Should You Avoid The RetroFlag Joy-Con?
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- Опубліковано 2 лип 2024
- When we received the RetroFlag Handheld Controller for Switch last month we were blown away, we loved everything about it from its GameCube inspired aesthetics, features and of course, the Hall Effect sensing joystick modules used that mean the sticks can never drift.
After using them for the past month, putting it through rigorous tests and just general use, we've found some glaring issues with the design and function of the controller. There's things we absolutely love and then there's things that just downright don't work well at all.
As frequently asked for, here's our review of the RetroFlag Handheld Controller Joy-Con alternative for the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch OLED. We cover thing in detail, including specific tests that YOU asked for during our first impressions video, which can be seen below.
Watch my first impressions video here:
• These GameCube Joy-Con...
Purchase the RetroFlag Handheld Controller here:
geni.us/Aqczg0
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0:00 Intro
0:28 THE PODCAST
0:38 What Is It, Features & What's Missing
2:44 Build Quality, Design & A HUGE Issue
3:34 Ergonomics & Another Issue
4:26 Physical Games Issue..
4:42 Rumble... & Another Issue
5:30 Gyro Is Broken
5:53 Joysticks, Hall Effect, Deadzone etc.
6:37 D-Pad, Face Buttons, Triggers & Your Issues
7:31 Turbo & Button Swap
8:11 Is It Dockable?
8:49 Price & Availability
9:09 My Honest Thoughts
10:37 Watch The Podcast - Ігри
Reminder: this is registered as a pro controller on the switch, which is the reason you had weird gyro. On most games, when the pro controller is flat, you move it up, down, left and right. Due to this controller registering as a pro controller, the switch thinks it’s a pro controller being held upright, which means it will register tilting as moving left to right.
That is an excellent point that I completely missed! Shame though, no one's going to play this with it laying flat 😅
well that’s why you change your tilt style to index and pinky
@@_WiZ420 the tilt style can be changed?
@@june5093 uh, yea? Just do it a different way lol
@@_WiZ420 oh that's crazy i had no idea that could be changed.
Thank you for pointing out the rail scratch issue. Other UA-cam reviewers didn’t even mention it, and I only found out in Amazon from user reviews, just before I almost bought it.
You're welcome, sucks it does that :(
And I feel you on being OCD w my gadgets! Really I do it for just my peace of mind, but as a bonus down the road, I usually get a good resell value on most of my old gear for when I’m upgrading, so it’s always good to have your devices in mint condition anyway.
@@nyjay my thoughts exactly! I also hoard boxes for tech for that very reason 🤣
Great video as always! Luckily, I got mine with no problems and I'm in love with the controller. Two concerns which I noticed after using them for the first few days was the weight, and the d-pad. It was really heavy, but after a week I got used to it. It also adds to the sturdiness of the switch, so I won't get worried with my switch and rails bending. The other concern was the D-pad. They were able to mimic the D-pad of the pro controller to a T. Including their sensitivity issues. Holding the arrow down button and just slightly tilting your thumb to the left or right would trigger them. I play fighting games with the D-pad, and I completely miss strings and combos. So they're useless to me at the moment. I'm waiting for a teardown video for this controller so I could add tape to the arrow keys to fix the issue.
Thank you! Glad you don't have any issues, despite the issues I've faced I still really like it haha! Bah sucks you've had issues with the D-Pad :/ I'll think about doing a teardown in future
I love your reviews so much
amazing! All the doubts I had (all of the) have been resolved in this video.unfortunately it has more flaws than I expected. Thank you very much for the Review, i was waiting for it to decide whether to buy it or not.
You're welcome!
Think I’ll need to pick one up next month for some upcoming traveling :D
Finally!! Great review!!!
Thank you!
Great review and great analysis. I have some questions. Would you prefer this specific grip/hand held style device out of ALL the available ones that we have out on the market right now? I play smash and THPS 1&2 quite often which requires a ton of analog stick play. I do own switch lite but joy stick drift is always on the back of my mind when playing these specific games ( I try not to play smash handheld most of the time; I just connect a GC controller via USB etc etc). That being said I do want to play handheld for the MAJORITY of the time I play these specific games especially smash, it just makes the transition easier and it is my preferred way of a playing. I have nearby friend that doesn’t use his regular switch anymore ( yes I know this is more compatible with the OLED but this is all I could get as of right now) and I am definitely going to snag it off him just for the price alone ($100). This grip came to mind once I found out it’s features, mainly the fact that it has a supposed anti drift mechanism in its joy sticks.... Anything helps, thanks!
