You'd think that for a company that pioneered the plus-shaped directional pad back in 1982,
it'd be easy for Nintendo to provide a D-Pad solution for the Switch that satisfies everybody,
but nope.
The Joy-Con have separated directional buttons to accommodate for horizontal use but makes
it inconvenient to rock between multiple directions.
The Pro Controller, while having a passable D-Pad, has seen minor issues with it during its initial run,
with complaints about it mis-registering inputs or just feeling too stiff.
So, multiple third-party solutions have come up to address this problem.
HORI, a well-known manufacturer of video game accessories has released multiple controllers
such as the Pokkén Tournament controller that features a D-Pad front and center, and
a wired controller with directional buttons you can swap for a D-Pad.
And of course you have 8BitDo's wireless retro controllers with old-school D-Pads and more.
But most of these are simply wired controllers for use in TV or tabletop mode, and many people
have been clamoring for a Joy-Con with a proper D-Pad.
Well, HORI has finally stepped up and answered your prayers with:
the HORI D-Pad Controller for Nintendo Switch!
But several terms and conditions may apply.
So yeah, this thing received a bit of a mixed response when it was first announced, so it
made me much more interested to pick one up and review it, just to see whether the positives
outweigh the negatives or vice versa.
#NotAFreeProduct.
So, without further ado, it's time to check out this thing's Pros and Cons
oh right I already used this joke, um, sorry.
Right off the bat, the packaging is fairly simple.
I like how they gave the D-Pad a bit of a protrusion and gloss on it just to emphasize
its existence.
It's also interesting to note that the packaging specifically mentions the Arcade Archives
series, which might be a hint to what audience the controller is specifically targeting.
Out of the box, you got an instruction manual that's in multiple languages including English,
and the controller itself.
I like this deep blue color, it's a shame that as of this video this is the only Joy-Con
with that color.
Speaking of Joy-Con, notice that throughout all of the packaging material this is never
specifically referred to as a Joy-Con.
Instead, this is officially called the D-Pad Controller, probably to prevent people from
thinking this is a regular Joy-Con and using it with other Joy-Con accessories, when this
is for handheld mode only.
Basically, this thing may look like a regular Joy-Con at first glance but technically it's
just a controller that looks like one, as there are quite a few differences when comparing
them to the regular Joy-Cons aside from the obvious ones.
First of all, its size is slightly different than the regular Joy-Cons.
By comparing official size measurements for the two, the D-Pad Joy-Con is about 2mm longer,
1mm wider and 0.5mm thicker.
While it doesn't really mean much in the grand scheme of things, this means that the
D-Pad Joy-Con will not fit into the Joy-Con Grip.
Trust me, I've tried.
You CAN fit the Joy-Con Strap on it though.
I dunno why you would ever want to do that since it's useless
but I tried it anyway for science.
By the way, this thing is really light.
Alright, onto the buttons.
To my surprise, besides the D-Pad, most of the buttons feel a bit different from the
regular Joy-Cons as well.
The clickable analog stick and the ZL button are the ones that felt pretty much the same
to me, but the L button protrudes out of the Joy-Con more and is much more clicky, while
the Minus and Capture buttons are actually mushy rubber buttons.
It's kind of a weird design choice but it doesn't heavily affect control that much,
unless you personally prefer clickier buttons.
Also, the Joy-Con release button on the back now protrudes out, presumably for easier access,
but releasing Joy-Con is no longer something I have trouble with after spending so much
time with the Switch.
And now onto the star of the show, the D-Pad.
In general, it feels great.
It's got a nice matte finish and while the inputs are softer than the clicky directional
buttons of the regular Joy-Con, they're still pretty tactile.
It brings to my mind the D-Pads on the Wii U controllers, and I assume it's of a similar
build as the D-Pads on HORI's other controllers.
Before we actually give it a try, though, I want to point out the fact that they actually
modeled in all the stuff on the Joy-Con rail including the shoulder buttons and player
lights, but they're just for show and you can't interact with them at all.
It's completely unnecessary but kinda hilarious.
Once you connect the D-Pad Joy-Con to the Switch you start to see the interesting differences
in functionality.
