You can find this review in full at GBAtemp.net:
https://gbatemp.net/review/retroflag-gpi-case-2.1991/

In this modern age you can emulate your entire retro library on everything from your phone to your fridge. Despite its significant accessibility, many retro fans are left longing for the perfect way to play. Some want an all in one console to leave hooked up to their TV. Others want something they can pull out of their bag and play for ten minutes at a time. And there are those who just want a blast of nostalgia. Aiming to please all three of these crowds Retroflag is back to iterate on its popular GPi Case, now compatible with the more powerful Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4.

For those completely out of the loop, Raspberry Pi systems have long-been an affordable and effective means of retro emulation. With popular Linux distributions such as RetroPie and Lakka making the playing of these titles seamless and really quite stylish once setup, it’s easy to see why so many turn to them to fill this niche role. So where does Retroflag fit into this equation? In order to make Raspberry Pi gaming portable, they’re back with an almost-all-in-one solution wrapped in the image of Nintendo’s own first handheld. At a glance, it’s magnificent.

Though a bit smaller than the original Game Boy, coming in at a size closer to the Game Boy Pocket, I think Retroflag have absolutely nailed the look and feel of this classic console. The plastic, the buttons, the D-Pad, even the rubber start and select buttons. They’re all here and they feel so brilliantly close to the real deal, even matching up the volume slider, contrast slider, headphone jack, and physical power switch to their proper locations. The screen is, as you might expect, a notable improvement on the original Game Boy, coming in at 3 inches from corner to corner. As well as this, you have two bonus buttons hidden in plain sight at the front of the device for turbo and home functionality, as well as an X and Y button for additional retro compatibility. Hidden quite out of plain sight however are the L and R buttons, built into the case itself and being the only real questionable standout. They’re just a bit awkward. I understand wanting to keep the integrity of the original Game Boy form factor to an extent, but I still think I’d have preferred something closer to Anbernic’s RG351V, where there’s a ridge on the back for your fingers to rest on. If you’re playing games that only make light use of the shoulder buttons though, they do fine. You need to get into the habit of pressing on the front of the case as you press them in to maintain a grip on the device, but if you’re just, for example, changing boxes in a Pokemon game, you’ll get by.

Installation of the board into the case is as simple as popping off the top of the case and slotting it into where the cartridge would sit. It’s quick and easy, with access to this area not requiring a screwdriver. Having said that, with just five Phillips head screws holding the back of the case together, it’s incredibly easy to remove if you’d prefer to have more space to work with. Though I had no issues removing the board and putting it back in, it should be noted there really isn’t much room where the board actually fits into the device, meaning your options for heat dissipation are really quite limited. This unit being sent to me by Shaun after he finished his first impressions post, it had a small heat sync installed already. I haven’t run into any heat-related issues in the time I’ve been using it myself at least. You will need to take care when inserting and removing the Micro SD card, with the case opting for a bit of an awkward latch in oppose to a more common spring-based eject system. It’s awkward but you do get used to it after so many removals.

The screen is really quite nice. At 3 inches with a 4:3 aspect ratio, you’re set for some sharp gaming on a good chunk of common retro consoles. Outside of this though, I found the borders on the 3:2 GBA games and 10:9 GB games to be perfectly fine when playing. You can of course have these games stretch to the full size of the screen when playing, but this is a particularly hairy point of contention among retro fanatics. You have nice control of screen brightness via a physical slider where the contrast slider once sat, which is analogue in nature. At least I think that’s the correct terminology. If you scroll it all the way down, you’ll hit a limit and you can’t scroll it anymore. I like it a lot. 

When comparing this to the original GPi Case, the most significant upgrade will naturally be in the performance. Where the original case could only house a Pi Zero, and later a Pi Zero 2, this model comes sporting support for the latest and greatest in ultra portable Raspberry Pi boards: the Compute Module 4. This is ultimately a Raspberry Pi 4 stripped down to the essentials, and boy does it show.

All your usual retro giants run as expected. As a Nintendo junkie myself, I’ve enjoyed NES, SNES, and all the Game Boys in this compact bundle of nostalgia. Looking past that though, it is capable of more, even if the controls available aren’t exactly tailored to it. What this handheld lacks is an analogue stick, and while the lack of stick contributes to the original Game Boy aesthetic, it puts a lot of the additional power on offer to waste. Sure you can remap controls in RetroArch to have your D Pad act as an analogue stick; this does work fine for the most part. Especially with N64 games where they’re largely designed to use one of the stick or D-Pad, but it isn’t ideal. It’s worth mentioning here that I also never managed to get this to work. Though I tried to play Sonic Adventure 1 and 2 on the system, and they seemed to run well, I couldn’t move, and I couldn’t figure out what was wrong in the settings. In all likelihood this is me not finding one specific thing that should or shouldn’t be enabled, but it does take away from the larger ease of use.

Though you can’t comfortably play these games on the go, the GPi Case 2 does put this power to use in other ways thanks to a dock that comes with the deluxe edition. It’s not exactly as seamless as the Switch’s hybrid capabilities, but it’s an interesting offering on a device like this. First and foremost, there’s no quick switch between handheld and docked play. To dock the system, you need to turn it off, and turn it back on in the dock. The same is true when going from docked to handheld. I do like the idea of the dock, but the lack of ability to fluidly switch from playing on the go to on the big screen is a bit of a disappointment. Having said that, it does enable you to utilise the fullest potential of the CM4 that the limited controls of the case would struggle to accommodate. It’s less of a hybrid system, and more of two standalone devices in how I view it. It does beg the question though: would you just be better off with two standalone devices?

It’s difficult to say. With Linux-based handhelds only getting more competitive and even older PCs that you may just have lying around being able to match this kind of performance when hooked up to a display, there’s certainly a case to be made for going down that kind of route. Devices like the GPi Case 2 are what I would call an extravagance. Make no mistake, it does achieve what it sets out to comfortably, but it’s overspecced for the things it does best. The real allure of this device to me is in its portability and faithful recreation of the Game Boy’s original design but in this faithfulness, or more precisely its lack of analogue stick, it finds itself unable to live up to its fullest potential.

I still do recommend it though. If you’re wanting a plenty powerful device that looks and feels like a slightly more compact Game Boy this is an absolute dream. Just make sure you can source a CM4 board beforehand, since it’s not included in the kit.

You can find this review in full at GBAtemp.net:
https://gbatemp.net/review/danganronpa-decadence.1971/

As a site we’ve talked about the Danganronpa series a lot. Favourably reviewing the first two games on Vita, as well as, surprising to some, Ultra Despair Girls, and giving the whole series a recommendation, it’s clear there’s a lot to love. My relationship with the series has been a rocky one. Originally playing a fan translation of the first game on the PSP, I fell in love with the cast of Super Duper High School students and the murder game genre. Having bought the second game on Vita when it released, I tweeted my excitement, only to have a random person online ruin the plot and every killer. It sucked. I shelved the game and decided I would wait for it to come to the Switch, hopeful I’d have forgotten enough for it to feel fresh. Nine years later I’m back, and I’m loving it.

