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Horipad Turbo: One-minute review
It’s hard to find good Nintendo Switch controllers at the $30 / £30 price mark. Typically, budget gamepads around this point simply don’t feel all that great to play with and often have a build quality that leaves a lot to be desired. That’s why I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the Horipad Turbo, a budget Switch controller that certainly has some of the hallmarks of a cheap pad, but manages to make up for it in other key areas.
Obviously, some compromises have been made to keep costs low. The Horipad Turbo does feel lightweight and somewhat hollow in the hands. It’s a strictly wired controller and doesn’t offer arguably basic features like gyro aiming, vibration, or remappable rear buttons. I’m also not the biggest fan of its simple, mushy D-pad.
But the Horipad Turbo gets most other things right where it counts. Its thumbsticks and buttons all feel great, and its satisfying-to-press digital triggers are perfectly suited for the best Nintendo Switch games. The titular Turbo function also works very well and is quite robust with three distinct input settings.
Throw in options for officially licensed liveries inspired by Super Mario and The Legend of Zelda series, and it’s clear that a lot of thought and care has gone into making the Horipad Turbo an attractive budget option. If you’re interested in purchasing a new Nintendo Switch controller, then, but don’t have the funds to splash out on the likes of the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller or 8BitDo Ultimate, I highly recommend checking out the Horipad Turbo instead.
Horipad Turbo: Price and availability
- $29.99 / £29.99
- Available in three colorways
- UK availability appears to be very limited
The Horipad Turbo is available to purchase for $29.99 / £29.99. In the US, it’s available on Hori’s own website as well as Amazon. Unfortunately, it’s much more difficult to track down in the UK. Here, Hori’s website doesn’t currently have any stock, and listings at retailers like Amazon are limited (though often come in well under the retail price).
Three distinct colorways are available for the Horipad Turbo. There is a standard black version, as well as fancier liveries for The Legend of Zelda and Super Mario. These don’t cost any extra, either, so you’re free to pick one that best suits your tastes without making a bigger dent in your wallet.
Before you do decide to pull the trigger, though, I would also recommend you check out the GameSir Nova Lite. This controller comes in at $24.99 / £29.99 and is more widely available in both regions. It also has some key upgrades over the Horipad Turbo, including Hall effect sticks and wireless connectivity. It still lacks gyro aiming, however.
Horipad Turbo: Specs
|
Price |
$29.99 / £29.99 |
|
Dimensions |
6.1 x 4.7 x 2.5in / 155 x 119 x 64mm |
|
Weight |
0.77lbs / 0.35kg |
|
Connection type |
Wired (USB) |
|
Compatibility |
Nintendo Switch, PC |
|
Software |
N/A |
Horipad Turbo: Design and features
- Lightweight build, but certainly not uncomfortable
- Standard asymmetrical layout like the Switch Pro Controller
- Overly mushy-feeling D-pad
The Horipad Turbo very much comes as advertised (well, apart from one particular thing that I’ll touch on in the performance section below). The box contains the wired controller, an instruction booklet and that’s it. No fancy extras like swappable thumbsticks, carry cases, or all that jazz. But this is to be expected for a gamepad that’s firmly placed in the budget price bracket.
The controller itself certainly has a budget, plastic feel, and it’s extremely lightweight. As a result, it feels almost listless in the hands. However, this isn’t to say holding the controller is unpleasant. While it lacks textured grips a la the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller, it’s comfortable enough and easy to keep a firm grip on while you play.
Sticks and face buttons both feel great to use and the bumpers, while a little chunky for my tastes, are still adequate. The digital ZL and ZR triggers are the real stars of the show, with an immediate press that’s perfect for the vast majority of the first-party Nintendo Switch game library.
The clue’s in the name when it comes to the Horipad Turbo’s key feature. Its Turbo functionality allows for rapid inputs simply by holding down the button it’s assigned to.
