PowerA Advantage Wired Controller for Switch 2 with Lumectra Review – Light Show Gaming

PowerA Advantage Wired Controller for Switch 2 with Lumectra Review
PowerA has begun to churn out an assortment of Nintendo Switch 2 accessories. On the controller front, their latest offering is the PowerA Advantage Wired Controller for Nintendo Switch 2 with Lumectra. This wired controller features a variety of Switch 2 specific features, programmable buttons, and an incredible light show that needs to be seen to be understood. Will it be replacing your primary controller? Or is this controller best for a second player?

The PowerA Advantage Wired Controller for Nintendo Switch 2 with Lumectra features a very similar form factor to the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller, however, it is quite a bit lighter for a couple reasons. The controller is wired, so no batteries are required. The included 3 meter (10 foot) USB A to USB C cable should be sufficient for most gamers. However, if you have a larger living room, like I do, it can be a bit of a hassle. The second reason is that the controller does not feature any force feedback. While this is likely a cost cutting measure, the lack of any rumble at all is a bit of a bummer.

Lightshow
Visually, the biggest draw is the Lumectra tech that features ghost LED lighting. Essentially, under the controllers shell are LEDs that provide players a pretty incredible rainbow-coloured lightshow with a variety of settings to choose from. You can have the colours wave or pulse across the controller. My favourite LED option is when parts of the controller light up depending on what button is pressed. The LED options can be adjusted with the click of the LED button positioned on the back of the controller.

An unfortunate aspect to the LEDs is the fact that since the wired controller continually draws power from the Switch 2, the LEDs will still remain on when the Switch 2 is in sleep mode. I found that I could press the LED button until the LEDs turned off, but even then, the LEDs would often magically turn on at random. My kids figured it was possessed.

The controller features Hall Effect sensors in the thumbsticks. This translates to no stick drift! A huge selling feature indeed. Other worthwhile features include the two programmable buttons positioned on the back of the controller. I’ve been pretty critical of the placement of these mappable buttons on previous PowerA controllers, but I have to say, they hit a home run with the placement for these. They rest right where the tip of my middle finger’s rest. This translates to less accidental presses and a more comfortable feeling. The mappable buttons can be easily mapped with the press of a button on the back of the controller.

Won’t Turn the Switch 2 On
Some other features include the C button, which brings up GameChat, and a 3.55mm headset port. Unfortunately, there are a handful of Switch 2 features that are not accessible with this controller. The controller does not feature any motion/gyro controls. Also missing is the ability to scan amiibos. However, the worst issue is the controllers inability to turn the Nintendo Switch 2 on. In order to use the controller, you’ll need to first turn the Switch 2 on with another controller, then assign the PowerA Advantage Wired Controller through the controller menu. It’s a huge hassle.

The PowerA Advantage Wired Controller for Nintendo Switch 2 with Lumectra is a very beautiful and capable controller. While I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone as a primary controller, it will absolutely do the trick as a second player controller. The LED lightshow is pretty neat to look at and the Hall Effect sensors in the thumbsticks ensure the absolute best in movement without any stick drift. Unfortunately, the controller doesn’t have any force feedback, motion controls, and can’t even turn the Switch 2 on. The mappable buttons are located in a very convenient place and shows that PowerA has been continually evolving their placement throughout their controller lines. This controller will make a Player 2 very happy, but Player 1’s should stick with other options.

***PowerA Advantage Wired Controller for Nintendo Switch 2 with Lumectra was provided by the publisher for review.***

The Good

Cool visual effects
Hall Effect Thumbsticks
Two Mappable Buttons

72

The Bad

No amiibo support
No force feedback
Unable to turn Switch 2 on