The Hori Split Pad Pro Changed My Life

Right before the big move from Alaska to Texas, I purchased the Hori Split Pad Pro (Daemon X Machina Edition) as a way to make the Nintendo Switch more comfortable. Even at launch, I wasn’t a big fan of how the Joy-Cons felt and of course, my units recently became a victim of joystick drift, conveniently right around the same time I had the same issue with my official Pro Controller. While the Split Pad Pro is missing features that most would want such as motion controls, NFC reading, HD Rumble, or the IR camera, just having a functional controller of that size was enough for me and I am super glad to have picked it up. This isn’t a sponsored post and Hori doesn’t currently send us products, I just really like this controller.

The Hori Split Pad Pro feels like an Xbox One controller in the hand with an offset stick placement. There are broad grips with a mappable button under each hand and the triggers are broad, making the controller a perfect fit for first-person shooters. There’s also turbo that can be assigned to any button, perfect for some arcade games but most support turbo in the settings such as the Psikyo Shooting Stars collections. The sticks themselves feel more like Xbox 360 sticks but there doesn’t appear to be any less control. In fact, because these sticks are taller and therefore have more travel there is more precision available. Face buttons also feel like that found on the Xbox One and though I do like the clicky buttons on the Joy-Cons, these hold up just fine and are much larger. 

One area worth pointing out is the D-Pad on the Split Pad Pro. This D-Pad is not the best but it does feature the ever-important central pivot. I found this to be my preferred way to play the dungeon-crawler Void Terrarium but there is a stiffness that can be hard to get used to so it may not be the best for fighting games. In action games like Blasphemous, I stuck to the stick. Dead Cells also felt as smooth as butter with the Split Pad Pro. 

When it comes to comfort, I do not see myself going back to another controller, at least when playing handheld. I usually pick up cases or shells that make handhelds bigger or add a more traditional grip so it was a perfect fit when I picked this one up. Now if only I could solve the stick drift issue for when playing docked. Maybe I’ll pick up an adapter to use my other controllers or something. I still use my good old Gamecube controller for Smash Bros.  

The Split Pad Pro among an Xbox One controller and a DualShock 4.

Unfortunately, for the price of $49.99 USD, the Hori Split Pad Pro could be a lot better. For one, this controller only works while connected to the Switch, so it can only be used in handheld play. I feel like there could be an adapter developed that would enable use as a wireless controller but as of this writing that accessory doesn’t exist. This also means that the controller doesn’t need batteries. I am not sure if it drains the Switch’s battery more than usual but it doesn’t feel like it does during my play sessions. 

This is not a new controller, though Hori has recently announced a new printing with some additional colors, and we are starting to see more third-party developers start to create controllers in a similar style with competitive features. One that comes to mind is the Vivefox controllers which do feature motion control and are wireless. I am honestly surprised that there haven’t been more unique controller designs from Nintendo as the split design seems rife with possibilities that have been mocked up by fans since the system was announced. 

At the end of the day, the Nintendo Switch is a great console to experiment on and the customization opportunities mean that each player can tailor their console to their needs. If I find anything that replaces my Split Pad Pro or if I run into issues with it, I will let readers know with an additional post or an update to this one. 

Learn more about the next wave of the Hori Split Pad Pro on their website.