To do this, simply hold the Turbo button in the center of the gamepad, followed by your face button of choice. There are options for 5, 10, and 20 inputs per second. So it’s a great fit for simpler, arcade-like titles you might find within the Nintendo Switch Online retro libraries. Prefer being able to quickfire projectiles in games like Blaster Master and Super R-Type? The Turbo button can help shave some of that difficulty off while keeping your thumb thoroughly blister-free.
The controller’s 10ft (3m) cable is industry standard, but as it’s non-braided it did tend to coil up more than I’d like. The D-pad is also a real letdown here. For one, it’s really thin, making diagonal inputs a touch harder than they need to be. It also feels very mushy to press, leading to a pretty unsatisfying gameplay experience. Stick to those analog sticks for movement if you can.
Horipad Turbo: Performance
- Perfectly responsive across all fronts
- Works on PC as well as Nintendo Switch
- Missing features include rumble and gyro aiming
The Horipad Turbo is compatible primarily with the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch OLED models. You won’t get PlayStation or Xbox functionality here, but the controller is compatible with PC. This is not mentioned on Hori’s website or on the box itself, but I was able to hook the controller up to my PC via USB and it worked there without issue.
That said, I think the Horipad Turbo is a better fit for the Switch, and not just because of those officially licensed liveries. It’s got the Switch’s ‘reversed’ face button layout (with X/Y and A/B swapped from the typical XInput layout) and its digital triggers are perfect for a game library where pressure-sensitive triggers are never really required.
As a result, it’s a great fit for several games that I tested, including Super Mario Odyssey, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – all games where quick trigger presses are utilized regularly. Though when it came to both Zelda and Splatoon 3, I certainly did lament the lack of gyro aiming here. The fact there’s no rumble, while less of a dealbreaker overall, is also a shame.
Should I buy the Horipad Turbo?
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
Also consider…
The Horipad Turbo is a solid controller, but if you’re after a new Nintendo Switch gamepad you may also wish to consider these budget-friendly alternatives.
| Row 0 – Cell 0 |
Horipad Turbo |
GameSir Nova Lite |
8BitDo Ultimate C |
|
Price |
$29.99 / £29.99 |
$24.99 / £29.99 |
$29.99 / £24.99 |
|
Dimensions |
6.1 x 4.7 x 2.5in / 155 x 119 x 64mm |
6.1 x 4.1 x 2.4in / 155 x 104 x 61mm |
5.8 x 4.1 x 2.4in / 147 x 104 x 61mm |
|
Weight |
0.77lbs / 0.35kg |
0.66lbs / 0.3kg |
0.45lbs / 0.2kg |
|
Connection type |
Wired (USB) |
Wireless (2.4GHz, Bluetooth), Wired (USB Type-C) |
Wireless (Bluetooth), Wired (USB Type-C) |
|
Compatibility |
Nintendo Switch, PC |
Nintendo Switch, PC, Android, iOS |
Nintendo Switch, PC, Android, iOS |
How I tested the Horipad Turbo
- Tested over the course of a week
- Played primarily on Nintendo Switch with some PC
- Compared and contrasted mainly with the GameSir Nova Lite
I tested the Horipad Turbo for this review for roughly a week. During that time I tried the gamepad with a range of top Nintendo Switch games, including Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Super Mario Odyssey, Astral Chain, and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. I also put the Turbo button through its paces by playing a variety of fitting retro titles on Nintendo Switch Online. These included Blaster Master, Ninja Gaiden, Mario Party 3, and Super R-Type.
I also spent some time comparing the Horipad Turbo to what I feel is its closest budget equivalent – the GameSir Nova Lite. I do prefer GameSir’s controller, owing to its Hall effect sticks and wireless connectivity options. But the Horipad Turbo isn’t far off, with similar build quality and a nice Turbo button addition. Both controllers lack gyro aiming, though, which is a bit of a shame.
First reviewed February 2025