For those who somewhat out of the loop with Danganronpa as a series, allow me to provide a brief rundown. You have a prestigious private high school called Hope’s Peak that only takes in people who are the best at what they do. In my delightful fan translation these people were referred to as Super Duper High School students, though this was shortened in the official translation to just Ultimate students. You might have an ultimate baseballer, an ultimate idol, or an ultimate clairvoyant, to just name a few from the first game. Those who graduate from Hope’s Peak are said to be set for life, but naturally you aren’t here for another run of the mill high school visual novel. Through varying events in each title, your cast of ultimate students are trapped in a foreign environment. The only way to escape? To kill a classmate and get away with it.

Each title follows a similar structure. You have your cast of hopeful Ultimates starting out in their daily life. These are peaceful times used to advance the plot, and usually have you going from place to place in a goal-oriented and generally linear manner. Sprinkled in the daily life segment is free time, where you’re able to meet up with the characters and bond with them, building relationships and giving gifts. Though you can skip free time if you’re particularly engrossed in what the main story has to offer, it’s invaluable to those wanting to get the most out of the game. With at least two characters dying per chapter, that is somebody being murdered and you assumedly catching the murderer, you’re on a timer to get to know everybody. If you find yourself attached to one character in particular, you want to be utilising free time from the start to make sure you at least get a moment or two with them before they potentially find themselves cloaked in the florescent pink paint of death. The conclusion to each daily life section sees a character die, throwing you into the chaos of deadly life.

Deadly life is where the meat of the game lies for me, bringing about a period of investigation to piece together what happened, and ultimately, find the killer. Much like daily life, the investigative part of deadly life is fairly linear in nature. You’ll get to an area and tap on all the available places to collect information, then move to the next place. Repeat until you’ve seen all there is to see and you move onto the finale of the chapter: the class trial. These are fantastic, and it’s here you’ll be tested on how much you paid attention during the investigation. Characters start by discussing the events of the murder. These conversations moving in real time, you need to pay attention and spot discrepancies. Where something sounds off, you have the ability to launch a piece of evidence from your investigation, a truth bullet, to counter it. This ends the current discussion and moves the trial forwards. The basic structure of the class trial sees you go through a number of discussions, transitioning into a fairly wide range of minigames to get to the bottom of exactly what happened. It makes for a really fun means of storytelling, with you generally not aware of the culprit from the outset. The series as a whole does an incredibly good job of presenting pieces in a way that feels satisfying to put together, even when playing on the easiest difficulty settings. By the end of the trial you point out your killer, they face their deadly punishment, and more of the map becomes available to you as a result of your victory. This additional map space keeps both daily life and the investigatory part of deadly life fresh, and allows the games to follow maintain a satisfying loop even as the cast starts to thin out.

Each of the games find much of their success in their writing. Coming back to it again after so long I’ve been completely enthralled in it. It takes a special kind of series to make death and despair so contrarily comical and absurd, while not necessarily dimming down the severity of the situation. The story on offer is easy enough to follow for the most part, but keeps you on your toes with twists and turns you often realise you can piece together retrospectively. As a trilogy, they tell a fantastic tale that I hope will now reach more people thanks to the popularity of the Switch. But we have more than just a trilogy here.

Danganronpa S is the obvious outlier of this collection. It certainly isn’t your average Danganronpa game, but I can appreciate it as a bit of a bonus title. Characters from all three games featured in this collection, as well as those from Ultra Despair Girls, all gather together for a summer camp in a virtual reality world. The gameplay on offer is that of a board game in oppose to the usual murder mystery adventure you may have come to love, though it’s not entirely new, being largely an expansion of the minigame from Danganronpa V3. There’s some good bits here, but not really enough for me to recommend anybody pick this up by itself.

For those who have experienced all the series had to offer beforehand, you can think of this as one of those cross-over episodes from your favourite childhood TV shows. This is the Danganronpa equivalent to when all the Red Rangers teamed up in Power Rangers, only with a beach setting and more swim suits. It’s not a terrible concept, and the lack of murderous games means you have ample time for every character to interact in ways they’ve never had a chance to before. This is the highlight of the game. There’s a huge amount of interactions that simply weren’t possible, and as a series fan they’re great to see. Having said that, it’s a tough one to recommend playing.

The board game isn’t fun. There isn’t really a better way to put it. You roll a dice, land on spaces, make your character’s stats go up, and then fight some bosses. Each play through lasts 50 turns, and when that time is up, the game somewhat unceremoniously ends. When you want to come back and play another round, there’s just not enough that’s different to make it interesting. You end up in a cycle of mashing A until you get a chance to see a few characters have an interesting conversation. I really wanted to like this. As one of few to defend Disgaea 5’s Chara World board game, I have been known to find fun in an otherwise mindless and monotonous board. Even compared to that it just feels lacking. Perhaps the worst part of all is that you can’t even play as your favourite character from the series, with the game implementing real-money gacha mechanics for reasons far beyond my comprehension. If you bought this game outside of the Decadence collection, you’re looking at £17.99. This isn’t a budget title. This isn’t free to play. I just don’t get it. You are drip fed coins to spend on the gacha machines as you play, but the rate at which you get them for completing associated achievements is dire.

If you pick up the collection and have Danganronpa S as a bonus, it’s just about serviceable. You can skip the drivel and enjoy the conversations fine. It is in no way worth £17.99 however. If you pay anything more than a few pounds for this I’d be surprised if you felt anything short of scammed.

Can I recommend Danganronpa Decadence? Of course I can. All three games on the Switch is something I’ve been wanting for years, and the game we got is exactly that. With the option to buy each title individually as well, those new to the series can jump in at a relatively low cost without necessarily having to commit to the whole thing. Looking past the missed opportunity that is Danganronpa S, this collection is undoubtedly one to pick up.

You can find this review in full at GBAtemp.net:
https://gbatemp.net/review/vissles-lp85-75-keyboard.1959/

Prior to this review Vissles were a relative unknown to me. With a few keyboards already in in their catalogue, as well as a portable monitor and wireless charging pad, they’re putting out a diverse range of accessories mainly aimed at Mac users. With the latest iteration of iPad Mini having released not too long ago, I was quite excited to try something aimed at Apple products, with the LP85 coming just at the right time.

On the surface the LP85 is an incredibly slim and very portable keyboard; it’s actually marketed as the thinnest optical-mechanical keyboard, but it’s not something I really know how to validate. It wouldn’t surprise me though, clocking in at a little over a centimetre. Despite its thinness the keyboard is surprisingly sturdy. The aluminium body feels premium and despite my absolute best efforts to bend it, kept the keyboard perfectly in shape. The overall aesthetic also makes it feel right at home with official Apple peripherals, rocking a simplistic design and fitted with a USB C port. It is worth noting that while I have the Mac model on hand, there is also a Windows variant available. On both models you’ll be able to swap the functionality of a few keys to better fit your operating system of choice, but there’s unfortunately no way of switching up the key caps on the model you buy. If you are considering one, bear this in mind.

