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CNET
27-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CNET
For Switch or PC Gamers, This Is the Best Affordable Pro Controller You Can Get
If you haven't upgraded your controller to a more pro-level button-masher like the Xbox Elite Wireless Series 2 or the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro, odds are it's because they're so expensive. That's a perfectly valid reason, especially if you consider yourself a more casual gamer. As a reviewer, I'm privileged to get to test many of them, which is the only way I ever would've been able to use one myself. But what if I told you that you could get quite nearly everything one of those $150-$200 controllers offers for $70? Say hello to the Gulikit KK3 Max. Design and hardware Jason Cockerham/CNET The KK3 Max feels great to hold. At 662 grams, it's nearly twice the weight of the Xbox Elite Wireless Series 2 controller, but it doesn't feel heavy or get tiresome during longer play sessions. The comfortable grips help with that, and you can leave the back paddles off to shave some more grams off if you need to. The weight is pretty evenly distributed, so it feels well balanced. It comes in black, white and a sort of retro color that gives me Super Nintendo vibes. The Hall Effect joysticks and triggers are a welcome feature, as are the two-stage trigger stops that toggle between the Hall Effect analog and digital microswitch triggers. I almost always used the microswitch triggers, and I really like them. Jason Cockerham/CNET Much like on the Elite Wireless, there are four spots for paddles on the back. Gulikit gives you two different style paddles. There are four standard flat paddles and two half-moon-shaped paddles for the top two spots. At first, installing the paddles might feel tough, but the setup is by design. Once you've done it a couple of times, you'll get used to it. The controller doesn't fit into the included plastic carrying case with the paddles on, but the company assured me that taking the paddles off every time you put it in the case won't be a problem. They also offer free replacement paddles within the first year. On the front, the face buttons are all nice and clicky, and I prefer them over the (still great) microswitches on the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro. Gulikit designed the KK3 Max primarily as a Switch controller, so the face buttons are laid out in Nintendo's "backward" configuration. Thankfully, the company also includes extra button caps with the correct layout so you can flip them around for use with other consoles. This also means you get the "+," "–," home, and capture buttons as well. Jason Cockerham/CNET Beneath the Gulikit logo, there's a settings button and an APG button for macros that hardcore gamers might find quite useful. The D-pad is surprisingly nice, but some folks might be disappointed that it's not an 8-way configuration. I personally don't mind, and you can technically enable 8-way directions in the software, but I switched back after the first few minutes and never looked back. Next to the USB-C charging port up top, there's a button to switch connection modes and one to switch between players. The KK3 Max works with Android, iOS, PC and Switch, so if you don't also need Xbox or PlayStation, you're pretty well covered. The 2.4GHz dongle delivers up to 1,000Hz polling rates, which is a pro-level wireless connection. There are also two vibration motors in the grips, but though Gulikit says the intensity and vibration modes are adjustable, I couldn't tell a difference between the settings. Jason Cockerham/CNET Battery life isn't the best, topping out at just under 30 hours with the lights and additional features off and 15 hours with everything on. That's not the worst battery life I've seen, but it's definitely on the lower end. The only real frustration I have with the hardware is the RGB lighting. There's a light ring around each stick, which is customizable, and you can turn them off. However, you can't turn off or even dim the light behind the logo. In a dark room with only the beautiful glow of your monitor, this is extremely distracting. I actually put a piece of black electrical tape over it because it bugged me so much. Software Jason Cockerham/CNET As great as the KK3 Max's hardware is, the software is where things get messy. For starters, there's no dedicated app for PC or mobile. For firmware updates, you have to download the update package from Gulikit's very bare-bones website and copy the upgrade file directly to the wireless receiver on your PC. The company provides instructions on how to do this, but it's a bit tedious and really shouldn't be the case for a controller like this. Jason Cockerham/CNET It's the same situation for remapping the buttons. The only way to do it via software is with Gulikit's web app, which is also bare-bones. In all fairness, I never had any issues with it, but less technically minded folks might find it all a bit intimidating. It's also possible to remap all the buttons and enable the extra features on the controller itself, but much like on the CRKD Neo S, this is a tedious process that'll test your patience. You either have to memorize or look up all the necessary button combinations every time you need to change something. The price makes it all worth it Jason Cockerham/CNET With all the great features and performance of the KK3 Max, I was shocked to find it's typically only about $70 on Amazon, and you can often find it cheaper. Even the full retail price of $80 is still fantastic. The lack of Xbox and PlayStation support might be a deal-breaker for some, but there are plenty of other great pro controller options for those. For everyone else, there's no better pro controller for the money than the KK3 Max. There are even cheaper versions, like the KK3 Pro that ditches some software features and the four flat paddles for around $50, and the base KK3 that just gives you the great basics for around $40.
