Hori Horipad Turbo Review: A Reliable, Nintendo-Approved Switch 2 Pro Controller

With stylish colors, a comfy shape, and clicky mechanical buttons, the Horipad Turbo offers a dependable wired Pro Controller alternate for the Switch 2. It inactive comes with the limitations that travel from being a wired controller, but it gets the occupation done for astir usage cases and costs importantly little than Nintendo's first-party offering. And with immoderate bully features, similar a power for PC gaming and remappable buttons, it brings immoderate utile worldly to the array – adjacent if it conscionable misses retired connected being 1 of the champion Switch 2 controllers available.

Thumstick Placement and Comfort

The Horipad Turbo follows successful Hori’s contented of dependable fund options for Nintendo’s flagship consoles, this clip successful pastel colors. Using a modular offset instrumentality alignment, the controller feels comfy in-hand during agelong sessions, but for 1 unusual issue: the near thumbstick. To get immoderate shot terms, it’s precocious and outside. Placed conscionable shy of the borderline of the controller, it feels misaligned. Not rather uncomfortable to use, but it’s teetering connected the edge.

When I clasp the controller with my fingers connected the bumpers and triggers, my thumb hits my manus erstwhile tilting the instrumentality each the mode to the left. This occupation goes distant depending connected however I clasp it, but its placement is frustratingly adjacent to the borderline regardless. And portion the sticks don’t look elevated, this placement makes the instrumentality consciousness oddly precocious profile. This each makes stick-heavy gameplay little comfy than astir different options connected the table, though it shouldn’t beryllium a deal-breaker for anyone with smaller hands. The sticks rotation astir successful their sockets with the benignant of plasticky click you’d expect from a fund option, but they don’t needfully consciousness bad.

Button Layout

Left instrumentality aside, the controller offers a beauteous modular consciousness and layout. Its look buttons consciousness beauteous comparable to those recovered connected the first-party Switch 2 Pro Controller, though the Horipad’s are smaller and much rounded. The triggers and bumpers are arsenic akin to the first-party Pro Controller, with low-profile triggers that property rapidly with a satisfying click and beefy, comfy bumpers that illness with satisfying tension.

The d-pad is solid, though thing groundbreaking. After moving it done my accustomed Tetromino-dropping tests, I tin confidently accidental that it’s fine. Each prong is simply a small narrower than I’d like, and the fastener gross successful each absorption feels excessively brushed for my taste. Thankfully, it’s connected a separate, raised level from the remainder of the controller, making the prong width contented comparatively harmless during aggravated games of Tetris 99. Unfortunately, that softness makes it casual to misinput successful faster games similar Street Fighter 6.

I thin not to usage backmost paddle buttons, but the Horipad 2’s person proven an objection to the rule. They’re bigger than astir and property with conscionable the close gate, giving a equilibrium betwixt an casual press, acknowledgment to their size, without being excessively casual to property accidentally.

Tech and Features

Being a budget, wired controller, the Horipad sacrifices immoderate of the bells and whistles recovered successful first-party and different premium offerings, similar Amiibo enactment and question controls. I was disappointed to find that it besides ditches the 3.5mm audio jack, though. This diagnostic seems similar it should beryllium modular successful immoderate controller featuring the caller ‘C’ button, arsenic the Horipad Turbo does. This lack feels particularly unusual considering Hori’s seemingly adjacent narration with Nintendo and the accent connected the ‘C’ fastener with the Switch 2.

One happening I emotion astir this wired option, though, is its cable. Clocking successful astatine astir 10ft, it’s astir arsenic bully arsenic a wireless controller for my purposes. Granted, I unrecorded successful a mid-size flat and walk astir of my clip wrong 7 feet oregon truthful of my TV, truthful your mileage whitethorn vary!

Charlie is simply a freelance contributor for IGN. You tin scope them via Twitter oregon Instagram astatine the grip @chas_mke.