Ever eager to try out new switch types, the optical switches on offer here had me excited. A new typing experience on an ultra portable wireless keyboard? Sign me up! In short, they’re quite nice. With this kind of form factor, I wasn’t expecting a satisfying click from the key presses, but here we are. The closest comparison I can make are to low profile blue switches but even then it’s not quite right. You have the travel time of a laptop keyboard with the feeling of popping some really good bubble wrap at the end of each press.

The 75% layout is the best blend of portability and usability for me, giving you all the keys you need in a compact format. What you basically have is a 60% layout with an additional row of keys on the top for your functions, and a column on the right for your additional navigation keys in Home, End, Page Up, and Page Down. The additional room taken up by these keys feels inconsequential, and I feel they’re far too useful to the majority of people for anything smaller than a 75% layout to be functional in the long term. That’s just my opinion though, with some favouring the super-stripped back nature of smaller keyboards.

What stands out above all else with the LP85 is its back lighting. Of the keyboards I’ve owned and reviewed, none have held a candle to how vivid and clear the lighting is. A lot of keyboards look nice. I recently got a Wooting Two HE and love its somewhat dull underglow, but Vissles’ offering is different. I’m fairly sure it can be attributed to the simple design of the keyboard; if the key caps are closer to the light, it shines through more clearly. It’s probably that simple, even if I struggle to capture it in images. There’s no bleeding of light from the sides of the keys either, resulting in a very clean face to match its larger aesthetic. If I had to find fault here, it’d be in the wider keys. Unfortunately they only have one light to service these larger areas, making the caps lock, delete, return, and shift keys look worse than their single character companions. I feel this could have been resolved if the area the light shines through were just designed to be a bit smaller, but it’s not exactly a dealbreaker. You have plenty of lighting options to choose from using function keys, with your selection saved on-device without the need for driver software. This is something I largely appreciate, but it should be noted you’re naturally missing the benefits of additional software in the lack of key remapping or advanced functionality. In a keyboard like this these aren’t features I expect however. I also really love that it has the ability to save connections to up to three devices, something I previously praised Keychron’s wireless keyboards for. Using button combinations on the keyboard you’re able to switch between saved pairings without any real hassle. It’s great.

All in all Vissles puts forward an incredibly compelling package in the LP85. You have a well-built and premium-feeling keyboard that does everything it needs to and does it well. With its combination of optical mechanical switches, vivid lighting, and simple multi-device pairing, it ticks every box for me as a keyboard to keep in my bag. Currently selling for $99 in the last few days of its Kickstarter (usually $139), I think it more than justifies its price and recommend it wholeheartedly.

You can find this review in full at GBAtemp.net:
https://gbatemp.net/review/asus-tuf-gaming-h1-headset.1949/

While I may have a headset for every occasion, I feel the budget end of the market is too often overlooked. Where you have some wanting to spend hundreds on wireless functionality and fancy features, you have others after something that’ll get the job done without fuss at a good price. The H1 may just be that headset. 

What first appealed to me about the H1 was its lightweight build paired with a suspension headband reminiscent of what made SteelSeries’ headsets so comfortable. When on your head, they rest comfortably, almost floating above. The band itself feels more rigid than I expected and a bit plasticky despite its elasticity, but it does a good job of keeping the solid frame above from weighing on your head. Thanks to the protein leather earcups not clamping particularly hard to the sides of my head, there was also little additional pressure put onto the arms of my glasses, making the headset an overall win for me in terms of comfort. It is worth noting here that this band is where the headset’s adjustability lives and dies. With no kind of slider of extending band to manually adjust, you’re relying on it to hold the earcups wherever you decide is most comfortable. Having spend some time trying to fault this system, I really do struggle. Whether you prefer your head to be pressed against the plastic frame or stay as far away from it, the suspension band responds fantastically to even minor adjustments. Paired with the earcups’ capability to rotate on the frame to best fit the shape of your head, it’s a really well-fitting headset. It’s a remarkably simple and elegant solution. 

Functionally, the H1 is relatively bare. You have a non-detachable microphone with matching mute button on the left earcup, as well as a volume rocker to adjust how loud the audio you’re listening to is. Though somewhat no-frills, the parts that are there work fine. The biggest flaw here is the complete lack of detachable cables. On top of the microphone, the 3.5mm wire is also directly connected to the headset with no means of removal or replacement should something break. With this being the case, I’d have wanted a cable that feels a bit more durable in oppose to the basic one on offer. I love the ROG Paracord; why can’t we see something like that in ASUS’ TUF range? If I were going to pick a part of this headset to fail first, it’d definitely be this cable. It is worth mentioning you can get a wireless variant of the H1 that does naturally allow you to detach this cable. Even so, with both models you’ll be stuck with an ever-attached microphone, limiting the larger versatility of the headset.

Looking to the audio itself, you have 7.1 surround sound for better immersion in-game, powered by 40mm ASUS Essence drivers. In reality, the headset performs fantastically in a gaming environment. As gaming headsets often do, there appears to be a reasonable focus on bass, but it’s not necessarily overpowering to the point of ruining the headset for more generalist use. That is of course assuming you don’t mind the microphone hanging around for generalist use. When listening to music, I did find the mid ranges a little lacking, with lyrics blending into the backing track a little, but it’s certainly a passible experience.

Though the headset’s wire is a single 3.5mm jack for both its mic and audio, you also get a fairly nice splitter cable included. This actually feels a much higher quality than the cable attached to the headset as a sturdy braided design, and is a nice inclusion to aid in desktop PC use. For your laptops, phones, and miscellaneous consoles, the single 3.5mm plug works fine.

The H1 doesn’t offer much, but for the asking price of £40 I actually rate it as a fantastic budget buy. With both the 3.5mm jack and mic being non-detachable and by extension, non-replaceable, it’s not a headset I would see lasting you forever. Even considering this, if you’re wanting something with an otherwise-solid build quality that’s comfortable and delivers on great sound in-game, they’re one worth looking at.

You can find this review in full at GBAtemp.net:
https://gbatemp.net/review/asus-rog-spatha-x-wireless-gaming-mouse.1948/

This isn’t the first mouse of ASUS’ I’ve looked at. Previously reviewing the Keris, a lightweight wired mouse I praised for its performance and ease of repair thanks to hot swappable click switches, I was left with a great idea of what they can deliver. The Spatha X is at the complete other end of the spectrum to the Keris though. Comparing a lightweight wired model with fairly simple capabilities to the button-heavy mechanical mess of the Spatha X is like night and day, but that’s not to say either is particularly wrong. Being somebody who’s missed something weightier, something I can really wrap my hand around, this really was a breath of fresh air.

