CRKD Nitro Deck hands-on: The Swap has by no means felt this good

Pleasure-Cons are the Swap’s weakest characteristic. The 2 itty-bitty controllers have brought about a plethora of points for gamers — and Nintendo itself — for the reason that Swap first got here out in 2017, tarnishing the sheen of an in any other case unbelievable hybrid console. Stick drift was the principle downside and it turned such a widespread phenomenon that Nintendo confronted a class-action lawsuit over it, and the corporate is still offering free repairs for all busted Pleasure-Cons, even exterior of guarantee phrases.

The left Pleasure-Con on my Swap went wonky a few 12 months in the past, however I additionally had a Swap Lite and some Bluetooth controllers, so I by no means bothered to get it mounted. And now, I by no means need to. The Nitro Deck is a handheld body for the Swap display screen, full with Corridor Impact thumbsticks and extremely clicky buttons. It’s so, so a lot better than the usual Pleasure-Con setup.

The Nitro Deck comes from CRKD, a brand new firm based at Embracer Group’s Freemode incubator lab. The Nitro Deck is an easy thought executed nicely: Slide your Swap display screen into the body and it acts as a self-contained, beefed-up gamepad. It feels just like the offspring of a Swap Lite and a Steam Deck, and it comes in black, grey and white as default colorways. Restricted version types embody mint, GameCube purple and an SNES-y grey. (The most popular variations come from a collaboration with Limited Run, however these clear lovelies are bought out).

The Nitro Deck features a stand for Bluetooth play, but it surely actually shines as a handheld. The D-pad is responsive and face buttons are crisp. They’ve a satisfying weight and pop again up shortly after every press. The shoulder buttons are clicky, the triggers are buttery-smooth, and although I haven’t truly discovered a use for the 4 back-panel buttons, I’m proud of their positioning and the best way they really feel.

The analog sticks are the star, although, just because they’re such an improve from the usual Pleasure-Con expertise. Corridor impact joysticks imply there’s no probability of drift they usually provide a large, precisely tracked vary of movement. The Nitro Deck carry case equipment consists of two spare sticks with totally different textures, and it’s extremely easy to pop one out and change it with a brand new one.

As evidenced in my Steam Deck review, my fingers are on the smaller aspect, and the Nitro Deck matches simply fantastic in my palms. I’ve a contact of tension over the space between the correct thumbstick and the face buttons straight above it, but it surely hasn’t truly affected my capacity to play any video games. Tiny Arms Gang, I believe this one’s OK.

Probably the most jarring side of the Nitro Deck is its rumble operate. The rumble on this factor isn’t notably highly effective when it comes to bodily suggestions, but it surely’s actually loud. This was particularly noticeable whereas enjoying Mario Kart 8, which prompts rumble with each drift, crash and off-track tire contact, generally for seconds at a time. The noise generated is obscene. It seems like a ghost with a chilly groan-screaming into your fingers, and it doesn’t provide any subtlety. That mentioned, it’s simple sufficient to show off the rumble fully. That’s what I did, and I didn’t miss it.

Hades is the sport I’ve spent probably the most time with on Swap and Swap Lite, and enjoying it on Nitro Deck was a refreshing expertise. The Nitro Deck helps a bigger display screen than the Swap Lite and its inputs are a lot better than the traditional Swap, making the sport appear and feel like one thing new. I’ve been enjoying with a standard Swap display screen, however the Nitro Deck additionally helps the OLED mannequin.

Whereas I’ve been laying aside getting my bizarre Pleasure-Con mounted totally free, this machine could be the ultimate push I would like to truly drop some money on an OLED Switch. With clearer visuals, a barely larger display screen and up to date controls through Nitro Deck, the whole package deal would really feel like a brand-new, end-of-cycle refresh.

The Nitro Deck prices $60 on its lonesome, or $90 with the carry case. The case itself is value the additional $30, for my part: It’s sturdy and thick, and it comes with two swappable thumbsticks, a display screen wipe and an eight-foot USB-C charging cable. Nitro Deck pre-orders positioned earlier than September 18 are at present transport, and any items bought any longer must be despatched out this week or subsequent (extra detailed info might be discovered here).

The Nitro Deck improves the Swap in methods I didn’t know I needed. In truth, I’ll by no means join the Pleasure-Cons to my Swap once more. That is merely my Swap’s closing type: bulbous, purple, loud and, greater than something, satisfying to play.