Gizmodo
10-06-2025
- Gizmodo
Can't Connect Controllers to Your Switch 2? Here's Why
There's a good reason your original Switch Pro controller won't wake the Switch 2. The Switch 2's Joy-Con 2 is full of extra functionality, from upgraded gyros to the slick mouse mode, but sometimes you just need a more traditional gamepad to play your games. The bigger issue users are experiencing this go-around is connecting all their old devices to the Nintendo's new handheld. Players quickly learned last week their original Pro controllers won't wake the console, and that may be due to Nintendo changing up the connection protocols, leaving third-party devices to fall behind the Switch maker's first-party controller options. While a Switch 2 Pro controller costs $85, third-party devices are often much more affordable. Gizmodo received a bounty of controllers from multiple manufacturers for review, including several devices from 8BitDo and Gulikit specifically to test them on the Switch 2. Since the Switch 2 launch last Thursday, we've found the majority of our devices take extra time and effort to pair with the new console. Connecting them to an original Switch is far more seamless. 8BitDo's controllers in particular simply refuse to communicate with the Switch 2. On Friday, the company released new firmware for its Ultimate and Ultimate 2 controllers alongside the Pro 2 and SN30 controllers, as well as the company's USB Wireless Adapters. If you want to keep using 8BitDo's top-end gamepads, you'll need to download the company's Ultimate or Update Tool software to your Mac or PC and then put the controller into upgrade mode by hitting R1+L1+Start at the same time. Gulikit—the makers of Hall effect joystick replacements and third-party controllers—also released similar firmware patches last week. In an email to Gizmodo, Gulikit reps said that in their tests, the Switch 2 now uses a different communication protocol than the original Switch. This means the console wouldn't be able to pair the same way it had with previous controllers used for the original Switch. We reached out to Nintendo for comment, but we did not immediately hear back. While trying to troubleshoot our connection issues, we found going into System Settings, then to Controllers & Settings and flipping on 'Nintendo Switch Pro Controller Wired Communication' helps connect some wired controllers, though we still can't confirm if that setting also helps you connect with Bluetooth devices. There are still issues connecting some third-party controllers. I still can't pair an 8BitDo Micro controller with the Switch 2, though the company told us that more compatibility updates will be coming in the near future. The Switch 2 Joy-Con 2 and the rest of Nintendo's accessories, down to the revised GameCube controller, all have a 'C' button to connect with GameChat, which may have necessitated a different communication protocol. However, the lack of clarification isn't helping regular users transition to Nintendo's new handheld. Third-party controllers are often cheaper, but a good number of them also sport joysticks that may be more appealing than what comes with Switch 2. The $95 Joy-Con 2s don't include Hall effect sticks, which would help them better avoid the stick drift issues of the original Switch. In its teardown of the Switch 2, iFixit wrote that the new Joy-Con 2 joysticks are still liable to drift issues, though that may depend on how well the border around the sticks can keep out dirt and debris. The repair gurus further suspected the lack of Hall effect may be due to the controller's magnetic attachment points, which would potentially disrupt the Hall effect method to track stick orientation—which relies on magnetic fields. Nintendo has not made a peep about its decision to keep with what is essentially the same control mechanism as the original Switch. Nintendo will replace drifting Joy-Con 2 controllers for free — Nintendeal (@Nintendeal) June 6, 2025 At the very least, if you buy a Switch 2 Joy-Con 2, you can expect Nintendo won't completely leave you hanging. Last week, Nintendeal spotted that Nintendo will offer free replacements for U.S. customers experiencing Joy-Con 2 stick drift or a few other issues. If you're going to spend close to $100 on a pair of controllers, at the very least you should hope you'll be able to use them long into the Switch 2's life cycle.