Out of the box I battled a flurry of first impressions. It’s huge, it’s heavy, and it looks so pointy! Frankly the mouse looks like a mess, and it baffled me as to how it could be either comfortable or functional. It didn’t take much for me to set aside these early preconceptions though. I put the mouse on my desk and rested my right hand on it. It just fit. The awkward-looking grooves and pointed design gave my fingers a natural place to rest, and allowed me to choose between two styles of use I both find comfortable: having my middle finger on the scroll wheel, and having my middle finger on the right click. The left side of the mouse is a behemoth of functionality I’ll tackle shortly, but before that I want to shine a light on the how impactful the simple stylings of the right side are in improving the larger ergonomics and ease of use. The ridge to the right of the right click provides you with a great resting point, with a small rubber pad making the side of the mouse comfortable if you want to wrap your little finger around it. As a whole, the mouse is the kind of pointed mess a child would look at and think is cool. I don’t have a problem with that though, and that’s because you can tell just how much effort has gone into making the substance live up to the style. It definitely won’t be a look for everybody, but those who enjoy this kind of thing should find some solace in the fact it’s well thought through.

Looking beyond the design and onto what the mouse actually offers, you have your two standard mouse clicks, a DPI button, and a forward and backwards button on the top. On the left side where your thumb naturally rests, you can find an incredibly odd-looking cluster of six additional buttons that are mapped by default to volume up and down, a volume mute toggle, the windows key, and a feature called target focus. There’s a few oddities in that list. First of all, there’s only five things listed. That’s because the smallest key that sits in the middle of this bizarre cluster is mapped to be disabled as standard. It’s an odd choice when even something like a play/pause toggle could have been useful. Next, the target focus feature. I actually quite like this, dramatically lowering the mouse sensitivity while held for better precision with things like sniping in-game. The real elephant in the room for me is the windows key being bound to the easiest to reach button of the entire set. This could be useful on a more standard office mouse, but it’s just too easy to catch in the middle of a game. If it were going to be included, I don’t see why it wasn’t put on the harder to reach middle button that by default does nothing anyway.

One good thing about the Spatha X is that each of the mentioned buttons can be remapped to better meet your needs using ASUS’ ever-delightful Armoury Crate software. It’s incredibly simple to use and outside of allowing you to remap functionality, you can tweak things like DPI, polling rate, and angle snapping to your liking. While it’s worked fantastically for me, I actually managed to convince a friend the Spatha X was worth buying during my time with the mouse. His unit arrived and frankly he shared my love of the design and feel. Where it fell short was in the software; Armoury Crate refused to install, and there’s no solution to be found online. That’s a killer, but having knowledge of it potentially being a problem before buying is a huge benefit. If you’re interested in the mouse, or any ASUS ROG product for that matter, try to download Armoury Crate before buying. It’s better than the mouse turning up and finding you’re stuck with an awkwardly-placed Windows key. If you have a friend capable of running the software, there is a bit of a workaround to be found in the fact the Spatha X has persistent memory for your custom settings. With that in mind, it only needs to be setup once for you to get the most out of it. Even so, crucial software outright failing in this way is unacceptable.

While I’d love to dabble in my understanding of mouse sensors, I find myself a little lost in this instance. It’s an unnamed 19,000 DPI optical sensor that is “specially tuned”. I can translate that to saying it feels great, and the fact the angle snapping is disabled by default is a plus in my book. If you want to have a better look at the tech specs yourself, you can find them below:

• Connectivity – USB 2.0 / RF 2.4GHz
• Resolution – 19,000 DPI
• Max Speed – 400 IPS
• Max Acceleration – 50g
• USB Report Rate – 1000 Hz
• RF 2.4GHz Report Rate – 1000 Hz
• L/R Switch Type – ROG Micro Switches with 70 million-click lifespan

With this being a wireless mouse, there are a few more things of note before closing out the review. Advertising up to 67 hours of battery life if you’re willing to go without the RGB lighting on the scroll wheel and ROG logo (or up to 12 hours with those turned on), this is a mouse that’ll have charge when you need it. I’d be surprised if you ever had to truly utilise its battery though, thanks to an incredibly stylish charging cradle also acting as the wireless dongle needed to use the mouse wirelessly. When you’re not using it, whether you’re done for the day or just watching a video, you can sit it down to charge without having to faff with cables. It’s a neat idea. The charging cradle also provides you with a clear indication light to let you know when the mouse has finished charging.

When you do want to use the Spatha X wired you won’t be disappointed by the cables either. I really love the ROG Paracord, and it disappoints me that I can’t buy these cables separately. They flow like a piece of string across my desk and with the Spatha X coming with two, I decided to just repurpose one to keep an Xbox controller plugged into the console. The cable just doesn’t get in the way, it’s magnificent.

As a final note, it’s worth mentioning the same hot-swappable switches of the Keris return here, allowing you to swap them out in a fairly simple process. Pop off four rubber caps, unscrew four screws using the screwdriver included in the box, pop out the switches, and replace with the new ones. Though it’s something you’re unlikely to put much thought into at the start of a mouse’s lifetime, additions like this are great to see when wanting to get the most out of what you’ve paid for. I’d love for this to be common in other brands. 

Can I recommend the Spatha X? Absolutely. If Armoury Crate works on your PC and you’re after a heftier mouse rich with functionality and the comfort to use it, this is a stellar pick. Retailing at £150 in the UK it’s an expensive option, but the features on offer alongside the design and utility make a good case for justifying it.

You can find this review in full at GBAtemp.net:
https://gbatemp.net/review/anbernic-rg351mp.1947/

At this point, Anbernic is well know. Since their early days they’ve gained a reputation for delivering on quality handheld after quality handheld, setting an incredible standard for the market of emulation systems. With the RG351 already having been released as the P, M, and V model, let’s first have a brief look at this series of handhelds and how the MP differs to those before it.

As a site, we’ve actually covered each of the previous 351 models. The P, the original handheld in the series, was the first Anbernic system to sport the RK3326. Enabling solid PS1 emulation, as well as light N64 and PSP action, it was the chip to have when it launched back in 2020. The P model featured a 480×320 display, coming in at a 3:2 aspect ratio, and housed in a plastic shell. Though early models featured a WiFi chip, it was later removed due to issues with speaker noise. All things considered it was a great device and a perfect fit for GBA emulation thanks to its display.

Next on the block was the M model. Rocking largely the same internals as the P before it, the M came encased in a metal shell along with a now-fixed internal WiFi module. You have the same RK3326 and the same 480×320 display, the same layout, and the same controls. Though the metal shell is the major selling point here, giving an already-premium handheld a stellar finish, the fixed WiFi module is something that shouldn’t be overlooked. Due to the device having a single Micro SD slot, transferring games can be a pain with Windows not recognising cards formatted for Linux operating systems. Add to this the ability to use RetroAchievements, and you have a relatively solid upgrade to the base hardware.

