Power A's FUSION Pro Wireless Nintendo Switch Controller Review: My Joy-Cons Can Happily Drift Away

Normally, I'm a firm believer in "if it's not broken, then why fix it?' That has always been my mentality when buying additional products for my consoles.

Take my Nintendo Switch, for example. I am still lucky enough to have never had the dreaded Joy-Con drift I hear Nintendo users moan about, so why would I detour from the controller that the console originally came with? If it works well and does a good enough job, then you don't need any fancy extras. This firmly remained my lifelong mantra - until I got my hands on the Fusion Pro Wireless Controller by Power A. 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS / OPENING THE BOX

I'm a sucker for a fancy box, and this product has exactly that. From the moment you first see the product's outer casing, you can feel the opulence in the product. The red inner box pulls away from the outer shell to reveal a matte black carrying case with fusion embellished on the front.

The case that comes with the controller feels heavy, but in a sturdy, protective way. While I'm not in an immediate rush to drop the controller on the floor multiple times, rest assured if you're more on the clumsy side like myself, as long as the controller is safely in its case, it's likely to remain protected. 

First impressions are that this is a luxury product - and rightly so for the $99.99 price tag. When you're paying that much money for a controller, you not only want something that feels like it's worth the money, but the experience of opening it to have a similar wow factor. 

Everything is packaged beautifully, and the aesthetics of the outer casing only half prepare you for the beauty that is the main product itself. 

HOW IT LOOKS

On opening the case, you get your first look at the controller. And my, it's a beauty. The Fusion Pro Wireless Controller comes with an interchangeable white faceplate, but the main controller itself is matte black with a smooth outer casing. The design is sleek and aesthetically pleasing. For the first week I didn't even need to add the external casing to the controller, however, it was nice to be able to change it up every now and again.

My only issue with the white casing is that as a woman, I wear foundation (and have an awful habit of touching my face unconsciously), so I would see occasional peach fingerprints on the controller easily compared to the black shell. Don't worry though, they came off pretty quickly with a wipe.

If you're also someone who gets sweaty palms when you're tackling a pretty intense boss, you'll want to know heat and sweat are quick to imprint on the controller. Whether or not this is due to the 'soft-touch finish', the imprints don't tend to last too long, but it does stop you in your tracks every now and again when you realise how many marks you've left on the controller. 

Overall, it's visually stunning - and is definitely one of the sleekest Nintendo Switch controller designs out on the current market. 

HOW IT FEELS

Described on the box as a 'soft-touch finish', it is paired perfectly with 'injected rubber grip' coating on the area of the controller that your hands slot into. This makes the overall feel an extremely pleasant experience. As someone who has pretty awful arthritic wrists, I worried when the controller first felt heavy in my hands. Even though I was concerned it would set off the dreaded cramp that I experience when I overwork them, this controller was genuinely a dream come true to hold. 

The controller itself is similar sizing to the Xbox Series X/S controller, (I've attached a picture further up the review so you can see how it compares to the Dualsense PS5 controller as well as Microsoft's latest offering), and fits perfectly in my smaller hands. It also feels comfortable in my partner's - and his hands are a lot larger than mine. 

The mappable and removable pro pack on the back of the controller was an interesting addition that I personally had never come across before - and while I enjoyed playing around with it, I didn't feel like it was needed. That being said, I can appreciate it would be a handy tool for those who hate reaching around to the top to pull the triggers. Having the ability to map out your own controls can only be positive, but personally, I didn't enjoy the way it added a bulky feel to the back of the controller. 

Swappable thumbsticks are included in the box, so you can really personalise your experience with the controller to suit your hand shape. The grip around the thumbsticks was my only true negative when using the controller, as I could feel the skin on my thumb starting to wear away after a lengthy gaming session. However, it's worth bearing in mind this isn't something new to me as I get the exact same experience when using the Xbox Series X and Xbox One controller. This can easily be fixed by buying additional softer grips for the thumbsticks, as I have done in the past so not a complete deal-breaker. 

HOW IT WORKS

In the simplest terms? Like a charm. The controller itself is fast to respond to the console and seems like the missing piece I never realise I needed. While I tried the mappable controls, personally I preferred the controller without them, however, they programmed with ease and it wasn't hard to set up the controller via the Bluetooth connection at all. 

Battery life for me tends to dwindle after about 10 hours of gameplay, but I normally charge any electronics I use after I'm finished anyway, so this had enough juice in it to carry me through an epic evening of New Pokemon Snap.

Important Features

So now that you've heard my personal review, here are some of the features laid out a bit easier for you to digest. 

• Mappable Pro Pack: Level-up your game with four programmable paddles
• Injected rubber grips: Top-of-the-line rubberized handles provide for hours and hours of comfortable gaming
• Two swappable magnetic faceplates: Choose black or white
• Immersive action: Responsive motion-controls in wireless mode
• Swappable ALPS analog thumbsticks: Plus two swappable extra analog sticks featuring convex & concave caps
• Embedded anti-friction rings: Play with super-smooth stick control on either faceplate
• Dual Mode: Wired USB and wireless 900mAh rechargeable battery
• 3.5mm stereo audio jack for your wired headset (wired controller mode only)
• Detachable 9.8ft braided USB-C cable
• Premium travel case fits controller, cable, faceplate, and accessories
• Officially licensed by Nintendo, and includes a two-year limited warranty

I wasn't looking for a controller upgrade for my Nintendo Switch, but now that I have one I can't imagine going back to the Joy-Cons anytime soon. Would I recommend the product? Oh absolutely, it's a dream to play on and allows my 12-hour-a-time gaming sessions to wreak zero havoc on my arthritic little wrists. Power A has absolutely smashed it out of the park with this controller. 

4/5