Third party controllers can be a mixed bag. On the one hand, there are companies out there that make truly amazing ones. But on the other, you have the bargain basement ones at Temu they sell in droves. Finding just the right one can be a rigid experiment – but it can save you money if you just aren’t feeling getting ones made by the first party themselves.
For the Nintendo Switch, third-party controllers can be off and on. One that’s a safe bet, however, is the NYXI Wizard. This newcomer has challenged the feel of the classic GameCube pad, somehow integrated technology akin to the WaveBird, and made it work for the Switch in both handheld and regular mode.
It’s a bit tricky when it comes to charging, and it may be a bit much for those of you with smaller hands. However, if you’re hard-pressed for a nostalgic feel or just want a quality third-party offering to add to your collection, this Wizard will truly cast a spell on you.
Impeccable and Effective Design
The first thing you’ll notice about the Wizard is that it’s light. That may have you feeling less than confident in its build, as it’s not as hefty as, for instance, the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller. But don’t be fooled – despite its light weight, it leaves a hefty mark.
The Wizard activates fairly easy once you sync it to your system in settings. You can actually feel a slight rumble when it’s connected as well, so you’re good to go. From there, the front of the controller lights up with LED lights over the buttons, which, yes, have the shape of the classic GameCube setup. That means the A button front and center, and the others to its side.
Buttons on the side can take a bit to get used to, as the plus and minus buttons are up top and there are others to configure the buttons on the back part of the controller, which you can configure to your liking. They’re fairly easy to reach, provided you have big hands. Yep, the Wizard is built for those with particularly better-sized digits. If you have a kid with smaller hands, you may want to have them play with something else until they grow into it.
But the feel of the Wizard is excellent overall. The controller reacts just like the classic GameCube pad, right down to the springiness of the analog sticks. In fact, NYXI built the sticks to avoid stick drift entirely, with a wireless style connection that doesn’t feel off in terms of performance. That will be a relief to those that had to get several Switch Pro Controllers just because the last one’s sticks wore out.
The buttons are mushy enough to react properly, and the feel of the handles makes it comfortable to hold over time (again, for big hands). It’s also worth noting that you can either play with the general controller set-up in docked mode, or take them off their little holder and put them on the sides of the system for handheld play. Either way, they react beautifully, and the features are easy to access.
However, there is a downside – charging. Since these are built more as JoyCon-style controllers instead of a single unit (like other controllers), they have two charge ports on the bottom. That means you have to charge each one separately, which can take a good deal of time if you only have one cable. That’s hardly a deal breaker, however, and the charge holds up for several hours. Plus you can also connect them to the Switch wirelessly and they’ll charge that way as well.
Overall, no matter if you use them for handheld or docked play, the NYXI Wizard feels fantastic and has a lot of cool features. I didn’t use the back buttons that much, but I know some folks that will; and the classic GameCube feel is perfectly captured.
That Wicked Design Works Too
NYXI put some effort into the design of the Wizard, so that it stands out from the competition. This particular model has light-up buttons on the face of the controller, though other models may have light-up sticks, depending on what you got with. Either way, they add a neat little flair that you just don’t see in many third-party peripherals. (Wireless ones, anyway.)
There are also swappable joystick rings you can change out however you see fit. They add a nice piece of decoration to the controller, and they’re fairly easy to slip on and off. If you’re a hardcore gamer, you might not care that much, but it’s cool to add a little more color to your game, yeah?
Speaking of colors, the NYXI Wizard comes in different types, just like the GameCube era. I know a bunch of you may jump on the purple design, and there’s classic black as well. But we’re loving the orange one that was sent our way. It represents a side of the console we remember from Japan. Plus, with so many other darker controller colors in our collection (hey, we get moody), this stands out.
The build, again, feels cheap at first with its light weight, but this controller is surprisingly durable. That doesn’t mean you should throw it everywhere by any means, but it’s nice and sturdy when it comes to long-term game performance. And the grips are easy to get into, especially if you grew up with anything GameCube related. You’ll feel right at home here.
Finally, there’s price. The Wizard is a little costlier than the usual Switch pad, going for $69.99. But you get top-notch quality here; and the fact that it does away with the stick drift issue is going to be a real winner for many. Not to mention that old-school design that, honestly, will be right at home once GameCube games start popping up on Nintendo Switch Online. Any day now…
A Wizard’s World
There are some impressive third-party controllers on the market, but the NYXI Wizard has managed to come out of nowhere and win us over. Despite some complexities with design (namely its large build and dual charging), it performs beautifully and looks like a winner. Plus the extra features will be more than enough for gamers playing in the long-term.
So, yeah, check out the official web page and add this beauty to your collection. Again, we suggest going with orange, but feel free to take your pick. This Wizard definitely leaves a lasting mark in a packed market.
GAMERHUB RATING: FOUR AND A HALF (out of FIVE) JOYSTICKS
Many thanks to NYXI for providing us with a review controller!