Featuring again the RK3326 this time in a form factor closer to the original GameBoy, the V model is probably the most interesting deviation in the series. Maintaining the WiFi module of the M model, the V features a more universally retro-suited 4:3 display, as well as a dual Micro SD setup. Outside of the obvious form factor changes, the biggest leap here is allowing you to use two Micro SD cards in the system. Completely skirting the pain of Linux partitions, you’re able to keep one card formatted as an easier to manage Fat32 drive. It’s also worth mentioning that due to limitations in the design, you’re stuck with one analogue stick. This could get in the way of fully appreciating the improved PS1 and N64 performance that would really shine on the 640×480 display.

If you’re interested in reading more about the previous models, you can check out our more in-depth coverage below:

• RG351P Impressions
• RG351M Review
• RG351V Review

With the history lesson over, we can now come to appreciate exactly what the MP brings to the table. Interestingly, you end up with a strange hybrid console, bringing together the pros and cons of its predecessors. At a surface level, you have the same basic layout as the M and P models. Where this differs from these is mostly in its display, packing the same 640×480 screen we enjoyed on the V model. Also coming from the V model is the dual Micro SD support, which is something I really can’t praise enough having fought with Windows and Linux-formatted partitions in the past.

The build quality lives up to everything I’ve heard about Anbernic. It’s phenomenal, and the metalic ocean blue colour that debuted with the MP model is something that looks a lot better in person than in any of their promotional images. Each button has a reasonable amount of resistance and no part of it feels mushy or cheap. As is common with emulation handhelds, you have two analogue sticks of the same variety as the Nintendo Switch’s Joy Cons. While this does mean they may be prone to some of the same issues down the line, it is worth saying you’re unlikely to be relying on them as much with retro titles. In use they do however feel great, and it’s nice to use the left analogue as a D-Pad alternative from time to time.

Setup on the MP is almost as simple as plug and play. If you’re happy with the included EmuELEC operating system and are happy to rely on their generic cards, you can stick some games on the second card and get on with what you bought it for. Not a fan of EmuELEC myself and somewhat untrusting of generic cards, I opted to grab a 16GB and 64GB Sandisk card for the OS and games respectively. Instead of EmuELEC, I downloaded the appropriate distribution of Lakka, wrote it to the smaller card, and was good to go. As operating systems go, Lakka is about as pure a RetroArch experience as you can get. I was first introduced to it with the various efforts to port it to the Switch and it’s not let me down since. The UI looks fantastic on the display, and adding games is as simple as scanning the card. It is worth noting that some ROM hacks and translations won’t be picked up though, so you may need to get comfortable with editing the playlist JSON files to add in games for yourself. It’s not a complicated process, and you’ll only need to mess with it when adding non-standard games.

Probably the standout of the unit, the 640×480 display is absolutely gorgeous. Thanks to that 4:3 aspect ratio, you’re getting an optimal experience with the good majority of home retro consoles. Having mostly used the unit for SNES titles, I can’t fault it. It is worth adding that black bars haven’t ruined anything for me, if you were cautious of trying GameBoy or GBA games. Both of these systems still look great, but if GBA is your focus, the M model may be a better fit thanks to its 3:2 screen. Looking past the screen, there’s only really one standout difference left between the M and MP models, and it’s unfortunately not a good one. The internal WiFi module has once again been removed. 

The MP ticks every other box brilliantly, which is why the lack of built-in WiFi is such a shame. To give credit to Anbernic, the system does ship with a USB C adapter and a USB A WiFi dongle but it’s clunky at best, and far from ideal for people wanting access to RetroAchievements for every play session. I don’t think this would be quite as much of a problem if there were a USB C WiFi dongle that sits a little closer to the system. Thanks to the MP having a separate OTG and DC USB C port, you at least aren’t limited to WiFi when the system isn’t charging. For me at least, achievements aren’t something I look for, and the dongle did fine for the initial setup and FTP test. Regardless it just doesn’t seem an ideal solution for the wider market.

As a slight aside here, it is possible to get a replacement for the bundled dongle and adapter should you end up relying on them and lose them, as well as the included screen protector via Anbernic’s official Aliexpress store. Having messed up my initial screen protector installation I decided to give it a shot, and for around £10 I had it in the UK within a week. I can’t really fault the service, which gives me confidence in their store should replacement parts become available in future, or if I just decide to try something else from their range.

I’m not going to go into too much detail as to what this handheld can and can’t run to avoid covering the same stuff again. From a capability standpoint, it’s exactly on par with its predecessors in the 351 series, and many other handhelds out there running the same chip. I’ve had absolutely no issues running NES, SNES, GB(C), and GBA titles. On top of this, a few N64 titles like Mario 64 run great, but going beyond that you’re likely to encounter issues.

If like me you’re only really wanting a handheld to push as far as the SNES and GBA, the RK3326 chip still holds strong. If these really are all you’re after, along with a nice screen and a fantastic build quality, the 351MP is a solid choice. With emulation handhelds, there’s always something on the horizon however, and you should always be aware of the fact something better is likely right around the corner. This is true now more than ever with the RK3326 at the end of its era, hopefully soon to step aside to a new generation. Whether you choose to wait or jump in now, I can’t recommend Anbernic’s handheld enough.

You can find this review in full at GBAtemp.net:
https://gbatemp.net/review/asus-tuf-gaming-vg28uql1a-monitor.1944/

I really like monitors. That should come as no surprise, I’m sure most of us do. Littering my desk and illuminating me with an unhealthy heavenly glow, they’re an essential part of day to day life and all the miscellaneous entertainment that comes with it. In such a competitive market for a desk mainstay, you need something to tick your specific boxes, and it needs to do so at the right price. I’m taking a look at the TUF Gaming VG28UQL1A to see what it can offer, and exactly who it’s for.

At the most basic level, we’re looking at a 28 inch 4K (2160p) monitor capable of outputting a marvellous 144 frames per second. With an ultra-low response time of 1ms and supporting variable refresh rates (VRR) in the form of GSync and FreeSync Premium, it’s loaded with everything you’d need for the most high-end of gaming experiences. While my somewhat middling PC (Ryzen 5 3600 paired with an RX 5700 XT) can scrape out some 4K graphics on select games, it isn’t the ideal setup to see what this monitor can offer at its best. With this in mind, while I have been using it as a PC monitor also, the majority of my gaming experience comes from using the display with a Series X console. Thanks to Game Pass, I was able to grab a few games to best experience the joys of higher framerates and high fidelity graphics, even at the same time on occasion!

If I’m going to cut to the chase, the VG28UQL1A is great. Before talking about the display itself, it’s worth shining some light on the number of ports available and what each is capable of. The single DisplayPort 1.4 is for your PC gaming, and is capable of the full 4K/144Hz experience. You then have two HDMI 2.1 ports each capable of 4K/120Hz, which are ideal for the latest console generation and their maximum output. Finally, you have two HDMI 2.0 ports that can handle 4K/60Hz. These were the ones I dedicated to the older or less graphically intensive consoles like the PS4 and Switch. Having five available inputs is an absolute joy, with the display automatically switching to another active source if the one you’re currently using is turned off. Being used to monitors with two or three HDMI inputs at most, it’s been great to not have to juggle cables when wanting to go between Xbox and Switch.

