Abxylute’s new Switch 2 console prototype has one big problem

Both of Abxylute’s new controllers have a larger, more comfortable grip than the Joy-Cons, as well as longer-lasting Hall effect joysticks. I tested a working prototype of the N6, and it has pretty much everything people might look for to level up their gaming experience: full-sized sticks, vibration, motion controls, customizable back paddles, and a turbo mode for spamming commands.

What the N6 is going for is nothing new. CRKD has posted a file Sliding form factor with the original switch. It adds thick handles to your controller to make it look like a Steam Deck. As much as it added to ergonomics, it stood out as a solution to the Switch’s Joy-Con drift drama by offering Hall effect sticks that wouldn’t disintegrate. The N6 doesn’t mess around with this formula much. It has full-size Hall effect joysticks that are more grippy and feature a concave surface so your thumb can rest instead of sliding. It has thick handles that run around the back of the controller to allow your fingers to spread out, and its triggers are larger and provide more haptic feedback.

The thing is, the N6 doesn’t feel like a huge upgrade over Joy-Cons like the Nitro Deck, based on my time with a functional prototype. For example, the left and right sticks are too low for my average-sized hand to reach comfortably with my fingers fully extended around the fists, making reaching the directional pad and any of the system level buttons below it particularly difficult. People with larger hands are likely to have more trouble.

You may not have issues if you have small hands, and/or if you primarily play games that don’t require fast reaction times. The N6 can handle quick reactions, but I never felt confident enough in my grip to execute twitchy commands accurately.

Ergonomics could be improved if Abxylute made the left and right sides of the controller taller and spread the sticks and buttons wider. This should make it easier for more people to fully grip the N6 without struggling to reach the sticks or buttons. As it is, I have to keep it in an unstable claw grip to play some games. The longer controllers will also cover the Switch 2’s upper left and right edges, which were inexplicably exposed by the N6’s design.

Many aspects of the N6 are still in development, including how the rumble feels (strong, not trying for HD rumble, but also not terrible), and how the buttons and triggers feel (pretty obvious — I’d have trouble using this around my wife while reading at night).

Abxylute has proactively shared a list of known issues it’s working to address before the final release in April, which I think is a good move from a company hoping to get your pledge:

Abxylute is asking HK$618, or about US$80, for N6 as a special early backer price. It offered a limited share at this price, and most of it had already sold out by press time. Whether they become more expensive after crowdfunding or not, they are within your price range $99.99 Rocca Nitro Deck 2 Coming this spring which offers many additional features. Based on my experience with an early N6 prototype, I’m not convinced it’s worth getting a controller that leaves too much of your controller exposed and suffers from ergonomics.

Photography by Cameron Faulkner/The Verge