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Horipad Turbo: One-minute evaluate
It’s laborious to seek out good Nintendo Swap controllers on the $30 / £30 value mark. Usually, finances gamepads round this level merely don’t really feel all that nice to play with and sometimes have a construct high quality that leaves quite a bit to be desired. That’s why I’ve been pleasantly stunned by the Horipad Turbo, a finances Swap controller that definitely has a number of the hallmarks of an affordable pad, however manages to make up for it in different key areas.
Clearly, some compromises have been made to maintain prices low. The Horipad Turbo does really feel light-weight and considerably hole within the fingers. It’s a strictly wired controller and doesn’t supply arguably fundamental options like gyro aiming, vibration, or remappable rear buttons. I’m additionally not the most important fan of its easy, mushy D-pad.
However the Horipad Turbo will get most different issues proper the place it counts. Its thumbsticks and buttons all really feel nice, and its satisfying-to-press digital triggers are completely suited to the greatest Nintendo Swap video games. The titular Turbo perform additionally works very properly and is kind of sturdy with three distinct enter settings.
Throw in choices for formally licensed liveries impressed by Tremendous Mario and The Legend of Zelda sequence, and it’s clear that quite a lot of thought and care has gone into making the Horipad Turbo a horny finances choice. Should you’re curious about buying a brand new Nintendo Swap controller, then, however don’t have the funds to splash out on the likes of the Nintendo Swap Professional Controller or 8BitDo Final, I extremely advocate trying out the Horipad Turbo as an alternative.
Horipad Turbo: Worth and availability
- $29.99 / £29.99
- Obtainable in three colorways
- UK availability seems to be very restricted
The Horipad Turbo is obtainable to buy for $29.99 / £29.99. Within the US, it’s obtainable on Hori’s personal web site in addition to Amazon. Sadly, it’s rather more tough to trace down within the UK. Right here, Hori’s web site doesn’t at present have any inventory, and listings at retailers like Amazon are restricted (although typically are available properly below the retail value).
Three distinct colorways can be found for the Horipad Turbo. There’s a normal black model, in addition to fancier liveries for The Legend of Zelda and Tremendous Mario. These don’t value any further, both, so that you’re free to select one which most closely fits your tastes with out making a much bigger dent in your pockets.
Earlier than you do resolve to tug the set off, although, I might additionally advocate you try the GameSir Nova Lite. This controller is available in at $24.99 / £29.99 and is extra extensively obtainable in each areas. It additionally has some key upgrades over the Horipad Turbo, together with Corridor impact sticks and wi-fi connectivity. It nonetheless lacks gyro aiming, nevertheless.
Horipad Turbo: Specs
Worth | $29.99 / £29.99 |
Dimensions | 6.1 x 4.7 x 2.5in / 155 x 119 x 64mm |
Weight | 0.77lbs / 0.35kg |
Connection kind | Wired (USB) |
Compatibility | Nintendo Swap, PC |
Software program | N/A |
Horipad Turbo: Design and options
- Light-weight construct, however definitely not uncomfortable
- Customary asymmetrical format just like the Swap Professional Controller
- Overly mushy-feeling D-pad
The Horipad Turbo very a lot comes as marketed (properly, aside from one specific factor that I’ll contact on within the efficiency part beneath). The field accommodates the wired controller, an instruction booklet and that’s it. No fancy extras like swappable thumbsticks, carry circumstances, or all that jazz. However that is to be anticipated for a gamepad that’s firmly positioned within the finances value bracket.
The controller itself definitely has a finances, plastic really feel, and it’s extraordinarily light-weight. Consequently, it feels virtually listless within the fingers. Nonetheless, this isn’t to say holding the controller is disagreeable. Whereas it lacks textured grips a la the Nintendo Swap Professional Controller, it’s snug sufficient and straightforward to maintain a agency grip on when you play.
Sticks and face buttons each really feel nice to make use of and the bumpers, whereas a bit chunky for my tastes, are nonetheless ample. The digital ZL and ZR triggers are the actual stars of the present, with a right away press that’s good for the overwhelming majority of the first-party Nintendo Swap recreation library.
The clue’s within the identify relating to the Horipad Turbo’s key characteristic. Its Turbo performance permits for fast inputs just by holding down the button it’s assigned to.
