The CRKD Neo S and Guitar-Fret Attachment Make for a Great Option for Rhythm Games

Despite their compact nature, the CKRD bid of Neo S controllers person proven to beryllium high-quality, configurable gamepads with unsocial designs. Now, CKRD is backmost with different collectible gamepad, the Fortnite Festival-themed Neo S Purple Wave Edition. Besides its unsocial look, this controller comes with a five-fret guitar grip attachment that interfaces with the antecedently underutilized charging larboard astatine the bottommost of the gamepad. While the attachment whitethorn not beryllium the champion gamepad oregon keyboard replacement for everyone who plays Fortnite Festival oregon different rhythm-based games, it nevertheless makes a compelling lawsuit for those who privation a much compact instrument-like alternative.

CRKD Neo S Purple Wave Edition – Design and Performance

In the container is the controller, five-fret attachment, USB-C to USB-A charging cable, microfiber cloth drawstring bag, and velcro manus strap. The Neo S Purple Wave Edition gamepad is the aforesaid arsenic immoderate different Neo S controller, prevention for the aesthetics, the instrumentality attachment and the strap that helps amended unafraid the controller in-hand erstwhile utilizing the attachment. In fact, if you already person a Neo S controller, you tin get the guitar grip attachment add-on by itself, conscionable without the colour coordination, for $19.99.

While the Neo S is chiefly meant arsenic a Bluetooth controller, it does person a USB-C larboard astatine the apical that tin not lone complaint but besides beryllium utilized to play wired for little latency. And contempt its compact retro-style design, the gamepad has a afloat suite of controls. The replaceable thumbsticks and triggers are some Hall Effect, utilizing the fashionable magnetic exertion to trim the chances of drift oregon different types of mechanical failure.

On the bottommost of the controller are charging contacts and a 3.5mm headset jack wherever the guitar grip attachment is secured. The rear of the controller has an RFID touchpoint to usage with the CRKD and CTRL app for iOS oregon Android, the programmable S1 and S2 buttons, the programme fastener to representation S1 and S2, and a pinhole reset button. Each programmable fastener tin beryllium acceptable to assorted inputs oregon disabled wholly for those who clasp the controllers successful specified a mode that would accidentally trigger them.

Nearly each facet of the controller tin beryllium customized with the CRKD app and the CTRL feature. All buttons, arsenic good arsenic the thumbsticks, D-pad, and guitar-fret attachment tin beryllium remapped, which extends compatibility to different games without specified options built-in. The LZ and RZ triggers tin beryllium acceptable to low, medium, oregon precocious actuation points to set erstwhile inputs are recognized. The thumbsticks tin beryllium acceptable to “No Deadzone Mode," which allows adjacent the slightest instrumentality movements to beryllium tracked. Finally, the strength of the near and close centrifugal rumble tin beryllium acceptable individually oregon arsenic a group.

The Neo S Gamepad is compatible with PC, Nintendo Switch, mobile devices, and conscionable astir immoderate different instrumentality that supports Bluetooth oregon wired connections that enactment with Xinput, Switch, oregon Android controllers. The Neo S has an interior gyroscope that allows for question controls connected Switch and works similar a Pro Controller implicit Bluetooth oregon USB. While you tin leverage the 3.5mm audio jack and automatically way audio to your headphones erstwhile utilized implicit USB connected the Switch, the guitar-fret attachment blocks the larboard erstwhile it's connected.

For PC, macOS, oregon iOS, you tin usage the gamepad arsenic an Xinput Bluetooth controller (like a Pro Controller oregon Xbox Wireless Controller), oregon wired implicit USB, with the second lone for PC and macOS. The Neo S volition link arsenic a Gamepad implicit Bluetooth for Android. You tin power betwixt aggregate paired devices by holding the D-pad successful the applicable absorption and pressing the location button.

As with the different variations, the Neo S Purple Wave Edition Gamepad works good with a assortment of crippled types either arsenic a classic-style oregon modern controller, though it decidedly favors the demands of much modestly-controlled classical games implicit much analyzable modern games. While immoderate whitethorn balk astatine its compact quality and wide shape, it's a bully alternate to modern gamepad designs – though its 8 to 15 hours of artillery beingness connected a afloat complaint is simply a spot connected the anemic side.

CRKD Neo S Purple Wave Edition – Fortnite Festival and Other Rhythm Games

As the Purple Wave Edition, the exterior of the controller matches the colour code of the notes and sustains successful Fortnite Festival. I can't accidental it's my favourite plan oregon 1 that gives maine peculiarly beardown Fortnite vibes beyond the Fortnite Festival logo, but there's nary denying that the trippy purple plan makes a statement, and that's what you're yet trying to bash arsenic a euphony prima successful Fortnite Festival. There's besides the Tribal Black colour scheme, which sports a much reserved look if you want, and it comes with the fret attachment arsenic well.

More importantly, the guitar-fret attachment, which looks a batch similar what you got with Guitar Hero: On Tour for the Nintendo DS, is purpose-built for Fortnite Festival. While you tin play good with immoderate modular gamepad, and particularly good with a keyboard, reducing superior power to a azygous manus for hitting notes tin assistance to further optimize your performance.

My preferred mode to play Fortnite Festival has been with a Logitech G Pro X TKL Rapid Analog acceptable to a precise debased actuation point. Admittedly, adjacent with the high-performance keyboard, keeping the fingers successful each manus consecutive erstwhile playing Fortnite Festival tin beryllium thing of a challenge, peculiarly astatine higher, and overmuch faster, trouble levels.

With the guitar-fret attachment, determination was a somewhat earthy learning curve, but adjacent aboriginal connected I was capable to spot however it could amended my acquisition with capable practice. Instead of 2 progressive hands, I was utilizing mostly one, with a logical one-to-one mapping for my fingers to each lane for the notes.

Since there's nary strum bar, you request to representation that relation to the D-pad, or, if you're peculiarly dexterous, thing similar RT. Although there's arguably nary cleanable option, this mapping is nevertheless indispensable erstwhile playing successful hard mode and selecting an instrumentality that requires strumming.

Of course, too the gamepad itself being a cosmopolitan controller connected supported platforms, the guitar-fret attachment works with different games arsenic good – including, well…rhythm games. Two of those I played were Clone Hero and YARG (aka Yet Another Rhythm Game). Clone Hero works a batch similar Fortnite Festival, close down to its trouble modes, and YARG isn’t excessively acold disconnected with its approximation to Rock Band – and I had nary occupation playing, and much importantly, enjoying, some games connected my Windows PC with this controller.

Looking for an upgrade from your existent keyboard?