Unsure if you’re still curious, but I use this controller with an OG model 2018 switch and it’s fantastic. The joysticks feel better than my switch pro controller and the dpad is great if you’re used to snes/8bitdo style dpads. The rumble is really nice as well which is a plus.
This may be me being a old man but I really wish this grip had an octo-gate for the joysticks even if its just the left one.
My V1 Switch rails were scratched. I purchased a black paint pen and painted over the scratches.
Great idea!
I actually got the RetroFlag controller just because of the hall effect joysticks, the motion controls, and the rumble alone.
How is it so far? Any issues , complaints?
@@bravopapa137 I don't like the gap between switch and joycons, dpad is excellent, sticks and buttons too, c stick gets dirty after while
Sadly can't be used as a controller if connected through usb cable to switch
(didn't try connecting it w usb-c female cable cuz I don't own one)
Makes switch heavy but grip is better
Can't fit into oem dock (Gonna try w 3rd party dock soon. hope that retroflag pd can output video)
mine has no issue, just that the c stick is too small for me, planning to replace it in the future, the buttons are a little clicky in comparison to hori split pad, also planning to mod it a little to get that offset thing of the satisfye grip. otherwise good build and quality
Glad to hear it! Good luck on the mods! :D Would love to hear about it when you're finished
How are the ABXY buttons? Are they clicky, mushy, or springy? Thanks in advance!
I have this controller, but I don’t have the Nitro Deck controller yet. So I can’t do my own comparison. Can you make a comparison video between the two when the Nitro Deck launches in September? I’d really appreciate it, and I’m certain that others would too.
Absolutely, I've reached out to the guys that are doing the nitro deck and it seems positive so I'm hopeful for a review sample in the coming weeks, fingers crossed.
Ive never noticed anything worth hd rumble besides 1,2 Switch. Still sounds nearly perfect.
Yeah I get you, just the feel of the rumble in general is nicer from HD rumble imo
I'm waiting for the in depth binbonk equivalent and the wizard ones
I'll get around to those as soon as I get time and have tested them enough! 😁
Oh never mind. Found it in this same channel!
I will be received the Retroflag JC's tomorrow. Has any figured out a way to prevent scratching on the Switch by the Retroflag Joy-cons?
¿Encontraste una manera de no rayar el interruptor?
From all the reviews I've seen this seems to be the highest quality joycons outside of Nintendo/Hori. I wish they'd make a non-gamecube style one, the c-stick while faithful to Gamecube doesn't seem practical for most games.
NYXI Hyperion series is better than Hori Split Pad Pro. NYXI have the best Joycons for handheld gaming.
I never considered the right joystick placement an issue, but that’s because I’m also double jointed in my hands and felt nothing from it. Glad you covered even miniscule things like this
double jointed in your hands? Say what?
@@MrMortenVutborg It's moreso the joints within the fingers, as there isn't much with the actual hand itself. You can also call it hypermobility, but since that name is probably less known I just didn't use it.
In any case yea, I don't struggle to bend my fingers in a lot of ways that people generally would. I actually didn't know until later on in middle school that this was uncommon.
I had mine for about a week now and the ZL trigger is starting to stick😒, waiting on a replacement from Amazon.
Bah sorry to hear that
I know i'm 2 months late, but is there anyone who can recommend a case that fits this perfectly?
Are you able to take a female usb-C to male usb-A and connect this to a dock as if it were a pro controller? I dont have the cable to test this
Love the design.
Yeah same!
anyone know of a good case for this controller?
Does anyone have case recommendations for use with this? I mostly play handheld and I take my switch to work with me for play on my lunch. Seems like I pain to take it in and out just to travel.
I bought the galaxy one for the hori split pad pro on amazon
Would putting a small piece of tape on the bottom sides of the switch, below the rails, stop it from getting scratched up?
Possibly but that might just tear or cause issues getting it in/out
@@128KB you're probably right. Such a bummer this is the case tho. I just got mine and love how it looks/feels but after seeing how it scratches the switch I'm not sure about even using it.
