Colorful, Classy, Comfortable, Customizable Switch 2 Controller
I have been a fan of Nintendo since the late 1980’s, when I got my Nintendo Entertainment System. I loved spending time with my dad, my friends, and remembering countless hours spent with Mario, Link, Samus, and so many more. My love for gaming was further enhanced by portable gameplay when I got my Game Boy in 1990. Through the years, I have upgraded both my home and portable systems, and most recently, fell in love with the hybrid home/portable Switch/Switch 2. I have utilized numerous peripherals, controllers, JoyCons, Pro-style controllers, and gear. I have tested both OEM and third-party peripherals and found several that provided a similar experience to branded gear and often at a discount.
The Snakebyte Gamepad S2 arrived in a 6 1/4-inch-wide by 3-inch-thick by 4 3/4-inch-tall hanging-style retail package. The cover panel listed the Snakebyte company name/logo at the top left, three product feature icons at the top right, the Gamepad S2 Wireless Pro Controller name at the lower left, and the “For Nintendo Switch 2” logo at the bottom right. The main focal point of the cover panel was the large, obliquely angled image of the controller, the RGB light, and the surrounding red gradient pattern. The left side panel listed the Snakebyte name at the top panel, the “For Nintendo Switch 2” logo at the bottom, and a large image of the right upper aspect of the controller, “ABXY” buttons. The right-side panel listed the Snakebyte name/logo at the top, along with four product feature icons: Wireless Pro Controller for Switch 2, Hall Effect Sticks, RGB and Vibration Feedback, and Assignable M1 and M2 Buttons.
The rear panel listed the company name at the top left, Switch 2 logo at the top right, eight product feature icons, and dual controller images. Four of the icons were the same as those on the left-side panel, but it also listed four more icons (c-button for communication, headphone jack, USB-C charging port, built-in 1000mAh battery). The panel’s lower section listed package contents, addresses, and compliance information. The bottom panel listed several manufacturing labels and barcode. The top panel listed the company name, social media icons, and a yellow firmware update for Switch 2 sticker (latest update snakebyte.com/downloads). I liked the layout, the design, the color scheme, and the contrast with the white font against the background.
Unboxing:
I opened the top panel of the packaging and removed the internal cardboard box with the 7.7-ounce controller, a paper bag containing the 41 1/2-inch-long USB-A to USB-C cable, USB-A to USB-C adapter, and USB-C dongle. Before disposing of the packaging, make sure to remove the GamePad S2/RGD S2 instruction manual and product information/warranty guide. The accordion-style manual demonstrated both paired and wireless connectivity. To use the device in paired mode, insert the USB-C end of the cable into the controller and the USB-A end into the Switch 2 dock. Once paired, you can remove the USB-C cable. For dongle connectivity, you can insert the included 0.1-ounce (1 3/16-inch-long by 9/16-inch-wide by 1/4-inch-thick) dongle into the top or bottom of the Switch 2. Press the central button to activate/pair with the dongle. The manual made the setup process seem incredibly easy. However, both wired and wireless mode setups would have benefited from additional instructional guidance.
The instruction manual did a good job of detailing the controller’s key features. The rear panel had dual upper trigger stop sliders. You can choose to use the setup in full-analog mode, with longer, full-distance trigger pulls. Or, you can toggle the slider inward to enjoy a markedly reduced trigger travel distance, like a mouse click. You can toggle the slider for either a single trigger, both triggers, or neither trigger for added control. You can also lock or unlock either of the back buttons (M1/M2) by toggling their locks, if desired. The front panel had traditional left/right joysticks, a left-sided D pad, right-sided A, B, X, Y buttons, L1/L2, and R1/R2 triggers, a capture button, a communication button, and a lower 3.5mm port.
