Review: PowerA's New Switch Controller Charging Base and Nano Wireless Controller are Worth Considering
PowerA recently launched a new controller charging base for the Nintendo Switch. This base can charge up to one pair of Joy-Con and one Pro Controller simultaneously and is powered via USB, so you can plug it straight into your Switch’s dock. PowerA was kind enough to send me one of these charging bases as well as a Nano Enhanced Wireless Controller for the Switch for me to review. I will be reviewing both of the items in this article with the charging base first and then after its score, I’ll continue with the controller review.
The new charging base for the Switch is a great purchase for anyone that has controllers outside of the Joy-Con that come with the console. It has some LED lights in the front that are easy to see which is always a plus. One interesting aspect is that to charge the Pro Controller (also compatible with rechargeable PowerA Wireless controllers) you have to plug in a special dongle (or maybe it’s an adapter?) to the USB-C port on the controller and then it nicely slides into the slot on the base for charging. When it’s done charging, you can unplug the dongle and on the bottom of the base is a special storage compartment so you don’t lose it. This extra touch is very nice. For $29.99, this charging base is versatile, clear to read, simple to use, and thoughtful with that dongle situation. I would recommend this charging base if you have an extra pair of Joy-Con and/or a Pro Controller. You can purchase it from PowerA now.
Be Cool, Scooby-Doo DVD case for size comparison.
As for the nano controller, it’s a great option for children and/or individuals with smaller hands. I would say that I have average-sized hands and it feels a little small, although it’s not unusable. However, my young daughter loves it! She has quickly taken to using it and it fits her so much better than the normal-sized Pro Controllers we have. The nano controller does have programmable buttons on the back although I haven’t used it on this particular model, I have used them in the past and they’re just not for me. I understand there are some people who like these buttons and they work fine, I just don’t use them. I have not seen any problems with the controller connecting to the console and the rechargeable battery (compatible with the above base) is really nice. Also, it comes with a very nice drawstring pouch for storage.
There are a couple of cons regarding the controller. First, the middle buttons (+, -, home, share) feel a little tall to me personally although my wife and daughter do not seem to share that complaint with me so I won’t subtract points for that. Also, I wish that it had rumble capabilities. It does have motion controls, but rumble is really nice in some games and there are others where it’s almost indispensable. For example, Luigi’s Mansion will have the controller vibrate if Boos are nearby and so not having rumble makes it harder to be aware of that compared to other controller options. I understand it’s probably part of the trade-off for the smaller footprint, but it is still a shame. Overall, the nano controller is fantastic if you feel the standard controllers are too big and you don’t need the rumble feature. You can purchase one for yourself through PowerA or GameStop (affiliate link) for $54.99.
