Fortnite Enhanced Wireless Controller for Switch Review

Fortnite Enhanced Wireless Controller for Nintendo Switch Review

Over the past week, I’ve had the pleasure of going hands-on with the Fortnite Enhanced Wireless Controller for Nintendo Switch a spin. The controller was developed by PowerA, who have a pretty solid track record for third party peripherals. It holds the distinction of being an officially licensed Nintendo product, which generally means you’re getting a quality product. And, it’s Fortnite branded, featuring a slick Fortnite inspired look. Let’s see how this controller holds up.

The Fortnite Enhanced Wireless Controller looks great. A soft blue tone with a whole whack of Fortnite inspired icons plastered all over it. The buttons and thumbsticks are all a simple white, with the same soft blue for the X, Y, B, A button letters. If you’re going to kick butt in Fortnite, you may as well do it in-style. The controller is shaped like the official Nintendo Switch Pro controller – which is easily one of the most comfortable controllers in gaming (sorry, Dual Sense). It’s a touch lighter than the Switch Pro controller as well, but for good reason – as it’s not quite as feature rich, but we’ll get to that.

Plenty of Juice for Gaming

On the upside, the Fortnite Enhanced Wireless Controller has much of the functionality of the official Switch Pro controller. The controller is wireless and rechargeable, a 3 meter charging cable is even included in the box. The controller’s box suggests “up to 30 hours per charge”, but this is not something I was able to test. Needless to say, during my time with it, I never actually had to recharge it, so suffice to say, you’ll get a lot of action in between charges.

The controller also features two customizable buttons. These buttons are located in the rear of the controller, right around where your middle fingers rest. The buttons can be individually programmed to mimic any face button you choose, including the D-pad directions. While playing Fortnite, I used one of the rear, customizable buttons as my callout button – you know, calling out enemies, items or locations. Much quicker than using the D-pad to accomplish this. I can easily call out an enemy while still aiming and shooting without removing my thumbs from their respective sticks.

Going Through the Motions

Another game I tried with this controller was Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, but this time around, I tested out both the motion controls and the rear customizable buttons. I set the buttons up for accelerate and for drift, then used the motion controls for steering. It’s not my favourite way to play Mario Kart, but it works – and on this controller, it worked flawlessly. Motion control was bang on.

Unfortunately, this controller is lacking three key functions. First of all, no NFC support – in other words, no tapping amiibos here. While I’m finding I use amiibos less and less these days, it’s still a function I would expect from a Switch controller. Secondly, and even more disappointingly, there is no HD rumble. No force feedback at all. I am so accustomed to the added controller shakes that it just feels odd not feeling anything at all. And finally, the controller doesn’t have an IR camera – so if you play games that utilize that, you’ll be out of luck.

The Fortnite Enhanced Wireless Controller is an excellent option if you’re looking for a new Nintendo Switch controller. The mappable buttons can be a handy addition. Motion controls seem to work perfectly. And the controller looks great. As an added bonus, the controller also includes an exclusive download code for a glider in Fortnite. The controller is not without it’s downsides. Not having NFC support or an IR camera is a bummer, but not having HD rumble is a travesty. If you’re looking for a pro-style controller, and you can live without some of the missing features, then I highly recommend this enhanced controller.

***Fortnite Enhanced Wireless Controller for Nintendo Switch provided by the manufacturer.***