Posted in: Game Hardware, Games, PowerA, Review, Video Games | Tagged: nintendo switch, PowerA, Spectra Enhanced Wired Controller

We Review PowerA's Nintendo Switch Spectra Enhanced Wired Controller

Over the holidays we were sent many new controllers to review, one of which was PowerA's Nintendo Switch Spectra Enhanced Wired Controller. Much like some of their previous controllers of this design, it is built to light up and give you a handle little design if you decide to play in the dark or in a darkened setting. But how well does this hold up to other Pro Controller designs for the Switch? We hooked it up and gave it a shot.

First off, let's talk about the design. Compared to the standard Pro Controller that comes directly from Nintendo, this is not just on par, it comes with some nice advantages. The thumbsticks have a nice grip to the edges so you're not just sliding off in the heat of the moment, the buttons are well defined with a little extra click to their press, and the D-Pad has a great feeling to it where it doesn't come off as in-the-way or barely noticeable. This feels like a great controller. You also have a 3.5mm audio port on the bottom to have personal gaming audio in whatever kind of wired headset or earbuds you choose. The mappable advanced gaming buttons on the back work well if you take the time to set them up for your needs. I tend to have my own setup for games like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe where I utilize them rather than having to hold an awkward hand position on items for multiple laps, and these were very helpful in that regard.

The real standout to this entire controller is PowerA's listening scheme that they installed into the controller. As you can see from the images below, you get a little bit of everything important lit up. There is a primary edge lighting around the controller's face that extends across the top so the primary look of it is highlighted. The four main buttons, the D-Pad, and both thumbsticks also get edge lighting as a definition to where they are. The controller comes with eight different colors to program it in as you have red, blue, yellow, orange, pink, purple, teal, and green. So while it isn't super advanced when it comes to customization in lighting, you can set a basic theme to it in case you want it to match everything else you game with.

As far as the performance goes, I had zero issues with this. It operates on every game like a dream, which is to be expected, it's a Nintendo-licensed product. PowerA did a fine job making sure it fits with the family of products and worked well across the board on franchise titles and other properties. I even hooked this up to my PC and used Steam's interface to use it through their platform, and it carried over well. I only have one major issue with the entire thing, and that's the Wired aspect. I completely understand the idea of setting this up so it uses the console's power source to light up the controller. However, we're advanced enough in gaming that there should be a wireless option to this with a long-term battery and an option to just not have it lit up. That's my only true gripe about it, and that's a very minor one.

Overall, I enjoyed the PowerA Nintendo Switch Spectra Enhanced Wired Controller. It makes for a fun option for those seeking a Pro Controller with some added features, and it comes in pretty cheap at $35 on their website. As mentioned before, the only gripe about it is the wired aspect, but that's pretty forgivable with the 10 foot detachable USB cable. Perhaps that can change down the road with a different model, but for now, this is a pretty cool option for late-night gaming.

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