If you own a Nintendo Switch, you’ve probably noticed the lack of a D-pad on your Joy-Con. If you are someone who is lost without it, you won’t have to wait much longer.
Third-party video game accessory manufacturer, HORI, will be launching a Nintendo Switch D-pad variant Joy-Con this fall. There will be two different versions of the D-pad Joy-Con, bearing Nintendo franchises Super Mario and The Legend of Zelda on them. The controllers will have an art style based on the property along with translucent plastic for a unique look.
The traditional D-pad is a must for a lot of gamers, but with positives come some negatives.
To keep the controllers at a $25 price tag, the Joy-Con are without some features they’d typically offer.
HORI’s D-Pad Joy-Cons are only suitable for Nintendo Switch’s Handheld Mode. The SL and SR buttons have been cut out. HD rumble, Bluetooth and gyro sensors have been removed as well, meaning there will not be motion control functionality.
The lack of some traditional features is a downside but with the price HORI is offering, it’s still a great addition to the Joy-Con line.
The Nintendo Switch has a plethora of indie games on its eShop. Genres like fighting games and side-scrollers require precision and specific movement when controlled. The lack of the D-pad makes it difficult to play such games. HORI’s D-pad controllers are aimed at a certain audience whom play a certain genre of video games while making it more comfortable to play them thanks to the D-Pad inclusion.
The D-Pad Joy-Con have already released in Japan but with a battery draining issue. HORI has announced that this issue will be resolved before the Joy-Cons hit the Western markets.
HORI’s Nintendo Switch D-Pad Joy-Con controllers are set to release in the West on Sept.18. Super Mario and The Legend of Zelda Joy-Con are available now for preorder.
D-Pad Joy-Cons are not the only product HORI is producing for the Nintendo Switch. USB GameCube controllers, compatible with the upcoming release of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, are set to release in Japan this October with no word of a domestic release. These officially licensed controllers based on Pokemon, Super Mario, and The Legend of Zelda are priced around 2980 yen ($26).
What's your reaction?
