Power A folks were nice enough to send us a couple of controllers to check out from their Fusion series. One controller featured was for the Nintendo Switch, a wired beauty that was geared towards fighting games, and another controller in what can only be described as an Xbox One Pro series design. Both controllers were interesting as hell and both had very distinctive design personalities.
Without further delay, let’s dig right into it.
Fusion Wired FightPad — or NintenDOES finally
Normally, third-party controllers seem nice and cheap. You can feel their emptiness, as well as their push-button cheapness, but it’s mostly worth the risk because of the savings on price. I know that sounds awful, but if I’m a young gamer and I have a limited budget, then going with a lesser quality of controllers is probably going to be the choice every single time. It is the truth of the matter.
Power A went beyond just another cheap third-party controller with their Fusion Wired FightPad. They actually built something that feels comfortable (for the most part) and durable, while also allowing the gamer to switch out covers in a customizable manner. It’s a fascinating design overall that calls back to an earlier time in the gaming industry. Looking at this controller reminds me of the Sega Saturn controller design, even down to the curves. That controller was comfortable way back in the day and certainly made playing Virtua Fighter easier.
That said, while the button layout is incredibly similar to that controller, where there are two rows of three buttons on the right side, the D-Pad in the Fusion appears to be the weak point of the design. There are two things that don’t feel comfortable about the D-Pad — the dip in the controller front plate and how loose the D-Pad feels upon touch. To be fair, I understand that this dip should help your thumb stay on the pad, even direct it to the pad, but it feels like you’re dipping your thumb into a slight hole and not firmly getting the D-pad in the right direction. The latter might be caused by the rise of the D-Pad (probably a half-inch — or close to it) from the plate. If it were a bit tighter in the plate, then it might not feel as loose and/or slightly uncomfortable. As it stands, while it does feel loose, the response is actually really quite accurate. It’s just a personal preference at this point not to have a loose feel with the D-Pad. Tight and lower would have been preferred.
Getting back to the positives, the buttons feel nice and firm, as well as the grip. This is a controller I would use instead of those shit Joy Cons that feel like my five-year-old built them from popsicle sticks. This controller is a solid substitute from that train wreck, especially for Smash and/or other fighting games (Street Fighter Collection please).
Overall, I do like the Fusion Nintendo Switch controller. I think that if Power A could find a nice solution for either embedding that D-Pad firmly or changing the plate a bit, then it would be a really nice controller to add to your collection of controller options at home.
Fusion Xbox One — Pro Wired Controller — or what the heck? How did this appear here?
Rarely do I dote over an Xbox controller. I was there for the giant hamburger Xbox controller in 2001, which should thank the Atari Jaguar controller for being the worst controller ever before it could wear that crown. I was there for the awkward Xbox 360 controller, which for the most part felt comfortable until a game requested you use the bumpers (so painful). The best controllers made by Microsoft were with the Xbox One, which I have no complaints about at all. It took them a long time to get there, but they got there…then they made the Pro version of their controller nearly $200 — which is INSANE.
I get there is something about the Pro controller that makes it special, mainly those F1 flippers in the back, but $179? Ain’t no one got time for that. Thankfully, Power A has a solution.
The Fusion Xbox One Pro Wired Controller is not your typical third-party controller. It doesn’t feel cheap, it doesn’t feel empty, it doesn’t feel like anything but a ‘pro’ solution. When I first got it out of the box, I was baffled on what I was holding. My brain was expecting a cheap plastic mold that had no weight to it — made mostly of wires and no beef. What it got was unexpected.
The mold of the controller is heavy, it has some solid grip to it, as do the thumbsticks, and the overall product feels comfortable in one’s hands. It has removable sticks, as well as stick plates to it, which come in a nice portable pouch. It also has additional mappable flippers in the back of the controller, which is a HUGE draw for those looking for a pro solution. The mapping works well and should please those wanting that solution.
The downer? It’s wired. Granted, the wire is incredibly long. It’s so long that you could snag your foot on it, should you get it looped through. People might hate that, and I can see why in this wireless age, but it’s not the worst thing in the world. I have a wired solution for my PC, though it’s getting replaced by this one, so I’m used to it. This is the only downer of the product.
Overall, the Pro Wired Controller is damn good. It’s about $100 cheaper than the Microsoft Pro controller, though you have to give up wireless in exchange for the cost. For me, that’s no big deal. I was raised on wired and I’ll probably always have a wired solution at the ready, and with this many options, it’s hard to beat this controller.