Controller Testing:
It is important to note that the controller WILL NOT work out of the box for either wireless or wired modes. In fact, there was a sticker on the top panel that noted “Requires firmware update for Switch 2 Use.” I tried plugging the dongle into my Switch 2’s upper and lower USB-C port and turning on the controller. The device would power on, but would not control the Switch 2. I was able to cycle through the color selection modes, intensities, and vibration modes, but could not connect to the Switch 2. I returned my Switch 2 to its dock, plugged the USB-A-to-USB-C cable into the controller, and saw that my Switch 2 listed as “Paired.” The LED surrounding the Snakebyte logo immediately glowed red to indicate charging status, and the TV screen showed “paired.”
I turned the controller on by pressing the central button and found that wired control was not possible. I read online that it was possible, but you had to navigate to System Settings> Controllers & Accessories, then toggle “Pro Controller Wired Communication.” The system will alert you that the Pro Controller will communicate with the console, but you will lose NFC Amiibo Touchpoint integration (only available to the Pro Controller when connected wirelessly). Once I had the setting toggled, the controller worked in wired mode. Unfortunately, the system did not work in wireless mode. I removed the cable, pressed the central snakebyte button to activate the control, and still could not control the Switch 2. I plugged the dongle into the USB-A adapter, then plugged the adapter into the USB-A port on my Switch 2 dock. I tried removing the Switch 2 from the dock and adding the dongle into the top and bottom ports. Despite all the steps above, I was unable to use the controller with my Switch 2.
Firmware update/Testing:
I navigated to the company website and selected the option to navigate to Firmware update (select “here.”). As a dual MacBook Apple household, I was disheartened to find that there were no options to update any of their devices through macOS. Unfortunately, the only way to update the firmware was through Windows-based machines. I reached out to a friend, borrowed their Windows PC, and attempted to update the firmware. I attempted to download the file, and it gave me an error message: “SB923906 Controller Update.exe isn’t commonly downloaded> Make sure you trust SB923906 Controller Update.exe before you open it.” I had to navigate through a few panels, selected “Keep anyway.” Then Windows stated that I had to exit S mode. We did not want to do that, as once out of the mode, you could not re-enter S mode.
Frustratingly, I turned to YouTube to see if there were other ways to update the firmware. Unfortunately, there was no other way to update the controller and dongle firmware without a PC. I borrowed an older computer from a friend and ran the update process on the PC, which took quite a bit of time since it had not been turned on in about a year. I was finally able to plug the USB-C cable into the controller, to hold the L3 (left thumb stick), and then plug the USB-A end into the computer. The “Start” icon lit up, and the update was completed within moments. I then downloaded the dongle firmware update, plugged the dongle into the USB-A adapter, and then the combo into the computer. I ran the installer, pressed L1, R1, L3(left thumb stick), R3(right thumb stick), and waited about ten seconds for the “Start” option to illuminate.
Once the firmware update was complete, I plugged the USB-C to USB-A between the controller and Switch 2 dock as instructed. I removed the cable, removed the Switch 2 from the dock, installed the dongle into the upper port on the Switch 2, and “EUREKA” the pairing process worked. I played a few rounds of PUYO PUYO Tetris, toggled the locks on/off, and then turned to Metroid Prime 4. I started my save game, pressed “-”, and looked through the button configurations. I held the home button on the controller and scrolled down to the M1/M2 buttons. I selected “L1” jump option for M1, and the “R2” shoot option for M2.
I played through several fights and found that the back bumper buttons were quite sensitive. I loved the smooth front section of the grips and the grippy reverse faces. The M1/M2 buttons were perfectly aligned with the tips of my middle fingers, and the thumbsticks were comfortably placed for my hands. I found the D-pad buttons were easily accessible by my left hand, while the A/X/B/Y buttons were easily accessible by my right hand. The capture button, communication button, “-”, and “+” buttons, and the main button were also well placed and easily accessible. The controller lacked NFC capability and could not interact with Amiibo. The device had a very robust vibration/rumble, which could be reduced if needed. I was able to play a few hours each day over the last four days thanks to the recent snowstorm. I found that the battery lasted at least 8 hours of continuous play with full rumble and full light/visuals.