Now I’m not new to 4K displays. When I bought my Series X a few months back, I wanted something at a relatively affordable price that was capable of 4K/60Hz, since there aren’t that many games that currently push the system to its theoretical limits. I ended up settling on LG’s 32UN500. At £299 it offered a good image with ample screen real estate at 32 inches, FreeSync, and some surprisingly decent speakers. How does the VG28UQL1A fare by comparison? It’s better, there’s no doubt there. Due to the smaller screen size, the image feels far more crisp, and the colours on offer feel more vivid than with the 32UN500. It’s also worth mentioning that both monitors do feature some sort of HDR, but from what I understand it isn’t what people would class as “true” HDR. I won’t pretend to know much about the topic but would encourage you to do some digging if this is a sticking point for you. I will say that the ASUS display looks great even with HDR disabled and it’s a good job too, since you may need to have it disabled for various other features to function.

When first testing the ASUS display, I had an issue with the way the it displayed white and contrasted it to other colours, almost creating pools of darkness around tiny brighter specs. This was most noticeable when using my PC with the cursor pushing through the darkness of Steam’s client in an incredibly obtrusive way. What I didn’t realise at the time was that this was in fact a feature enabled by default: Shadow Boost. What it’s supposed to do is make shadows darker around lighter elements to make them stand out on-screen. To its credit it does work quite well during actual gameplay, but it definitely sticks out in more day to day usage. It is worth noting the monitor acts as expected with this feature disabled, but if you do want to see it in motion, I recorded a short clip using a white diamond on a dark background in Paint:

The monitor is packed full of really neat features, but there does seem to be a common theme of misconceptions and a lack of communication as to how everything really works, especially when wanting to use features in tandem. It’s under the GamePlus menu I found some of the most interesting settings. You can display a timer on-screen, show the current FPS, and even add a zoomed crosshair to the middle of your screen, dubbed “Sniper Mode”. I really enjoyed the zoomed crosshair when playing around in Hitman 3, allowing me to pull off incredible shots at long range with little more than a silenced pistol. At first though, this option was completely unavailable. It was unavailable, I think, because the monitor was in racing mode, this being one of many different colour options, grouped under the GameVisual menu, for the display. While playing Hitman however, I couldn’t access the GameVisual menu. It was greyed out. After some crafty Googling, it turns out this is because I had HDR enabled. So to follow this back, because I had HDR enabled, the GameVisual menu was unavailable to me, and because the GameVisual menu was unavailable to me, I couldn’t change to a mode that would allow me to use the sniper feature of a completely different menu. The documentation to explain this? Non-existent. This isn’t the only set of interconnected settings either. For every toggle you enable, three more will become greyed out. It wouldn’t be so much of a problem if you were able to toggle these greyed out settings to automatically disable whatever it was incompatible with but because this isn’t the case. You’re stuck flipping switches until the light you’re looking for magically turns on.

Though the GameVisual settings caused me a reasonable amount of stress here, they do offer some interesting choices. There’s a number of modes aimed to highlight different things for an optimal experience no matter what you’re wanting to use the monitor for. I’m not the kind of person to be constantly changing settings to let me watch a film or view some scenery in a slightly different way though. The mode I ultimately set on was the sRGB mode. Compared to the others, the colours come across in a way I could only describe as a vivid dullness. There’s a bizarre clarity to it I just find really appealing. Out of these options, there is one that deserves a bit of a spotlight, even if it wasn’t necessarily useful to me: MOBA mode. It’s an incredibly simple concept. Dim down every colour to draw emphasis to reds and greens, the colour of health bars in-game. I had a play around with this for a bit of fun and it’s a really cute idea. Not being in the MOBA sphere myself, it’s tough to say how much of a difference it would make to a seasoned player, but on paper it’s a great feature to include.

Outside of the more game-oriented features there’s one big feature I look for when looking to buy a monitor. Though it’s not something important to everybody, at the top of my most wanted list is a picture in picture (PiP) mode, and I’m glad to say the VG28UQL1A features both this and picture by picture (PbP) as available options. Of course, both of these are greyed out if you happen to have VRR enabled, and of course, VRR is enabled by default. The monitor does make some effort in this instance, giving you a warning screen if you happen to enable VRR for yourself down the line to let you know which features will be disabled, but because it’s enabled out of the box, it’s not something you’re likely to know. As far as PiP goes, it’s a fairly standard affair. You can pop another source in any of the four corners of the screen, and pick between the PiP source or the primary source for which you the audio from. It would’ve been nice to see some kind of audio mixing available here, but that’s more of a hope than an expectation, as it’s not something I’ve seen in any other PiP-enabled monitor. It works fine though, and is great for catching up with YouTube while playing more laid-back console games.

One of the more underappreciated features of the monitor comes not from the display itself, but what it’s mounted to: the stand. It’s incredibly stable with a good range of motion to be rotated left and right, up and down, raised and lowered, and even tilted. That’s right, you can use this high end gaming monitor in portrait mode should your twisted heart so desire it. What really stands out here is the flexibility on offer. Naturally you wouldn’t want this to be a full-time portrait monitor, but if you happen to be working from home and want a quick and convenient way to view a document, it’s there. You rotate and you’re done. No mess, no faff, and you can just change it back to normal when you’re done. A good stand goes a long way in supporting a monitor, and I’m glad this one doesn’t disappoint. 

To sum it all up, the VG28UQL1A is a magnificent display packed with a great assortment of small features to build up to a great product. Can I recommend it though? I’m just not sure. While the retail price of £750 may come as a bit of a sting, it’s not unreasonable for what’s on offer. The real question is whether you’ll actually be using what’s on offer to its fullest. With only a handful of Series X games capable of a native 4K image at a higher framerate and the PC hardware required to match this output being several times more expensive than this monitor, my advice would be to wait. In time these fantastic displays will reach a point where they’re affordable to the masses, and in that time there’ll be the games and hardware to warrant actually buying them. If higher framerates are important to you, you can find 1440p monitors at half the price of this with just as many great features; best of all your rig will probably be able to run games to match the monitor’s potential without having to mortgage your house. I really do love this monitor, but now isn’t the time where it excels. The VG28UQL1A has me excited for the future, even if I don’t quite think it has a place now.

You can find this review in full at GBAtemp.net:
https://gbatemp.net/review/lucidsound-ls15x-wireless-gaming-headset.1942/

I’ve only had one chance to try a LucidSound headset before and I had a great time. A flexible and premium product packed with a plethora of features, it did a good job in justifying its high price as an Xbox and Bluetooth headset. Looking now to the more affordable side of their offerings, I was eager to look at the LS15X to see how it stands up considering the price difference of $150.

