Review: This Portable Controller Is the Perfect On the Go Gaming Accessory
Gaming controllers are a dime a dozen, and it's not easy to know which ones are worth spending money on. Often, the question is whether you really need to upgrade to a new controller when you still have the one that came with your console. However, the truth is there are so many more ways we can play our favorite games now, including on our phones and tablets. Plus, having something you can quickly drop into your bag in case you want to game on the go is super helpful, too.
I've been testing a lot of controllers lately, and the Crkd (pronounced like "cracked") Neo S offers nearly everything you'd want in a good, easily portable game controller -- and it's affordable, too. The company let me check out the Frost Edition, and I've been quite impressed.
What I like about the Crkd Neo S
Hardware and customization
Crkd mostly nails the hardware on the Neo S. Firstly, I had not used a rectangular controller before, but it felt very comfortable after just a few minutes. The slightly protruding grips on the back help out quite a bit.
The buttons are really clicky, the joysticks are stiff without being too rigid and the triggers feel great. Gaming with the Neo S for a couple of hours at a time was a pleasure, and I never missed an input due to mushy controls.
The Neo S is about the same size as the Nintendo Switch's display.
Jason Cockerham/CNET
The Neo S connects wirelessly via Bluetooth, but there's also a USB-C port and an included cable for wired gaming. Up to three devices can be connected at a time. Once set up, I was able to quickly switch between my PC, iPad and Nintendo Switch in just a few seconds.
It's impressive that it's as good as it is, considering its size. The Neo S is small enough to tuck into a large pants or jacket pocket if you really need to, and it easily slipped into my backpack. Although, the lack of a carrying case meant the sticks caught on my bag occasionally, but it's quite easy to travel with.
Another fun thing about the Neo S is all the different special editions available. I have the Frost Edition, which is exclusive to the Apple Store (and currently sold out), but there are options like Retro Gold, Classic Clear, Fortnite and several others. You can add them to your "collection" in the Crkd app, and the app will tell you the product number of your controller and even give it a rarity rank depending on how many were made.
It would be cool if you could collect points or something by adding more to your collection, which you could then redeem for discounts on other controllers or accessories, but right now, points seem to be for bragging rights only.
Jason Cockerham/CNET
One other impressive thing about the Neo S is the pro-level of customization built into it. Considering its price and size, you wouldn't necessarily think you could customize almost everything possible input on it. Things like the vibration intensity, trigger sensitivity, even the dead zones for the joysticks -- all things that you can normally only customize on controllers that cost a few hundred dollars.
Despite all of its features and compact design, the Neo S is still reasonably priced. At the time of writing, you can find most editions for about $40 to $50, though newly released editions are typically around $60. Plus, you get even more discounts if you buy a few at a time (like if you want to upgrade the kiddos' Switch controllers). That's really not a bad price at all for such a good controller, especially with as much customization as this one offers.
What I don't like about the Crkd Neo S
For as good as the inputs on the Neo S are, the haptics are surprisingly mediocre. They aren't as bad as others I've used, but I would recommend keeping them on the lowest setting or just turning them off. They're nice to have for some games, but I'm just not a fan.
Also, while the controller is extremely customizable, tweaking those settings is pretty confusing. Changing any of them manually on the controller requires pressing a combination of the big Crkd button at the top and some other random button. It's not at all intuitive, so you either have to memorize the different button combos or look them up every time.
Jason Cockerham/CNET
Thankfully, you can change everything in the Crkd iOS or Android app, but that means pausing your game, connecting to the other device, changing the settings and switching back to the console. It's quite a lot of steps, and it doesn't save settings between devices -- you'll have to change them every time.
This confusion also translates to the setup process. Pairing to and switching between devices took some trial and error at first, and even so, you have to remember which button combo connects to which device (D-pad up plus Crkd button for iOS, D-pad right plus Crkd button for Switch, and so on). Having a tiny LCD screen that could help walk you through stuff might help, but my recommendation is to just pair the controller with one device and leave it.
Should you buy the Crkd Neo S?
All that being said, I would absolutely recommend the Neo S in a heartbeat. It's a really solid little controller that's incredibly portable and quite comfortable to use. Plus, the immense level of customization means you can get pro-level controls for a fraction of what you'd pay for something like an Xbox Elite controller.
The collectible nature of the special editions also adds another layer of fun to the Neo S.
Personally, I wish I'd discovered Crkd controllers years ago.
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