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While playing all of these games on the Hori Split Pad Pro, I found it to be far more comfortable than the Jo圜on, and comparable to the experience I have playing with the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller. They require fast reflexes, as well as flicking between both sticks, face buttons, and the shoulder buttons regularly, making them a poor fit for the Jo圜on. I picked these games deliberately, as they are all games that I dislike playing on the default Jo圜on controllers. Ultimate, DOOM, Wolfenstein Youngblood, and of course the game that the Split Pad Pro was made for, Daemon X Machina. I tested many games with the Hori Split Pad Pro, including Astral Chain, Samurai Shodown, Super Smash Bros. The size of the Split Pad Pro makes it far more comfortable, and it even has two buttons on the underside of the controller - a bit like a paddle button, or a modern Z button from the N64 - which can be assigned to any button you want, meaning you never have to take your hands off the sticks if you don't want to.
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The Split Pad Pro is twice the thickness of a standard Jo圜on, and very nearly twice as wide - which will be great news for anyone who has found their hands cramping up while playing on a Switch. The Hori Split Pad Pro basically ticks all of these boxes. More surface area, more comfort, a larger range of motion on the analogue sticks - and heck, why not even throw in a capable D-pad while we're here? Essentially, give players all of the ergonomic satisfaction of a larger controller, but make it so you can still snap them onto the sides of your Nintendo Switch so you can play on the move. The pitch is, imagine if your Jo圜on actually felt like two halves of a full-size console controller. The pad was designed with the mild flop Daemon X Machina in mind, and unfortunately for the Split Pad Pro, the ties to that game might've hurt the chances of this controller reaching a wider audience, because this is, by far, the best way to play Nintendo Switch games portably. The Hori Split Pad Pro is a pair of replacement Jo圜on which are much, much larger than your typical Jo圜on, and designed for games that require you to juggle both analogue sticks in addition to the shoulder buttons.
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Mech brawler Daemon X Machina is getting some snazzy new controllers.
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