PowerA Wired Controller Plus - Super Mario - Nintendo Switch, Red

It's funny how this gorgeous thing is an odd duck in today's gaming environment; as a generic USB controller, it's absolutely superb, sporting twelve buttons, two clickable analog sticks, a decent D-pad, soft and rubbery grips, and amazing artwork. There's really not much to complain about here, aside from the placement of the D-pad being a bit awkward for 2D games. Otherwise, it's a great controller for PC gamers and Raspberry Pi enthusiasts.But since this is marketed as a Nintendo Switch controller, that's where things get a bit murky. As a basic gaming controller, it lacks gyroscopic controls, Amiibo support, wireless Bluetooth, and rumble features; and not having any of these bells and whistles would probably be fine on any other system. But the Switch's library does incorporate some of these features into their gameplay, and that's where this controller hamstrings itself, and limits its total range of uses.The interchangeable caps are also a neat idea but I found myself not really caring enough to experiment with them, and PowerA seems to share this sentiment, since the second version of their Wireless Plus controller reworks the concept entirely by making the nubs permanent while providing two extender caps. The default nubs are a bit smaller as a result, but this shouldn't be a problem for most gamers.While I also appreciate the fact that having a detachable wire makes storage much easier, I personally don't feel that it was necessary feature, and would've preferred a permanent wire to mitigate the potential for losing the wire. Not that it can't be replaced, but since the square shape of the connector is meant to complement the square-shaped guide in the shell, it makes finding a replacement that much harder.As a generic all-purpose, plug-and-play controller, I can recommend this as a solid competitor to others in its league. But as a Nintendo Switch controller, it has its uses, and makes for a decent backup, but its lack of modern features keep it from competing in the same league as the Switch Pro controller. Yet for its significantly lower price point, it's a solid piece of hardware that works well for what it is.

Judging by all of the customer reviews on this item - by the variety of stars - I am not exactly sure what to say that will be taken seriously. BUT after a week or two of using this controller, I am actually more than pleased with the usage/performance! I don't know what all everyone else has experienced with this certain controller, judging by what they had to say in the reviews. Some people claim this controller broke upon opening it or such. Others say the controller breaks after a bit of usage. I find this irritating, as it unnerves everyone.For me, I have been playing "Fire Emblem Warriors" recently with this controller; a game that is rapid pace, button mashing madness. This controller has been going through an exercise since I got it, that's for sure. And during it all - knock on wood - it hasn't shown any bad signs of wear or tear right out of the package or first few weeks. It's held up perfect! It's not your crazy "Pro" type but it has been a nice addition to the collection, as I needed an extra controller for friends/family! (Really, not to jinx myself, but this item has given me reason to rate it at 10/10.)To me, when I opened it and plugged it in, this controller seemed more than okay! As a Legend of Zelda fan who grew up with Ocarina of Time, I especially love how I got it at such a decent price on a "themed" piece from Breath of the Wild! And really, despite the fact that this controller isn't the all mighty "Pro" item, this item is more than awesome - thus far - in being the extra controller I need to let me friends/family play the games with me. Even during Xbox or Playstation games, I never invested a huge amount in "Pro" controllers. I had more than good enough a time using the wired controllers, compared to elite or wireless ones. So really, THIS controller - the Wired Controller Plus - is a welcome addition to the controller items in my book; sturdy, humble and AFFORDABLE compared to $60. I mean, good lord. The game is expensive by itself.I hope to see more in the themes apart for Mario and LoZ. Maybe a Fire Emblem or Pokemon one in time? Regardless, this controller really has been fun to have thus far. (No idea why some people opened this and it broke right off. Would like more description on such reviews, as mine has been quite good thus far.)

