This review was originally written for TheNintendoVillage.com, a website I founded and ran from 2018 to 2021.

If you’re after a budget pro controller, then the Gioteck WX4 could be right up your street. While it lacks the premium feel of Nintendo’s official pad, it also lacks the premium price tag, making it a decent option for anyone looking to add an extra controller without having the cash to splash on any first party offerings.

Great D-Pad

Despite also being compatible with PC, the pad has been designed to work specifically with the Switch an thus features the same plus and minus buttons, home button and a snapshot button. Two triggers are also present, thouogh interestingly they’re labelled R1 and R2 - and L1 and L2 - rather than the Switch’s R, ZR, L and ZL respectively. If I had to guess, I’d say this was a money-saving gambit and the same buttons are used on the sister pad for the PS4 (though the WX4 can also be used with the PS3, so maybe that explains it). Still though, all the buttons are nice and easy to reach, comfortable to press, and offer a satisfying click when you do.

The D-pad is especially pleasant. Anyone who’s attempted to play Tetris 99 with the official Pro controller will be well aware of erroneous presses down to the D-pad’s depressing lack of precision. There’s no such qualms with the WX4 though, the only misplaced blocks coming as a result of my own poor reflexes. Lack of talent aside, it easily kept up with my inputs, even when getting to the business end of the Tetris battle royale matches.

Elsewhere the sticks are nice to use too, though they did feel like they had every so slightly more resistance in them than the official Pro. This took a short while for my muscle memory to get used to, but I was soon jumping around matches in Smash Bros Ultimate with all the finesse I usually manage. Gyro’s present too impressively, though it didn’t feel quite as responsive as that found on Nintendo’s pad or the Joy-Con. Some may actually prefer that, as the official offerings can be a bit too lairy at times, but there were occasions in Splatoon where I came a-cropper due to not being able to aim quite as quickly as I would’ve liked. The hair-triggers were good for a few kills though.

Feel, Don’t Think

As for the general look and feel of the thing, it’s not an unattractive pad. Somewhere between Nintendo’s and an Xbox controller, though it does weigh considerably less than either. The plastic also feels much cheaper than that found on any first party offering (though not a million miles from a DualShock 4), but considering the thing costs less than half the price, that’s more than forgivable.

Speaking of feel, I was thoroughly impressed with the rumble on offer here too. It actually outperformed the official Pro so far as I was concerned. The rumble on Nintendo’s controller can be a bit too subtle for my tastes, whereas when I took a hit in Smash or got splatted during a turf war, I really felt it. There may be those out there who find the feedback a touch too violent, but personally I loved it. We’re reviewing the wireless version here - charged via an included USB cable, but it’s worth noting that the wired version doesn’t include gyro or rumble.

Generally speaking then, the Gioteck WX4 is exactly what you’d expect from a controller at this price point. But the fact it comes with gyro controls and an impressive rumble feature, makes it stand out from the competition in its price range. If you’re flush with cash, I’d still recommend you’d go for Nintendo’s offering. But if you’re in the market for a second pad with a decent D-pad and don’t won’t to break the bank, you’d be hard pushed to find a fully featured alternative that performs as well.