Any case recommendations for this?
Undoubtedly they'll make one. Dobe's comes with a case, though.
There so many pros and unique specs about it that outweights the cons which is mostly design.
Did you, or anyone else for that matter, run into the software bug with the oled? The oled will intermittently stop recognizing the controller when plugged in. The company released a firmware update that is supposed to fix it, but i have purchased 2 units and both of them had this problem. Even with the update, my oled switch doesn't recognize the controller unless it has the power passthrough plugged in also. If i unplug the power, the switch thinks the controller has been unplugged too. Very annoying.
I haven't had that issue before, that's the first I've actually heard of it too 😱
Mine now always disconnected idk why
Just got one, the gyro is 100% in my unit, and the shoulder buttons are not behaving different from one another! A new batch, maybe?
Possibly!
Care to share the Amazon link?
@@cilonen got mine from Aliexpress
Will it still work when the rails scratched
Yes
I wish it had a kick stand
I like this controller. The gyro and rumble is no big deal to me, I won't be using tthem.
i press the + and - it doesn't control the volume?
No, + & - are the equivalent to Start & Select. You need to use the volume control on the top of the Switch to control the volume.
glad i waiting for your review. needed to hear the inevitable monkeys paw on this guy
Yeah there's a few set back for sure, glad to have helped
not a fan of the nipple on the right side, just wished it just had a normal analog stick
Fair enough, plenty agree with you but I enjoy the nipple.
Is it always going to scratch? Or is there a way to use it without harming the switch?
I have it and no scratchs on mine.. the youtuber is just clumpsy
@@BomboFecajust a friendly reminder that its clumsy not clumpsy.
i hope we can swap the right joystick. its small i hate it. other than that its good product
Check out our video of the Nitro Deck, or our comparison against that and this on the channel
I don't like that it scratches the switch on its side rails.
Yeah it's so sad it does that :(
The gyro malfunction is a deal breaker fore sadly 😢.
The CRKD Nitro Deck seems to be a much better choice than the RetoFlag.
Definitely, I've reached out to CRKD for a review sample but I highly doubt I'll receive one since I'm UK and currently the CRKD is only for US/Canada I believe. Keep an eye out though as we may receive one ;)
but its more expensive though
This or mobapad m6?
Mobapad.
The trigger does stick.
:'(
My left stick has drift
That doesn't sound right, contact them or return it.
For me, it’s changed how I see the Switch. Infinitely more comfortable to hold and I’ve played so much more Switch since buying.
I’ve not had any quality issues on mine (yet), but not really anticipating it. I just leave it permanently in there now.
Yeah it's a great controller!
Thank for the review. The weight can't be worse than a steam deck? ❤🎮
Nah steam deck is heavier I'd say
Why didn’t they move the usb to the top? And scratches? Hard pass.
Battery drain is a big problem for sure not worth it
Are you getting paid handsomely for these reviews? The actual user reviews for this on Amazon aren't great...
Not really trusting your channel much.
You've clearly not watched the video and instead basing your opinion on title alone (which I've now changed). I found fault with almost every aspect of this controller so how can you possibly say that? They pay us nothing at all otherwise we'd have to declare paid promotion. Next time watch the video before assuming, or maybe you're just a troll.
@@128KB No, my problem is not with your overall evaluation. It's with your initial optimism and presentation. It seems like this is just an overall junk product that shouldn't even be given screen time. These manufacturers have no intention of fixing the issues. They'll just rebrand/reshell. You're no better than mainstream media outlets who glorify mass shooters by putting their faces, names, and body count on the screen for future copy cats to outdo. These sellers don't care if you say little negative things about their product as long as it gets screen time and has a narrator who speaks proper English.
@@9unslin9er
So what are you saying? That this guy isn't allowed to have his own opinion and like/review a product he bought. Yeah it's a third party Chinese product but obviously caught people's attention for the hall effect sensors alone.
If you don't like it and think it's crap that's your opinion and that's fine.
@@Westy90_ If you don't want feedback, there's an option to turn comments off. This is UA-cam. Not a Newspaper. 2-Way commentary is the hallmark of social media. You just expressed hypocrisy in your own statement.
what a bitter guy, clealy u dont like him