Fusion Pro for the Nintendo Switch Review – Is the Wireless Controller Worth the €107?

Scope of delivery Fusion Pro Controller by PowerA

There are all sorts of different controllers for the Nintendo Switch. My MMO author Lena has tested one for you: the wireless controller Fusion Pro from PowerA. It costs about 107€.

What kind of controller is that? The Fusion Pro is considered an alternative to the Joy-Cons of the Nintendo Switch or to the Pro Controller. It is also officially licensed and currently costs 107.77 euros. It is therefore in the upper price range.

What can the controller do?

  • It can be operated both wired and wireless. A switch on the controller toggles between modes.
  • The controller comes with a “Pro Pack” that allows you to overlay 4 existing buttons onto the Pro Pack buttons.
  • The upper shell can be easily switched between black and white design.
  • Both joysticks are interchangeable.
  • It has a 3.5 mm jack connection.

What can’t the controller do?

  • It has no rumble function.
  • The controller cannot scan amiibos.
  • The button assignment cannot be changed in the settings of the Nintendo Switch.
  • The Nintendo Switch does not show the battery status of the controller.

PowerA gave me the “Fusion Pro” controller to test and I’ll tell you if the price of 107.77 euros is worth it.

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“Fusion Pro” controllers tested against the Pro controller

I will now introduce you to the PowerA gamepad in more detail. I keep comparing it to the Pro Controller from Nintendo itself. So it’s 59.99 euros vs. 107.77 euros. In doing so, I address these aspects:

At the end I’ll tell you if I’ll put down my old Pro controller and reach for the Fusion Pro in the future.

scope of delivery

What do you expect in the package?

  • The controller itself.
  • A bag with a robust surface.
  • A cable to charge or operate the controller.
  • 4 joysticks.
  • 2 shells for the upper part of the controller.
  • The Pro Pack.
  • Operation manual.
All parts fit in the supplied bag.

handling + design

How easy is it to change shells and joysticks? I was pleasantly surprised because: quite simple. There is a small notch on the controller that makes changing the shells uncomplicated. They also do not tilt and are held in place with the help of several small magnets.

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The joysticks can also be exchanged effortlessly. With a little pull you remove the sticks and you can’t go wrong, because all joysticks fit in both intended places.

However, it should be noted that 2 joysticks supplied are higher than the other two. For those with longer fingers, the extra length could provide a positive benefit. Since I have fairly small hands and short fingers, I couldn’t use the taller joysticks effectively. The deeper sticks of the Fusion Pros were more advantageous for me.

Both controllers in comparison.

How to attach the Pro Pad? Also very easy. With the help of a push button, the Pro Pad can be easily attached and removed again. There’s also a small cover if you don’t use the Pro Pad but don’t want to leave the controller open at the back.

How is the design? Well, that’s always a matter of taste, but the Fusion Pro doesn’t really look that different from the Pro controller. It should be said that I only own the smash version of the pro controller, it is usually just black and gray and has no white elements.

I like the design, both in the black and in the white version.

Configuration of the Pro Pack

How does the Pro Pack work? Once you’ve attached the Pro Pack to the back of the controller it’s ready to go and you can remap existing buttons to the additional 4 buttons – they reminded me a bit of spider legs.

To configure the spider legs, you have to press and hold the button on the back of the gamepad for a few seconds. After that, a small lamp lights up at the front.

Then you press an existing key and then the spider leg, which should remember the key. For example, I took the X button to map it to the top right button of the Pro Pack. The keys can be reassigned or reassigned at any time, including ingame.

Does the controller remember the configuration? Yes he does. Even if you switch off the switch and controller and then switch it on again, the configuration you have made is retained. Even if you play on a different Nintendo Switch.

What is missing? You cannot remap the buttons in the Nintendo Switch settings. So if you have your own profile for your buttons, you cannot use it with the Fusion Pro.

practice test

How did I test? First, outside of games, I tested how the controller felt, how the buttons and joysticks reacted. I then tested the racing game Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, the indie The Binding of Isaac, and the platformer Super Meat Boy to see how they played with the Fusion Pro versus the Pro controller.