I'm not a naggy person, but unfortunately most of the negative reviews are true.The left joystick sticks to the side, so if you're going right and you let the joystick go (so that it returns to the center by itself) it'll get "glued" to that side until you wiggle it with your thumb. Not cool when you're trying to play Megaman, or Smash, or ANY game actually...It's not an awful controlled, the grip is fine and it feels nice, however you can tell it's made out of cheap plastic... when you press the buttons they make a void sound, which doesn't happen with the joycons for example.It's a real shame because this brand is supposed to be superior to many others, but now I fear they made this cheap controlled on purpose so that you have to buy the expensive ones... let's hope that's not the case.

I ordered this controller with the fact it’s a wired controller in mind. I came across this controller whilst looking for a wired controller and I instantly feel in love with it. Nice looking design, for just £30 I saw this as a absolute bargain! Some key features are 1. The beautiful design! 2. Swappable analog sticks 3. The ability to remove the wire from the controller at any point 4. Available to connect to a computer via USB! I mean if you wanted a controller like this for Xbox or PlayStation you’d be looking on paying close to £100! and for just £30 it’s like a absolute gold mine. Overall I ordered this product with One-Day delivery on Sunday (yesterday) and it arrived on time the following day. The delivery packaging was spotless!, as perfect as you’d want a delivery to be! The controller literally just plugged it in and it started working instantly. I mean if I could give this more stars I would. Spot on delivery, spot on product, spot on design, for a very nice price!

I am very sad about this controller. The general feel and build quality is excellent.It looks and feels just as good as an expensive xbox controller. I was so pleased with it when I got it especially as it was on discount at the time. The casing is sturdy thick plastic, the thumbsticks feel great, the buttons feel solid and responsive. I used it to play zelda and it was perfect.Then the problems began, and after seeing other reviews on here I realised to my dismay that I was not alone. The analogue controls have some kind of fault, and after about 6 months of use, the controller began to constantly move up on one of the sticks. Not to be easily defeated, especially with what is otherwise a fantastic controller, I tried recalibrating several times, air dusting the sticks etc. to no avail.Seeing other customers saying that they tried to get help from the manufacturer without success, I decided to take the matter into my own hands and dismantle the controller. Again, the quality inside seems really good overall, very clean and precise. The analogue sticks moved freely and easily, and after air dusting it out thoroughly and carefully putting it back together the problem remained.I can only assume that the issue is not actually physical and is instead something wrong with the sensor - certainly beyond most people's ability to fix.It's such a shame as this controller is otherwise amazing for the price, equally as good quality and in my opinion more ergonomic than the official controllers that costed double the price at the time.

This controller is an example of a fantastic design let down by poor construction. The controller is comfortable to hold, compact without being too small. It is aesthetically pleasing, great for any Zelda fans. The buttons were easy and comfortable to press, no stiffness involved.However, after a couple months use, a common issue (check the other reviews here) reared its ugly head.The left control stick developed the annoying habit of frequently jolting in random directions when held in the "up" position. PowerA support offered suggestions on how to fix this issue, but to no avail. Consequently, I have shelved this controller and will not be picking it, or any other powerA products, up again.The sole reason this controller has avoided a 1 star rating from me is because of the fact that, until the fatal malfunction, the controller was an absolute joy to use. So, overall, I would definitely recommend avoiding this product.

I really like this controller. I bought both the Zelda and Mario model to use with my Retropie setup on my Rasberry Pi 3.Suits most of the emulators ranging from simple NES, Gameboy, Atari systems to more "button demanding" Playstation, MS-DOS games.My kid have also tested the controller on our Nintendo Switch and it works perfectly even there. I can really recommend this controller.

The analogue controls are nowhere near as sensitive as xbox controllers, and not even as good as the joy-con controllers. I recently bought Rocket League which, to be fair, is pretty bad on the Switch anyway. But I was basically unable to play it with this controller. I'd rather have bought another pair of joy-con controllers - sure, it'd be twice the price but, also much more playable.It's kind of alright for most non-timing-critical games. Should add that it feels a little laggy on platformers like Hollow Knight, but you can perhaps learn to adjust to it.