RGB Lighting Controls for the Gamepad S2. I liked the layout and design of the Gamepad’s buttons. The instruction manual provided an easy-to-understand table of the RGB modes. Locate the small, 3/16-inch-diameter, turbo button on the lower back aspect of the controller. Hold the button and then double-press the “+” button to rotate through the four modes. If you hold the turbo button and single-press the “+” button once, you can change the colors. You can rotate through 100%, 70%, 50%, 25% color brightness by holding the turbo button and single pressing the “-” button. You can also turn on/off the lighting by holding the turbo button and double-pressing the “-” button. The button combinations were more intuitive and easy-to-adjust than those of the RBG S2 controller.
RGB Lighting Controls for the GamePad RGB S2.Unlike with the Gamepad S2 above, the RGB S2 device did not use a posterior turbo button. The controls felt much less intuitive and were harder to adjust on-the-fly. Instead, you will need to hold the “-” button and press the up/down buttons on the D-pad to cycle through the user modes. You can change the colors by holding the “-” button and pressing the left or right D-Pad buttons. You can adjust the brightness by holding the “-” button and pressing the left thumb stick up or down (off/25/50/75/100%). Lastly, you can turn on/off the lights by holding the “-”, “+”, and “A” buttons. As mentioned above, the button combinations were more straightforward with the S2 device.
Turbo mode/Motor adjustment. Beyond the color modes and controls, both controllers offered a wide range of features. Hold the turbo button and press any button once to cycle through standard, turbo, auto-fire, and back to standard modes. I really liked the auto-fire option while playing Metroid, as it would continuously fire and would then charge shot when I held M2. You can adjust the turbo speed by holding the turbo button and pressing up or down on the right thumb stick (normal, mid, high). You can adjust the motor vibration from 0, 30%, 70%, 100% by holding the turbo button and pushing up/down on the left thumb stick. Both the S2 and RGS S2 controllers included a battery status LED around the snakebite logo/action button and a reset button beneath the turbo button. Both controllers utilized drift-free Hall Effect joysticks (magnetic sensors instead of traditional friction based potentiometers) to reduce wear and tear for longer gaming sessions.
Conclusion:
I appreciated the ergonomic feel, smooth textured, matte-black front, ribbed-feeling posterior grips, comfortable trigger layout, easy-to-access and programmable rear M1/M2 buttons, c-button for added chat, 1000 mAh battery, wired or wireless play, adjustable lighting effects, the various turbo modes, and the adjustable rumble/vibration feature. The biggest downside of the setup was the firmware update, which will require a degree of technical knowledge/skill to use the controller at all. I could understand there being a firmware update for some features, but a complete lack of function out of the box was very disappointing. I suspect many consumers may return the device, thinking that it was not functional. Nothing in the instruction manual suggested a need for a firmware update, but the website, the top panel’s sticker, and the lack of function were the only clues. The complex firmware update process could severely detract from the device’s overall enjoyment and utility. Additionally, the lack of Mac compatibility and the limited instructions on how to activate wired mode added to the frustration.
Once the firmware was updated and the controller was functional, I enjoyed the smooth controls, easy-to-access thumbsticks and buttons, the trigger locks, and M1/M2 buttons. I appreciated the layout, the responsive controls, turbo mode, and adjustable colors. I preferred the Gamepad S2 patterns to the RGB S2. The reactive thumbsticks paired nicely with the D-pad and ABXY buttons. I enjoyed the feel in FPS games like Metroid Prime 4 and the D-pad controls in PUYO PUYO Tetris. My son and I moved to Street Fighter and found the D pad up/down/left/right were quite sensitive, but the diagonal controls were a little less sensitive than with the Nintendo Pro controller. Amiibo would not work with the Snakebyte controller, but did work with the Nintendo Pro Controller. We liked the mouse like trigger (toggled), and the programmable M buttons. Overall, the gameplay was smooth, responsive, and the controller was comfortable for longer gaming sessions.
Learn more about snakebyte gamepad S2 and RGB S2 controllers and follow snakebyte on FaceBook and X (Twitter).
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