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How is the controller in your hand? Very good, although I have small hands and prefer smaller controllers. The rubber coating on the rear part of the Fusion Pro also ensures that I have a secure grip.

The Pro Controller from Nintendo is clearly at a disadvantage because it is only made of plastic. There it happens during longer gaming sessions that the controller slips away, especially when you are in heated Mario Kart battles.

What about the joysticks? However, I prefer the joysticks of the basic pro controller. They are completely covered with a non-slip rubber coating, while the Fusion Pro only has ribbed rubber on the edge and is relatively smooth on the surface.

Since I tend to put my thumb completely on the joystick and not control from the edge, I slipped there a few times and had to get used to a different control.

How are the buttons? All buttons make a high-quality impression and give more resistance when pressed than on the normal pro controller, which I like very much. I felt like I had more control.

This is how it went ingame: First I drove some cups in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. I had to get used to the other joystick first, but one thing above all was used: the Pro Pack. Knowing that I had a hard time hitting the X button in Mario Kart, I took advantage of one spider’s leg and put the X button on it.

With the X button you look behind you in Mario Kart. An important feature to annoy the opponents behind you with tanks or bananas. So with my normal Pro controller I almost never used this feature, otherwise I wasn’t able to accelerate and brake properly.

So the Pro Pack was incredibly helpful on Mario Kart, but not at all on Super Meat Boy or The Binding of Isaac. In the games I could reach all the important buttons and didn’t need the Pro Pack at all.

However, with Super Meat Boy in particular, I had the feeling that I could jump better and with more control thanks to the increased key resistance. It was much easier for me to make smaller jumps than with the Pro-Controller, whose buttons hit the stop quickly.

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In normal, relaxed games, the Fusion Pro made no difference to the Pro controller.

What was negative? I actually missed the rumble, especially in rumble-intensive games like Mario Kart or The Binding of Isaac, because I was just used to it from the pro controller. It gave me an extra indicator when I went slightly off track or got hit.

The rumble just makes you feel more part of the game. Otherwise, the joystick kept giving me problems that I just couldn’t get used to. Maybe this will take more time as I have been using the stick in a certain way for over 20 years.

Since I didn’t have to or wanted to scan Amiibos, I didn’t miss the feature, but you can count it as a negative point if you don’t want to dive to your Joy-Cons to quickly scan the figures.

In addition, I could not see the battery status of the controller. The switch does not show this. It lets you know when the battery is almost empty. However, I do like to check the battery status from time to time – especially if I plan to leave the house and want to take the switch and controller with me.

All the important pros and cons summarized again

Per

  • Easy to use
  • Additional control options with the Pro Pack
  • Buttons and joysticks respond well, precisely and not lagging
  • Additional grip thanks to the rubber coating on the handles
  • The battery delivers what it promises: around 20 hours
  • Jack connection is practical if you prefer to listen through headphones
cons

  • No rumble and amiibo function
  • Joysticks on the surface slippery, too smooth
  • Battery status not visible
  • Pro Pack could get in the way or get in the way with larger hands

Conclusion on the “Fusion Pro” controller

Am I going to put the pro controller aside?

In certain games it probably is. Especially when it comes to precise control, the Fusion Pro made a positive impression on me due to the different button press. With Super Meat Boy I have already noticed a clear difference. For simple games like Pokémon or The Binding of Isaac, the Pro Controller is definitely enough for me. I’m conflicted about Mario Kart because I really missed the Rumble, but the Pro Pack was incredibly useful. A mix of the Pro controller and the Fusion Pro would be perfect. However, if I had to decide: Since I play more relaxed games, I would not spend the 107.77 euros and would stick with the simple pro controller.

lena photo

lena

Freelance author at Mein-MMO

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