thing known as the Hall Effect, the place the presence of a magnetic discipline could be detected by sensors and used to set off an digital perform. The case with the lid that protects and routinely wakes your iPad when opened? That makes use of the Hall impact. But right here, each permanent magnets and electromagnets are used to measure the position and movements of a joystick with none bodily contact between the transferring elements.

No bodily contact means there’s no put on and tear increase over time, so at the very least in idea, the KingKong Pro 2’s analog joysticks won’t ever begin to drift. I say “in theory” as a result of joystick drift hasn’t affected each single Joy-Con and controller Nintendo has ever made. In truth, my Switch, which I’ve been enjoying since launch day, has by no means exhibited any drifting points. It can take years for drifting to rear its ugly head, making it a really tough factor to check for. GuliKit additionally guarantees it’s accomplished its personal in depth testing on the KingKong Pro 2’s joysticks to make sure they are going to work completely for years, however you don’t precisely must take a leap of religion on the corporate’s phrase. Hall Effect joysticks aren’t a brand new thought. In truth, for those who wanted another excuse to overlook the Sega Dreamcast, its controller’s joystick took the magnetic Hall Effect strategy too. It’s confirmed know-how, only one that prices somewhat extra to implement, and so it’s not quite common.

Better Joysticks Paired With Excellent Hardware

For years, third-party controller choices had been nearly by no means nearly as good because the controller {hardware} that shipped with consoles. If you’re sufficiently old to recollect getting caught with that weirder, cheaper, non-Nintendo SNES gamepad or N64 controller when visiting a good friend’s home, you’ll know what I imply. That’s now not the case, and I really discover myself preferring the KingKong Pro 2 over the Switch Pro Controller.

The controller genuinely feels nice, with a patterned rubbery texture that not solely feels prefer it’s offering a bit of additional grip, but additionally helps reduce the looks of grease, which accumulates on any controller as you grip it. The ZL and ZR shoulder buttons on the again characteristic the same quantity of journey because the controller’s joysticks, additionally benefiting from Hall Effect sensors and magnets to make sure their potential to detect even delicate actions received’t diminish over time.

GuliKit even guarantees the KingKong Pro 2’s motion buttons will outperform those who corporations like Nintendo use, with a brand new mechanical construction that also feels such as you’re urgent a button with a conductive rubber pad beneath it, however with sturdiness boosted to over 50 million presses. It’s one other promoting level that’s nearly not possible to check with no follow-up evaluate in 5 years’ time, however the buttons really feel nice, with none type of mush, once I press all of them the way in which in. They’re not fairly full on mechanical switches, however they really feel equally satisfying.

You’d even be onerous pressed to inform there’s something totally different occurring with the KingKong Pro 2’s analog joysticks, as a result of they really feel as stable as these Nintendo makes use of on the Joy-Cons and Switch Pro Controller. They do really feel like they transfer round, with only a bit much less resistance than different controllers and with somewhat extra journey, nevertheless it’s not essentially a change you’ll discover in most video games.

Multi-Device Compatibility

Although GuliKit appears to be largely focusing on Switch avid gamers with the KingKong Pro 2, the controller can be suitable with Windows and macOS computer systems, in addition to Android and iOS units. Unlike corporations like 8BitDo, which require customers to memorize and press particular button combos on power-up to alter a controller’s compatibility mode, the KingKong Pro 2 has a easy button on the again that toggles by its 4 system modes with each press, as indicated by a glowing LED.

Pairing the controller to an iPhone was simply as simple because it was with the Switch, though the KingKong Pro 2 exhibits up as an Xbox Wireless controller in iOS’ Bluetooth settings, which most likely explains how that compatibility works. The controller may also be linked to a tool utilizing a bodily USB-C cable (one is included within the field), for these seeking to recreation with none of the lag launched by a wi-fi connection (the KingKong Pro 2 solely makes use of Bluetooth for its wi-fi connection).

Bonus Features You Rarely Find on Third-Party Controllers

What actually units the KingKong Pro 2 other than different third-party controllers I’ve examined are a number of the added options you not often see included, normally to maintain prices down. That consists of gyroscope-enabled movement controls on Switch for avid gamers not bored with that but, NFC so it will probably detect Nintendo Amiibo figures, and vibration suggestions—though its execution is somewhat underwhelming right here and much from nuanced. Don’t count on HD Rumble. The KingKong Pro 2 may even be used to wake the Switch by urgent its house button: a small however welcome little bit of performance on a third-party possibility.

One further characteristic I notably get pleasure from, even when I haven’t but discovered a completely sensible use for it but, is one thing GuliKit calls Auto Pilot Gaming—or APG, for brief. Through a mixture of button presses on the controller (the whole lot is finished on the controller itself, as there’s sadly no cellular app to make settings and mode adjustments somewhat simpler) gamers can report each button enter and joystick motion for a full 10 minutes, after which activate an auto playback of all the recording on the push of a single button. Think of it like one very lengthy macro, although you in fact don’t must report for the total 10 minute session.

If I nonetheless performed video games like Mortal Kombat, I may definitely see it being a helpful option to routinely execute sophisticated ending strikes, and even when I don’t have a use for it now, I can genuinely see how helpful it may probably be for different avid gamers. (I’ll admit I’ve been tempted to report the actions wanted to enter my Nintendo retailer password utilizing the Switch’s on-screen keyboard to make it simpler down the road.)

Third-party controllers have come a great distance over time, however as a substitute of merely offering a less expensive various to what console makers supply, corporations like 8BitDo and Scuf now supply controllers with added customizability and performance, giving avid gamers extra causes to decide on one thing aside from what Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft supply. GuliKit is doing the identical, however with a $70 price ticket that matches the Switch Pro Controller, and the promise of by no means experiencing drifting joysticks once more, the KingKong Pro 2 now looks like the best choice for Switch avid gamers.