Though my experience with LucidSound only goes as far as the LS50X, it is worth saying that as a site, we have previously covered the PlayStation counterpart to this headset, the LS15P. If you’re interested in another set of thoughts, you can check out the review here. Be aware the formatting is a little messed up due to the site’s recent update though! Looking at the headset on review there, it’s hard to believe it’s largely the same product. What makes the headset I’m holding stand out above all is the colour; it’s a perfect match with the official Xbox ‘Shock Blue’ design, and it really is stunning to look at.

Taking it out of the box for the first time I was a little conflicted. Compared to the more premium model I still have handy, there are some positive and negative changes. As a whole it feels cheaper. The entire build is plastic and while it appears to have all the same earcup dials and buttons, they don’t feel quite as satisfying to use. The quality matches the price, and retailing at $99, it’s not to say they feel cheap or flimsy, but there’s certainly a disparity to be noted. From a design standpoint, there is one improvement worth mentioning however in the headband padding. It’s really quite comfortable, and the additional cushioning is perfectly positioned to alleviate stress over longer sessions. This was something the LS50X couldn’t quite do for me. Though I have already mentioned the colour, I feel it necessary to reiterate just how well they’ve colour matched the Shock Blue Xbox controller. They were apparently so confident in this colour matching that they sent along a headphone stand and official controller as a part of the press pack for me to see for myself. I can’t fault it, and it goes a surprising way in giving the headset a sense of credibility to back up its officially licenced moniker.

So while it’s really quite similar to the LS50X, sans its high-end finish, you’re probably wondering what separates them. $150 would be a significant difference if that were all there were to it. The most significant omission for me is the lack of multi-device connectivity. As one of my favourite aspects of the LS50X, it’s a shame not to see it on this cheaper variant, but not too surprising given the price difference. What is a bit of a surprise however is the complete lack of Bluetooth connectivity; if you want to use the LS15X wirelessly, you’re stuck with its dongle, and that dongle will only work on a PC or Xbox. Such limitations in connectivity hold back the headset drastically, but there is a question to be asked. Would they have been a good generalist headset anyway?

Thanks to the detachable microphone, they certainly look the part of a normal set of headphones. I’d go as far as to say they look great, avoiding the gaming aesthetic that perhaps doesn’t belong in the world beyond your gaming setup. When it comes to audio quality though, there’s a lot to be desired. Having originally used he headset with my Series X, I really had no complaints. When playing Dark Souls Remastered, everything sounded as it should. The bonfires crackled, the boss music roared. Where I noticed something was off was when connecting them to my PC and putting some music through them. For the lack of a better term, lyrical music sounded muddy. The voices blurred with the backing track and no single part manages to stand out. It just didn’t sound good. It’s possible some of this could be resolved if you’re willing to mess with an EQ on whatever device you’re connected to, but for a more casual consumer it’s hard to recommend for anything outside of gaming.

Also of note is the 3.5mm jack present on the left earcup, something that was surprisingly absent from the LS50X. Though I still wouldn’t recommend it for generalist use, it is worth noting this enables compatibility beyond the Xbox and PC, albeit with limited functionality. When using the 3.5mm jack, you basically miss out on any of the features you get from the device being powered on. This means the earcup no longer works to control volume and the few EQ options available on the headset itself are out of reach. It’s not that much to lose if you do find yourself needing to use them in a pinch, or just want to use them on a wider variety of devices.

All in all, the LS15X are a hard sell for me. The audio quality should be at the heart of any headset, but I’ve found myself entirely underwhelmed on this occasion. They’re comfortable and they’re designed magnificently as to look and feel official, but only being able to enjoy using them for games is a killer, even for a gaming headset. At $99 I expect something more versatile, even if much of that cost comes from the premium of being a licenced Xbox headset. I’d be happy if I got these as a gift, and I might even recommend them as a gift for somebody you know who owns a matching Shock Blue Xbox controller. Really though, there are better products at a similar price.

You can find this review in full at GBAtemp.net:
https://gbatemp.net/review/super-monkey-ball-banana-mania.1936/

Originally created by Amusement Vision in 2001, Super Monkey Ball is a long-running series with a simple to grasp concept. Get your ball-encased monkey to the goal, and do it quickly. Against the clock and your only form of control being rotating the world itself, the original games gained a reputation for themselves in their deceptively-gruelling difficulty. As an anthology of the first Super Monkey Ball, Super Monkey Ball 2, and the additional stages of Super Monkey Ball Deluxe, as well as a colossal collection of series minigames and bonus modes, Banana Mania serves as an accessible way to jump into some classic levels. Just how do they hold up 20 years later?

To cut to the chase, the levels themselves are just as good as they always were, and boy do you have a lot of them to get through. It’s a mammoth task getting through two story modes, and ten challenge modes of varying difficulty. If you’re a fan of the old games but haven’t played in a while you’ll feel right at home, and be able to recognise all your favourites on show. With the game now running in Unity though, it should be noted there are some differences from the original outings. For my casual eye it feels just as good as it always did, but for series veterans who have perhaps revisited the original titles more frequently, you should expect your muscle memory to be a little off. Weirdly, the part that took the most adjustment for me was trying out the non-monkey characters. My mind just couldn’t rationalise rings, apples, or random pill bottles where bananas should be. 

There’s more to the game than just the levels though, with missions being a surprising breath of fresh air to areas of the game I’ve otherwise become really quite familiar with. In the story modes you have three or four additional challenges to attempt on top of the usual monkey into goal tape objective. Each level usually having missions to beat it in a set amount of time, collect a certain number of bananas, and beating it without any helper functions, you’re also tasked with finding hidden goals from time to time. Where in the original games’ story modes these green goals would serve no purpose, their actual use being skipping levels in the challenge mode, you’re incentivised to try out new things you may have previously overlooked. The banana objectives in particular stand out for this. There are a good number of levels across both games that are simple to rush through, but for those stopping to smell the bananas, things get complicated. The earliest example of this I could find is on 1-5 of Super Monkey Ball’s story, Conveyers. Where you can beat the stage incredibly easily by holding up on your analogue stick and using the starting momentum to pass straight over the titular conveyer belts, you soon find how powerful they are after you lose speed to collect bananas. The more I play, the more I discover small pieces and gems nestled within levels I had once zoomed through. It’s really refreshing and adds a layer of replayability to a previously once-and-done mode.

