AOLION Budget-Friendly Switch Controller with AMIIBO SUPPORT!

In this episode, we unbox and test out the AOLION Pro Controller designed for the Nintendo Switch.

Chapters:
0:00 - Introduction
1:49 - Unboxing
3:34 - Testing Fixture Gaming S1
5:29 - Pairing
6:42 - Amiibo Support
7:22 - Sonic Mania
10:52- Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Edition
12:37 - Star Fox (SNES)
16:19 - Horizon Chase Turbo
17:20 - Initial Thoughts
18:11 - Final Thoughts

It is a little surreal to think about, but at the time of this filming the Nintendo Switch has been out for over 4 years! In that period of time, people have picked up, played, and loved this platform. Out of the box, the Switch comes with a pair of Joy-Cons and a Joy-Con grip if you would like to play in TV mode. While for many this works just fine, for the more hardcore gamer they often opt for a more traditional gamepad. Nintendo's own Pro Controller is exceptional, however expensive. Third-party manufacturers have been trying to provide value and performance with third party Switch Pro controllers, such as the one here from AOLION.

Available in a variety of different colors, the AOLION Pro Controller provides some unique benefits compared to others in its price range. At just over $30, it is less than half the price of Nintendo's unit, and packs in most of the exact same features. What do I mean? Check out everything that this controller comes with rumble, gyroscopic controls, USB-C charging, Amiibo support, and it can wake your Switch from sleep. There's a lot of features here, many of which other third party controllers do not provide. The biggest shock for me was the fact that it provided support for Amiibo. This is generally one of the first things to get cut out of a third party controller, yet this one here provides it and it works very well.

Another underrated feature that many third-party controllers don't support is wake from sleep. Basically this means that you can turn on your system from the controller, you don't need to go over to the console itself to turn it on. Some of my favorite third party controllers don't support this, which is quite disappointing, however the AOLION Pro Controller absolutely does support this! Another excellent feature!

Pairing to my Nintendo Switch was extremely easy. I simply navigated to the controller screen on my Switch, held down the pairing button for 3 seconds, and I was paired! I have had some controls that I have tested that I could not pair wirelessly at all, and had to rely on connecting a USB cable. Again, exceptionally easy.

Not everything is so rosey on the AELION controller however. When I started playing games, specifically ones with Rumble support, I was quite irritated, literally. The AOLION Pro Controller doesn't have Rumble as I would classify it. It has buzzing. And it's annoying. My hand would tingle for a few seconds every time after it would buzz in my hands. As good as the rest of the controller appeared to be, this is one area that beyond disappointed and made it quite irritating to use. I honestly wish I could disable Rumble altogether.

Rumble aside, the overall performance was very good in all of my testing. Button presses registered properly, the analog stick felt good, the D-Pad felt good as well. The face buttons are a little bit smaller than the Nintendo Pro controller's, and they're a little bit more flat than I would prefer but this is definitely a step up and improvement over using Joy-Cons and the Joy-Con grip.

Why it RoX:
- Amiibo support
- Wake from sleep
- Half the price of Nintendo's Pro Controller
- Available in a variety of different colors
- Good battery life
- Easy pairing

What could be improved:
- The rumble is anemic at best
- Face buttons are a little close and small for my taste
- ZL and ZR buttons are not analog

Should you buy one?
There are so many third party controllers out there for the Nintendo Switch that the marketplace has become somewhat crowded. The AOLION Pro Controller does a lot of things that other third party controllers simply don't, which leads it to one you should consider to purchase. Amiibo support is pretty unique, as is wake from sleep. I don't know that this would be the controller of choice for hardcore gamers, the rumble to me is that unpleasant, but if you are looking for something to replace a Joy-Con grip controller or something for kids to use, this is not a bad controller to consider. The features and the price make this a compelling option, and something you should consider when upgrading your controller.

#Nintendo #Switch #ProController AOLion

The footage used in this review are used under the Fair Use laws, referenced below:

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/107