I've been testing this $40 PowerA Advantage Nintendo Switch 2 Controller, here's what you actually lose compared to the Pro

The Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller might actually be one of my favorite things about Ninty's new handheld. The sleek matte finish, excellent weight, and soft landings across both the thumbsticks and face buttons, this is easily one of the best Nintendo Switch controllers ever made.

When PowerA sent over their Advantage Wired controller, then, I was intrigued. Yes, the Switch 2 Pro Controller is excellent, but it's also nearly $100 (well, $89.99 - but we'll see how long that lasts). The bargain brand is well known for producing cheaper third party gamepads with that all-important Nintendo seal of approval and first out the gate this generation we have a $39.99 wired-only Hall effect gamepad.

There's a $50 price difference between these two gamepads, so I set out to explore exactly what that cash buys you in the official model (and whether the cheap alternative is actually worth the downgrades).

Design

• Hollow, thin plastic with cheap-feeling weight
• Similar layout, though middle buttons are placed at the bottom
• Grippy panels at the back

The PowerA Advantage was never going to beat the Switch 2 Pro Controller from a design standpoint. The cheaper materials used in this construction make themselves very obvious straight from the outset. For $39.99, I was expecting more here. The EasySMX X10 is usually available for under $30 and doesn't suffer from any of these issues.

The Advantage is lightweight, too lightweight, and incredibly hollow. I can feel it across every button press and thumbstick snap, with the shoulder buttons proving particularly troublesome. By contrast, the Switch 2 Pro Controller is soft, quiet, and nicely absorbent of all that impact.

That goes for the actual feel of the device itself. Where the Pro Controller features a smooth, solid build with a matte finish, the slightly grainy plastic of the PowerA Advantage controller is cheap and creaky. I'll give it this, though - I am a fan of the extra grippy panel to the rear. This is a section of raised texture that provides a little extra purchase during longer sessions, a design feature the Pro Controller lacks (and sometimes feels a little clammy as a result).

That win is stripped away pretty quickly by the fact that PowerA has decided to move all the navigation buttons down to the bottom of the Advantage controller. That includes the +/- controls and the home button. It's a move I could never quite get my head around during actual play, constantly hitting the middle of the gamepad before realizing I had to shift my grip entirely to reach them.

Features

• Hall effect thumbsticks
• Extra audio controls
• No rumble, wireless, motion controls, or NFC

The PowerA Advantage is light on features, which is surprising considering there are cheaper and slightly more expensive options that pack far more into their feature lists. There's no wireless connection or motion controls here, whereas the Turtle Beach Rematch offers both for $20 more. If you don't need that 'C' button, you can find the same features and rumble on the 8BitDo Ultimate 2C as well - and that's a $29.99 option.

Obviously, the Switch 2 Pro Controller packs all that as well as the brand's HD Rumble 2 and Amiibo NFC reader. With an extra $50 invested, though, you'll want to really need to feel those haptics to make the jump worth it.

Fundamentally, you're getting all the basic features you need here - as well as a few more. You'll still find two programmable back buttons included, for example, though they're manually set on the controller itself rather than through Nintendo's software. Plus, Turtle Beach is bringing a few features of its own to the party.

Plug a wired headset into that 3.5mm audio jack and hit the 'Audio' button on the rear of the device and you'll be able to swap between three different EQ settings (Standard, Bass Boost, and Immersive) and adjust your volume on the fly. That's decent if your headset doesn't support these features by itself, though volume will likely be covered by most cups.

There is, however, one secret weapon here. The PowerA Advantage Nintendo Switch 2 controller uses Hall effect sticks, and for some reason Ninty itself is still resistant to using these more durable options. It also means you'll get a slightly more precise response from PowerA's sticks, even if they don't feel quite as satisfying.

Performance

• Looser thumbsticks
• Heavier buttons
• All controls accounted for

For $39.99, the PowerA Advantage Nintendo Switch 2 controller performs nicely. It does everything it's supposed to and I never had any issues with button mapping, thumbstick responsiveness, or latency through the wired connection. You'll be just as slick on Mario Kart World here as you would be with the Pro Controller at the helm, but you'll have a better time with the real thing.

The D-pad is particularly heavy, with a real effort required to clunk its buttons around, and the face buttons suffer with a similar stiffness. By contrast, the Pro Controller has a much softer landing, with larger face buttons offering a slight comfortable curve.

PowerA's triggers feel hollow and the shoulder buttons, again, require a little more force than those of the Pro Controller. Meanwhile, Ninty's premium model has a slightly clickier feel with less force required.

Those Hall effect thumbsticks are easier to maneuver in PowerA's gamepad, but the lack of resistance doesn't feel as polished as the Pro Controller. There's such a satisfying tension behind the official model's sticks, these feel a little too loose by comparison.

Should you buy the PowerA Advantage Nintendo Switch 2 controller?

Obviously, the PowerA Advantage Nintendo Switch 2 controller isn't going to offer a like-for-like (or even a better) experience compared to the Switch 2 Pro controller. With all these sacrifices you'll need to remember you're saving $50 on this gamepad - and that's no insignificant sum.

However, there are similarly priced Switch 2 controllers that don't take so much away from the full official experience. The GameSir Super Nova is $10 more and maintains a wireless connection, rumble, motion controls, and a sturdier 204g form factor from the Pro Controller.

If you want to spend as little as possible while still picking up all the controls you'll need for the Switch 2, the PowerA Advantage could well be worth your time - especially if you don't need a wireless connection. If you're excited to enjoy Switch 2 games in the best possible way, however, saving just that little extra for a better build quality and more robust feature selection is going to work much better in your favor.

• See all Nintendo Switch 2 controllers at Amazon
• PowerA Advantage Wired Controller | $39.99 at Amazon
• Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller | $89 at Amazon
• GameSir Super Nova | $49.99 at Best Buy

We're rounding up plenty more of the best Nintendo Switch accessories, or check out the best Micro SD Express cards for Nintendo Switch 2 and the best Nintendo Switch headsets.