The challenge modes have these missions too, but they’re a little more rigid in how they test you. For each difficulty level, you have three missions: beat the difficulty, beat it without using any helper functions, and beat it within a set number of lives. On top of this, your time in beating the challenge mode is recorded for you to try to beat in future. It’s nice and it’s presented well, but for the challenge modes I can’t help but feel a large part of the challenge has been removed from the game with disappearance of lives. In the original titles these modes were a huge challenge, particularly on higher difficulties, due to the limitations on how many attempts you could have before having to start over. It was tough, terribly so, but it made the completion all that much sweeter. I can’t think of a better example of this than watching Twitch streamer Atrioc spend more than an hour on the 30 stage advanced course of the first game. It took several attempts, but with dedication and passion, you could see the pride and unbridled joy that came with beating it. It’s not to say there’s no satisfaction to be found now, and you can still have that same challenge and progression as you replay the mode and see your lives used go down and down, but I would’ve loved for there to be an option or an additional mode where you’re fighting against a life counter. A part of me wants to relive the frustration of falling within reach of the end, and the satisfaction of later overcoming that frustration. It’s a shame players new to the series won’t get to go through this.

On top of the standard content from the first two games, Banana Mania rolls the extra mile by offering a nice variety of additional modes, each with a small assortment of levels. In large, these function in the same way the missions do in providing a new way to play existing levels, as well as giving you access to a few levels you can’t find elsewhere. You have a mode where you need to collect every banana, you have a mode where you need to avoid bananas, and by far the most interesting to me, you have a mode where you can play a handful of levels in reverse. Each of these modes are stellar in shaking up the formula and they leave me wanting more. If DLC were put out with level packs for these modes, I’d definitely check them out.

But wait, there’s more! Rounding off this spherical package is a collection of minigames you know and love. From Monkey Bowling to Monkey Billiards to Monkey Golf, you have a set of 12 fantastic and varied games to play alongside the main event. I’ve found these a little hit and miss, with some games not quite meeting the expectations of my nostalgia-fuelled memories. Monkey Baseball feels unnecessarily precise, and Monkey Target just doesn’t feel like it used to. I imagine it’s just a case of adapting to new changes and a slightly different feel for these otherwise familiar games, but it’s certainly a culture shock to my aged system. Regardless, I’m happy to see so many of them available in one place, and all available for multiplayer action.

Having received a copy of the game on Switch to review and buying the game on the Series X myself, I’ve had a good opportunity to see how it plays on both ends of the console spectrum. In large the game runs fine on the Switch, and it’s a great option for those wanting the best portable Monkey Ball experience. I did notice the game feel choppy in a select few levels that featured rain and fire effects, but outside of those it’s hard to pick it apart. Running on the Xbox the graphics look a fair bit cleaner, but when you’re focused on your simian sphere they’re hardly what you’re paying attention to. If I had to pick a version to recommend though, it’d probably be the PC release. For some reason it’s £10 cheaper than its console counterparts, making an already compelling package that much more so at just £25. However you choose to play, I doubt you’ll be disappointed.

All in all though, Banana Mania is a great game that brings the golden era of Super Monkey Ball right back into the spotlight. It’s an fantastic package full of classic content to be enjoyed by all at a more than reasonable price. Whether you want to kill 30 minutes or 30 hours, these balls are worth taking for a spin.

You can find this review in full at GBAtemp.net:
https://gbatemp.net/review/powera-spectra-enhanced-wired-switch-controller.1929/

When it comes to unnecessary features on a controller, lights would be the top of my list. Lighting just isn’t necessary on something that by design shouldn’t be the centre of your attention, but there was something so enchanting about the Xbox Spectra controller we’ve previously covered. When I was offered the chance to look at its Switch counterpart, I wasn’t going to pass up the chance.

Taking the controller out of the box it’s nothing special. It has a fairly standard Switch Pro Controller design, featuring all the buttons you’d need to enjoy games on the system. It’s satisfying to hold and has a pleasant soft-matte finish that prevents fingerprints from lingering. On top of the usual buttons, you have PowerA’s staple remappable buttons hiding on the grips. They’re something I really do hope take off since I find them far more comfortable than the more premium-seeming paddles you see in a fair number of high end controllers. Grip buttons by contrast are something I’ve only really come across with PowerA, though that’s not to say other companies I’m unaware of haven’t been experimenting.

As with their previous products, no software is required to use these with mapping and remapping done using a button on the back of the controller. They’re simple to use and you can swap them out on the fly to suit whichever game you’re playing; they were a lifesaver when trying to adjust to the awkward control scheme of Girls und Panzer Dream Tank Match DX.

Right next to the remapping button is another extra to manage the controller’s signature feature: the lighting. My first impressions were incredibly mixed. Having seen the Spectra Infinity reviewed previously, I had expectations and some excitement for a full and brazen rainbow aesthetic; I wanted something entirely unnecessary and over the top. What I hadn’t realised is that having multiple colours going at once was a feature exclusive to the Infinity variant, with this model not existing for the Switch. It’s a shame to see what feels like a lesser product being put out when PowerA have shown they’re capable of more, but I plugged it in anyway, and frankly it looked great. You can still set this controller to cycle through colours though if that’s something you’d want. 

The bars of colour wrapping around the controller and its key buttons are incredibly vivid without having a degree of brightness that could negatively pull your attention away from the screen. It’s more a feeling of “wow that’s neat” than anything else. The lighting isn’t enough to make you think the controller is something ridiculously premium, but it does almost seem too good for what the controller costs, coming in at £29.99.

I can carry this sentiment through to the rest of the controller really. PowerA make some genuinely great controllers, and the quality on show here more than reflects that. Buttons have a satisfying press with no overwhelming mushiness or clickiness. They feel like they need just a but more force to activate than an official Pro Controller, which will be to the taste of some and distaste of others. The D-Pad is pleasant to use, though still falls short of the Pokken Pro pad, which is my personal gold standard of D-Pads. Each direction feels defined enough for general menuing in a pinch, but I wouldn’t trust it to get me through a tight level in Mario Maker 2 without being caught out by a phantom up input. It’s functional, but by no means exceptional.

Something I’ve pointed out in my other PowerA controller reviews, the analogue sticks stick out (if you’ll pardon the pun) as something really quite special. Of every controller I’ve tried, official or otherwise, they have the smoothest movement when rotated against the casing. This is something that most people won’t think they care about, and really most people probably don’t. Having said that, it’s just one factor that builds up to a fantastic user experience.

With the Spectra, you really only have a few negative points to pick out. First, it’s exclusively wired. It’s not something I really hold against the controller, since it’s exactly what it’s advertised as, but the lack of a wireless alternative may come as a disappointment to some. With it being wired, it also means you’re missing a few crucial Pro Controller features in NFC, and more importantly, gyro. What really hurts me though isn’t its wired limitations, it’s the wire they chose to limit it to. Micro USB. In 2021. It hurts me to type it, and I was disappointed to see it. To give due credit, it’s a great braided cable with a nice locking design to keep it tightly connected to the controller in use. If you leave it in the controller, you might not notice it, but it’s still something I’m not overly fond of.

All in all though, the Spectra is a fantastic controller that only goes to reiterate what we’ve said in our previous reviews. PowerA has consistently delivered on quality third party offerings at a price that’s reasonable, and the Switch Spectra controller is no different. If you’re wanting something for your player two, or just want something handy you won’t have to worry about charging, it’s an incredibly compelling device.