The Nintendo Switch Controller
The controller is your gateway to interacting with experiences on any console. Everyone knows that a bad input device can sour even the best game. The Ouya learned this the hard way, and even the Wii U struggled a bit since you could use only one of the cool tablets per console. With the Nintendo Switch, the company knew that it had to provide something that still allowed you to take the tablet abroad, but also didn’t limit multiplayer, comfort, or drastically change the home console experience. That’s where the Joy-Con comes in.
The Nintendo Switch’s gamepad is modular, allowing you to attach two pieces to a unit that allows you to use the device as you would a normal controller such as the DualShock 4 or Xbox One controller. However, its modular nature gives it a bit more versatility than its competition. As you already know, the Switch can be taken on the go, and you can attach the Joy-Con’s modules to the tablet to use actually buttons rather than tapping on a screen. On top of that, if you have friends around while you’re on the go, you can remove each module and use each one as a separate controller for a multiplayer experience. That’s an unparalleled level of versatility we’ve seen from a peripheral.
Of course, we don’t yet know how the buttons feel. Whether or not the triggers are springy, if there are deadzones on the thumbsticks, or are the buttons responsive, are all things we’ll have to wait until we get our hands on the console to learn. But, for now, this is one of the more impressive controllers we’ve seen, especially from Nintendo.
