PowerA Enhanced Wireless Controller for Nintendo Switch review

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Nintendo Switch consoles are flying off the shelves. Also, with limited availability of these consoles, it is difficult to obtain official accessories. So if you are looking for a Nintendo Switch Pro controller, you might be tempted to snag a replica model to get something quick. One of these devices may be the PowerA Enhanced Wireless Controller for Nintendo Switch.

In our review of PowerA Enhanced Wireless Controller for Nintendo Switch, I’ll outline why you should probably avoid grabbing one of these – unless you can find it for a big discount.

PowerA Enhanced Wireless Controller for Nintendo Switch: What is it?

If you take a look, you’d think the PowerA controller is just a more colorful twist on the official Nintendo Switch Pro controller. Because PowerA creates officially licensed products, many of the design elements and features of this device can be borrowed.

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Nintendo isn’t letting PowerA go wild, however. The controller does not replicate all of the functionality of the official Pro controller and cuts many corners to keep the profit margin up. However, it offers a ton of colors and designs, which makes the PowerA device particularly attractive to younger players.

This controller works with both models of the Nintendo Switch as well as the Nintendo Switch Lite. Note, however, that your switch will need to be updated to software version 6.0.1 or higher.

What is good?

As mentioned earlier, the ergonomics of the PowerA Enhanced Wireless Controller for Nintendo Switch are incredibly similar to the official Pro Controller. The weight is different – the PowerA is lighter and feels less valuable – but the feeling is close.

Setting up the PowerA with your Switch is a breeze. You go to the controller settings of your switch, hold the sync button on the back of the controller for a second and you’re good to go. The next time you turn on the controller, it will automatically sync with the switch. You can even use it to turn on your Switch, just like the official model.

There are three additional buttons on the back of the PowerA Enhanced Wireless Controller for Nintendo Switch. These do not appear on the official Pro Controller. One button puts the controller in customization mode and the other two are the reassignable buttons. You can assign these additional triggers to one of the other buttons on the controller. This is useful when, for example, you want the “fire” button of a shooting game to be more accessible.

After all, the controller comes in literally dozen of colors and designs. There are designs that deal with famous Nintendo properties (Mario, Zelda, Pokémon, etc.), as well as third-party properties such as Doom and The Witcher.

What’s not so good?

Although PowerA nails the look and general feel of the Pro Controller, it can’t be denied that it pales in comparison. The buttons themselves feel cheap and the plastic is of lesser quality. The lack of a rechargeable battery is also unfortunate (although PowerA includes two AA batteries with the controller).

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Aside from the basic feel of the PowerA Enhanced Wireless Controller for Nintendo Switch, there are so many features it doesn’t offer:

• There is no support for rumble, amiibo, or IR. However, there is full movement support.
• You cannot remap the main buttons like with the official Nintendo model.
• Using it with Android, Windows, etc. results in incredibly sluggish performance.
• Your Switch cannot show you the battery life of the controller.
• There’s no way to connect it to a switch dock with a USB-C cable.

Ultimately, PowerA has left out so many integral features here that the value of the controller is basically halved compared to the Pro Controller. However, the price was definitely not cut in half.

PowerA Enhanced Wireless Controller for Nintendo Switch: Should I Buy It?

At an average price of $ 47.99, the PowerA Enhanced Wireless Controller for Nintendo Switch is around $ 12 cheaper than the real deal – the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller. To save that $ 12, you’ll have to forego a number of features that make the Switch Pro Controller the powerhouse it is. It’s simply not worth it.

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Granted, the Switch Pro Controller is in great demand and you might not want to wait for it to be in stock. If you can find this PowerA model at a substantial discount (say 50% off) it might be worth it, and with Black Friday around the corner, chances are you can find it for up to half the price. But if you’re even thinking of spending $ 48 on it, you’re not working harder to find a Switch Pro controller. You will not regret it.