Transferring from the Transfer 1 Professional Controller to the Transfer 2 Professional Controller, Nintendo has in large part taken the ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t repair it’ course. Holding the similar fundamental format intact, it as a substitute implemented a number of small, however important enhancements to make this newest iteration the easiest Nintendo controller I’ve ever had the excitement of the usage of.
So, having a look on the design of the brand new pad, all of it seems to be lovely acquainted, however there are a couple of adjustments that are meant to be famous.
For starters, the grips are ever-so-slightly slimmer than the former fashion, which in my case made it a lot more comfy within the hand. My index arms relaxation completely at the ‘ZL’ and ‘ZR’ triggers, whilst the remainder of my arms fall naturally at the grips beneath. As for the overall really feel, the matt black/gray end is superb, despite the fact that it does invite a variety of mud.
In the meantime, the face buttons were barely enlarged; no longer such a lot that it’s straight away noticeable by way of sight, however you’ll be able to truly really feel the adaptation within the hand. They’re shut sufficient in combination that your thumb necessarily rests on two buttons directly diagonally, making it simple to rock from side to side to hit whichever one you need.
Most likely the most important development comes with the ones analogue sticks. Just right lord, they really feel improbable. The usual Pleasure-Con controllers were advanced in a similar fashion, with the sticks feeling a lot smoother than at the Transfer 1. With the Professional Controller, that is way more pronounced due to the additional shuttle afforded by way of the bigger sticks.
It’s so tough to explain precisely how easy the movement feels; it’s a type of issues the place if you understand, you know. That stated, if you need a little bit of a amusing strive at a rundown, then take a look at Alex’s video, during which he demonstrates with a bottle and an oily spoon. (Glance, simply accept as true with me). Relaxation confident, the slight grinding you’ll really feel at the unique Professional Controller is now totally long gone.
Transferring onto the D-pad, sensitivity problems some other folks had with the Transfer 1 Professional Controller seem to have been mounted right here, despite the fact that we’ll wish to truly put it via its paces over the approaching months (and years) to look if it holds up.
Checking out the D-pad throughout the calibration settings finds that rocking it up and down whilst conserving down left or proper does nonetheless yield ‘up’ and ‘down’ inputs, however it’s no longer just about as delicate as the former controller. In reality, you need it to occur a bit so you’ll be able to simply pull off diagonal inputs. Taking part in Boulevard Fighter 6, I used to be simply ready to knock out a couple of combinations and Hadoukens with none fuss, and unfashionable video games by way of Nintendo Transfer On-line felt in a similar fashion herbal with the D-pad.
Over at the again, you’ve additionally were given the brand new ‘GL’ and ‘GR’ buttons, which will also be remapped to no matter you would like on a game-by-game foundation. We’ve already famous that you simply map the seize button to the again, which is a little bit of a game-changer for extra fast paced video games during which you need to take a couple of snaps.
In a different way, you’ll be able to map no matter enter you would like, so it may possibly indubitably turn out to be useful when you need to dash and soar on the similar time in Breath of the Wild, for instance.
The site of the again buttons feels lovely herbal, too. I discussed that my arms rested very easily at the grips, and that is precisely the place ‘GL’ and ‘GR’ are positioned, however if you happen to’re fearful about by chance urgent them, concern no longer. You’ll very easily transfer your center arms up barely to relaxation at the again of the pad – just about proper the place the ‘Nintendo’ brand is positioned. However even this isn’t totally important in my view; my arms curve across the buttons sufficient that I don’t really feel they’re ever going to be pressed until I consciously wish to.
The dinky face buttons — i.e. your own home button, seize button, ‘+’, ‘–’, and GameChat button — are all tucked away reasonably well in the course of the tool. The seize button particularly might be in a barely easier-to-reach location, however it is no less than out of the best way sufficient that you are most certainly by no means going to hit it by chance.
With the ‘C’ button, it is the similar deal. You already know the place it’s, so it is simply reachable every time you need to get admission to the Transfer 2’s GameChat menu, however you want to consciously attain your thumb over to get at it. What is abnormal is that, due to the correct analogue stick subsequent to it, the GameChat button seems to be barely off-centre. It isn’t — you’ll be able to inform by way of having a look at its positioning in the case of the house and seize buttons above — however subsequent to the analogue stick, it seems to be just a little… bizarre.
Somewhere else, the opposite giant alternate with the Professional Controller 2 is the addition of a three.5mm headphone jack – can I am getting a ‘hallelujah!’? Sure, it is a beautiful little addition that makes discreet audio an absolute breeze if you happen to occur to be gaming past due at evening. One thing to remember is that you can wish to be certain that your controller is totally up to date ahead of hooking up a headset – fortunately, the Transfer itself allows you to know that you are due one if you happen to plug anything else into the headphone jack.
Positioning the audio jack on the backside is almost about the most efficient position for it, too. You have got a normal USB-C slot on the best in your charging wishes, so you’ll be able to simply plug in each a headset and a charging cable with out a lot fuss.
Talking of the highest, you can realize now that all of the house housing the shoulder buttons, USB-C slot, and sync button is now white, as are the ‘shafts’ for the analogue sticks. It is a great little design choice that simply units the brand new pad except for its predecessor, however I will additionally perceive if it does not enchantment to these in search of a extra uniform glance.
As for the shoulder buttons themselves, those really feel great and clicky with out generating an excessive amount of noise. No analogue capability for the ‘ZL’ and ‘ZR’ buttons, unfortunately, however the virtual inputs paintings completely smartly sufficient. Reality be informed, that is most certainly the only house of the pad that is required the least quantity of tinkering from Nintendo, and all of it feels simply as excellent as ever.
One very last thing to the touch on is the HD Rumble 2, which unquestionably feels much more powerful than the unique Professional Controller (and quieter too), however nonetheless no longer reasonably on par with the PS5’s haptic comments. It feels truly great, despite the fact that; transferring between menu choices on Mario Kart Global produces small, but welcome comments, whilst powersliding all over races feels accurately gnarly with out distracting you from the motion on-screen.
In reality, it is arduous to seek out a lot fault with it. Time would be the true check, in fact, and it indubitably is not affordable. I will be protecting an in depth eye on any attainable drifting problems or D-pad shenanigans, however after the usage of it as my number one controller for 99% of the time with my Transfer 2 to this point, it is confirmed to be a mystical little accent; a brand new benchmark in Nintendo controller design. I have no longer but attempted the PS5’s DualSense Edge, however I think assured in announcing that this $85 pad feels higher than Xbox’s $200 Elite Controller.
The pattern used on this assessment was once provided by way of Nintendo.