The Switch doesn't play any sort of sound for connecting and disconnecting the Joy-Con,
and its color on the Controllers screen is gray instead of deep blue,
which is a very minor shame.
But functionally, everything works as well as you'd expect it to, material differences aside.
The D-Pad has worked fine in most of the 2D platformers and puzzle games I've tested
it with, and doesn't feel as stiff as the Pro Controller's D-Pad.
I mean, if a product whose sole selling point is having a D-Pad doesn't actually have
a good D-Pad then I would've been worried, but the HORI D-Pad Joy-Con passes the test
in my opinion.
Even if you're using it to play a regular 3D game, it still feels nearly identical to
using the regular Joy-Con.
It's when you take a look at the other caveats that come with the thing that some worries
start popping up.
For one, as I mentioned, this Joy-Con does not support any wireless functionality, and
can only be used in Handheld Mode.
Secondly, it does not have support for HD Rumble and motion controls.
This might sound really bad, but I found out during actual gameplay that the right Joy-Con
picks up the slack in most games.
The HD Rumble effects are definitely not as pronounced has having both Joy-Cons rumble
but overall, for handheld use, this isn't a huge loss in hindsight.
And there's another thing I have to point out: since the D-Pad Joy-Con doesn't have
wireless functionality, it does not have a battery at all.
Instead, it receives power through the Switch itself, which makes normal sense until, as
of this video, HORI has discovered a bug in which the controller will continue draining
the Switch's battery even in Sleep Mode.
I put this to the test by leaving the Joy-Con on the Switch in Sleep Mode for roughly two
hours, and the battery level dropped from 99% to 86%, while with the regular Joy-Con,
the Switch only loses around 2-3% of battery in a couple of hours.
So, battery drainage is a real issue to look out for, and HORI has advised users to keep
the D-Pad Joy-Con disconnected while not in use while they look for a solution, presumably
through a system update or something.
Now with all these changes, a functional D-Pad, and quite a list of downsides, do I think
the HORI D-Pad Joy-Con is worth it?
Well, I'm gonna have to go with the clichéd answer of 'it depends'.
First of all, it's pretty affordable for a Joy-Con-like controller at 2678 yen or roughly
25 USD, which is about half of what a single regular Joy-Con costs.
Also, in terms of handheld mode usage, this thing works fine.
The lack of HD Rumble and motion controls feel like a more reasonable tradeoff when
you consider that the right Joy-Con does most of it fine.
It's not as jarring a change as you might believe.
For people who're looking into a D-Pad solution for handheld mode instead of lugging around
a controller, the D-Pad Joy-Con does its job.
While you shouldn't expect it to serve as a permanent replacement for your normal Joy-Con,
which may make most people disappointed, the fact that it doesn't wirelessly connect
and is extremely light makes it much easier for it to just be carried on the go and swapped
out with the regular Joy-Con if needed, which I feel is what HORI is truly aiming for by
making these tradeoffs.
So overall, if you're looking for a regular wireless Joy-Con with a D-Pad that you can
play ARMS with, you'll definitely be disappointed, but if you're a D-Pad aficionado and just
want to have access to one in handheld mode, then this is an affordable solution!
Some weird build changes aside, this still provides pretty much all the functionality
you need, with a decent D-Pad to compensate for what is basically only a less intense
rumble effect.
Just keep in mind that as of this video the D-Pad Joy-Con is still Japan-exclusive so
you'll have to import it if you don't live there.
Wait, timeout!
Hey, uh, post-editing AK here.
As of this moment right now, the D-Pad Joy-Con has been announced for a Western release
in September for 25 USD.
It comes in either a Zelda Breath of the Wild or Mario design,
so that's pretty neat I guess,
but remember all the shortcomings of the thing still apply here.
Alright, I'm out.
Anyway, those are my thoughts, but when it comes to the responsiveness or feeling of
buttons, these thoughts are always subjective, so when it officially launches on July 31st
and you get your hands on one, let me and others know what you think in the comments below!
And that's it!
A nice little third-party Joy-Con added to my collection.
I dunno, what could go wrong?
Guys I put it in my Labo Joy-Con holder and now it's stuck and I can't get it out
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