Customer Ratings & Reviews

Controller is great. Works much better than using the joy con.

My son really likes the controller it works good and it’s wireless.

Nintendo switch controller more ergonomical than joycon

Good controller. Pairs easily with the nintento switch.

broke within a year from general use, bumper buttons have poor reaction

Bought it for my neice for her switch, her first gaming platform

Greattttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt

I had trouble getting the Switch to recognize it. i returned it.

A month after purchasing the left joy stick doesn’t work. Too late for Best Buy return and MGC Gaming won’t exchange the product.

So amazing best controller ive ever used 10/10 best ever

Had to return this because it wouldnt connect we tried for hours

Was great till left stick gave out and i busted the packaging to shreds... went and spent on Nintendo Pro controller, they hold better quality for now...

Third-party game console controllers have long sought to shake their reputation for being low-quality knock offs of the real thing. Often maligned for cheap plastics, wonky joysticks, and mushy buttons, it’s no wonder memories of early video gaming are wrought with arguing with friends for the first controller, with siblings and guests relegated to the inferior option that the parents bought to save a few dollars. Fortunately, third party controllers have come a long way in recent years to the point that some even outperform their brand-name counterparts. MGC’s Switchplate controller aims to be one of the most feature-complete third party offerings for the Nintendo Switch range of consoles, offering the rumble support and gyroscope control often missing from other brands’ unlicensed controllers. MGC goes a step further by adding programmable buttons, adjustable force feedback, turbo toggles, and of course interchangeable faceplates to the mix, resulting in one of the most unique controllers I’ve used with a Nintendo console in a long time. While it doesn’t overcome all of the shortcomings that plague the history of third party controllers, the MGC Switchplate’s overall build quality, diminutive size, and affordable price combine to make this one of the better offerings outside brand-name controllers, and is perfect for parents to consider for younger gamers. - Unboxing and Setup The first impression I had of the controller is just how much smaller it is than the official Nintendo Switch Pro controller. It’s about 20% smaller than that gamepad, which images don’t accurately convey. An included USB-C cable handles charging duty for the controller, and an included quickstart guide (with some of the smallest, hardest to read font I’ve seen yet in an unboxing) overviews the adjustable rumble and programmable button settings. Pairing is as simple as it is with first party controllers - simply load the Change Grip / Order screen and hold the Home button to get started. Four LEDs on the lower edge of the controller indicate the connected controller number, and once paired the MGC is fully functional without any further fuss. An important note - as this is an unlicensed controller I was concerned that connectivity may be hindered by console firmware updates, but on a first-generation (non-OLED, non-Lite) Nintendo Switch with the latest updates as of October 12, 2022, I had no issue getting connected. It’s possible (though unlikely) that future firmware revisions may impact the functionality of the MGC Switchplate controller, but this is a risk taken with any third party controller. - Control & Build Quality Despite its small size better suited for children than adults, the MGC Switchplate is comfortable and ergonomic to hold with larger hands. The plastics used are of good quality and rough edges are kept to a minimum. The joysticks here are particularly strong - very smooth to actuate and with grips that feel higher quality than you might expect for an inexpensive controller. Unfortunately, the buttons themselves leave something to be desired. They all actuate fine but they’re inconsistent in feel; the face buttons, the L and R triggers, ZL and ZR, and the D-pad all seem to have different mechanisms for actuation that result in differing levels of clickiness and mushiness from set to set. The first party Pro controller is miles ahead in this regard, with mechanisms that all seem to be made from the same mold underneath the button. It doesn’t hinder gameplay much at all once you’re used to it, but it’s an obvious reminder that a different level of care and attention was given to the build than the first-party offerings. Not really a dealbreaker, and certainly one that younger gamers will hardly notice, but a reminder of the budget roots of third-party controllers nonetheless. The two includes faceplates attach to the controller through 5 magnets each and hold very firmly with no play or sliding around. The magnets are so strong that at first I thought the installed faceplate was stuck to the controller until I got my fingernail underneath an edge to apply more pressure. The plastics on both the light and dark plates feel identical underhand. - Advanced Features & Battery Life With most third-party Nintendo Switch controllers, rumble and gyroscope controls are lost either as a cost-saving measure or complexity to implement. Here, MGC appears to have cracked the code for both as they work exactly as expected from the first-party Pro controller. Unique to the MGC is that rumble strength is adjustable using the program button on the rear and tapping Up and Down on the D-Pad to adjust - and at its maximum setting the rumble is significantly stronger than the first party controllers I’ve used to date. Stronger rumble does come at the expense of some battery life, however, though how much life is dependent on the game’s effects. On the backside of the controller lie a set of programmable grip buttons, allowing you to remap any of the main controls to the grip buttons. This is an excellent inclusion not just for customization but for accessibility as well. Remapping is simple enough - hold the program button, press the desired grip button, and tap the primary button to map to the grip. These settings are held until the controller disconnects. On top of this, the MGC Switchplate can double as a PC game controller using the standard XInput control scheme (A+B are swapped, and X+Y are swapped). However, this feature is only available when using a wired USB connection, limiting its usefulness. Battery life seems just as strong as the official first-party controllers. While I haven’t run the MGC long enough to drain it completely, after several hours of play with the rumble on max, the controller still reported full bars to the console. MGC includes a six-foot USB-C cable that’s molded to the recessed charging port, presumably to prevent torquing and damaging the port if the controller is dropped by clumsy hands. Most traditional USB-C cables should still connect fine, however. - Latency If all of the above sounds like the MGC is a winner, the whole experience is marred by what feels like increased input latency versus first-party offerings. Admittedly this was difficult to test but after a while I noticed I was having difficulty performing the same timing-dependent moves that I had no issue pulling off on my first-party controller, and tested the controller a little more closely to see what could be hampering my performance. After some 1-to-1 testing against the first party controller, I noticed that control inputs on the MGC are very slightly delayed, no matter how close the controller is to the console. While I don’t have the tools to measure input latency directly, I would guess the added latency is about two frames (33ms) at 60FPS. It’s hardly noticeable in slower paced adventure games and arcade racers, but in rapid puzzle and fighting games the delay caused added frustration as combos and blocks I once hit with aplomb were missed. Odds are this added latency isn’t a major issue for casual gamers, but it does stop the MGC just shy of greatness. - Bottom Line With a few small drawbacks, and a smaller size than one would expect, the MGC Switchplate is a competent and eminently affordable third-party controller for the Nintendo Switch line of consoles that kids will love, and adults can appreciate. Though sacrifices were made to reach this price point, none are dealbreakers for all but hardcore gamers. A good controller at a good price is difficult to find, and parents should take note of the MGC Switchplate as a great option for their children - especially in households with multiple kids, as two of these cost only slightly more than one first-party controller, without sacrificing the important features they’ll want. For those circumstances, recommended!

This controller was way to small for my hands. It didn’t look that way from the picture on the box. But I tried using it and it didn’t fit comfortably in my hands. Unless you have smaller hands I can’t recommend this controller for anyone.

Works, but barely. Connection issues are nonstop and feels kind of flimsy.

has drift not great does not work well with all games especially fort night

We bought 2, and used them about 5 times before the dreaded "drift" started on 1 controller. Reset it to default, increased the sensitivity, and then it would drift again after minimal use.

NOT REALLY GOOD QUALITY.. GLITCHES LEFT AND RIGHT!

Although I love the idea of the Controller. It has a long input delay. I thought it had something to do with one of the “mode” buttons but it was just not fixing it.

Had trouble syncing this to the switch. Returned and got the switch ones that work much better. I would pass on these.