To do that, merely maintain the Turbo button within the middle of the gamepad, adopted by your face button of alternative. There are alternatives for five, 10, and 20 inputs per second. So it’s a fantastic match for less complicated, arcade-like titles you would possibly discover inside the Nintendo Swap On-line retro libraries. Want having the ability to quickfire projectiles in video games like Blaster Grasp and Tremendous R-Sort? The Turbo button will help shave a few of that issue off whereas protecting your thumb totally blister-free.
The controller’s 10ft (3m) cable is business normal, however because it’s non-braided it did are likely to coil up greater than I’d like. The D-pad can also be an actual letdown right here. For one, it’s actually skinny, making diagonal inputs a contact more durable than they should be. It additionally feels very mushy to press, resulting in a fairly unsatisfying gameplay expertise. Follow these analog sticks for motion in case you can.
Horipad Turbo: Efficiency
- Completely responsive throughout all fronts
- Works on PC in addition to Nintendo Swap
- Lacking options embody rumble and gyro aiming
The Horipad Turbo is appropriate primarily with the Nintendo Swap and Nintendo Swap OLED fashions. You received’t get PlayStation or Xbox performance right here, however the controller is appropriate with PC. This isn’t talked about on Hori’s web site or on the field itself, however I used to be capable of hook the controller as much as my PC by way of USB and it labored there with out problem.
That stated, I feel the Horipad Turbo is a greater match for the Swap, and never simply due to these formally licensed liveries. It’s obtained the Swap’s ‘reversed’ face button format (with X/Y and A/B swapped from the standard XInput format) and its digital triggers are good for a recreation library the place pressure-sensitive triggers are by no means actually required.
Consequently, it’s a fantastic match for a number of video games that I examined, together with Tremendous Mario Odyssey, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – all video games the place fast set off presses are utilized frequently. Although when it got here to each Zelda and Splatoon 3, I definitely did lament the dearth of gyro aiming right here. The very fact there’s no rumble, whereas much less of a dealbreaker general, can also be a disgrace.
Ought to I purchase the Horipad Turbo?
Purchase it if…
Do not buy it if…
Additionally think about…
The Horipad Turbo is a strong controller, however in case you’re after a brand new Nintendo Swap gamepad you might also want to think about these budget-friendly alternate options.
| Row 0 – Cell 0 | Horipad Turbo | GameSir Nova Lite | 8BitDo Final C |
Worth | $29.99 / £29.99 | $24.99 / £29.99 | $29.99 / £24.99 |
Dimensions | 6.1 x 4.7 x 2.5in / 155 x 119 x 64mm | 6.1 x 4.1 x 2.4in / 155 x 104 x 61mm | 5.8 x 4.1 x 2.4in / 147 x 104 x 61mm |
Weight | 0.77lbs / 0.35kg | 0.66lbs / 0.3kg | 0.45lbs / 0.2kg |
Connection kind | Wired (USB) | Wi-fi (2.4GHz, Bluetooth), Wired (USB Sort-C) | Wi-fi (Bluetooth), Wired (USB Sort-C) |
Compatibility | Nintendo Swap, PC | Nintendo Swap, PC, Android, iOS | Nintendo Swap, PC, Android, iOS |
How I examined the Horipad Turbo
- Examined over the course of every week
- Performed totally on Nintendo Swap with some PC
- In contrast and contrasted primarily with the GameSir Nova Lite
I examined the Horipad Turbo for this evaluate for roughly every week. Throughout that point I attempted the gamepad with a variety of high Nintendo Swap video games, together with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Tremendous Mario Odyssey, Astral Chain, and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. I additionally put the Turbo button by way of its paces by enjoying a wide range of becoming retro titles on Nintendo Swap On-line. These included Blaster Grasp, Ninja Gaiden, Mario Social gathering 3, and Tremendous R-Sort.
I additionally spent a while evaluating the Horipad Turbo to what I really feel is its closest finances equal – the GameSir Nova Lite. I do choose GameSir’s controller, owing to its Corridor impact sticks and wi-fi connectivity choices. However the Horipad Turbo isn’t far off, with related construct high quality and a pleasant Turbo button addition. Each controllers lack gyro aiming, although, which is a little bit of a disgrace.
First reviewed February 2025
