Hands on: PowerA’s Spectra Controller for Switch is a light show with a twist

We’re not sure if you noticed, but LEDs are on everything these days. If you’ve dabbled in the realm of PC gaming, you’ve no doubt noticed the proliferation of colored lights on keyboards and mice, and that trend is carrying over to console accessories as well, including joypads that light up like the one. July 4th. during the game.

We can’t say it’s a fashion that really gets us that excited, but again, the person writing this is in their mid-40s and complaining when they can’t find their slippers at night, so it might as well be a question. old. , we are more than happy to admit it. Still, it’s hard not to get sucked into PowerA’s latest switch offering, Spectra’s ‘Enhanced Wired Controller’. Equipped with color-changing LEDs that can display eight different shades, it’s like something out of film Tron. You can select a single color or have the pad slowly “shift” between them, which is a great effect.

Elsewhere, the controller features anti-friction rings on the analog sticks and a 3.5mm headphone port. Another thing this pad shares with PowerA’s pricier offerings, like the highly customizable Fusion Pro, is the ability to map two additional buttons on the back of the controller to special commands, like button combinations. Combine all of this with a comfortable layout, great buttons, and a £ 30 price tag, and you’ve got yourself a pretty clever interface option, but unsurprisingly, there’s a mild catch here.

As the name suggests, this is a wired pad and it features no wireless connectivity at all. The 10ft braided cable is great and even comes with a snap-off section at one end, but the fact that it’s forever being connected to the Switch dock could be a problem for some gamers. For others, of course, it could be a blessing – a wired connection suffers from much less latency than a wireless one, so you at least know you’re getting the best responsiveness, which is important when playing online games, What Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Another issue is that no thudding is included, nor does the pad allow you to use your amiibo in-game, due to the lack of NFC support. When you rack up all these points, it’s hard to choose between this and the official Pro Controller (although it’s worth noting that, like PowerA’s other products, this pad is licensed by Nintendo, giving it an edge over other pads. from third parties, at least). Sure, the Pro Controller costs almost twice as much, but you have the option of using a and wired connection, as well as HD Rumble and NFC. If these things mean more to you than LED lighting and programmable buttons, we recommend spending extra money on the ‘Pro’ option.

However, if money is tight and you like the idea of ​​a controller that constantly reminds you of a Christmas tree, then this offering powered by Spectra is worth checking out.

Please note that some external links on this page are affiliate links, which means that if you click on them and make a purchase, we may receive a small percentage of the sale. Read our FTC Disclosure for more information.