PowerA has established itself as a game accessory manufacturer that offers solid controllers for very reasonable prices. Its gamepads, like the Nano Enhanced Wireless Controller (and its full-size counterparts) and MOGA XP5-X Plus, are solid alternatives to official console controllers, often costing significantly less while offering a similar feel. The company’s Fusion controller line tries to bring that logic to the “pro” gamepad space occupied by expensive gamepads like the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller.
At $99.99, the PowerA Fusion Wireless Pro Controller for Nintendo Switch costs much less than the Elite (an Xbox and PC gamepad, not for the Switch), and offers options like a swappable faceplate and analog sticks, and programmable rear paddles. It feels very good as a standard gamepad for the Switch, but while it’s much more affordable than the Elite, it’s much more expensive than the Switch Pro Controller and 8Bitdo Pro 2, the latter of which has far more connectivity and programming options.
Solid Design
The Fusion feels sturdy, comparable in weight to the Switch Pro Controller and Xbox Wireless Controller. The grips are large and prominent, and the undersides are covered in nicely textured rubber that makes it easy to hold. The controls on the front and top are laid out exactly like the Switch Pro Controller, with dual analog sticks placed off-angle with each other; A/B/X/Y face buttons in the Nintendo configuration (A on the right); a plus-shaped direction pad; Start, Select, Home, and Capture buttons in the middle; and two pairs of bumpers/triggers.
The back of the controller is where it really departs from the Switch Pro Controller. A Mappable Pro Pack, a small plastic box with four paddles extending from its sides like the paddles on the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller, clips into the back, providing additional, programmable controls. Each paddle on the pack can be removed so only the ones you want to use are present, and the entire thing can be taken off if you prefer a standard control scheme. The programming button for the pack sits above the recess where it clips in, and a switch above that sets the controller to wireless or wired mode.
A USB-C port for charging and a wireless pairing button sit on the top of the controller, between the shoulder buttons. The Fusion has a built-in 900mAh battery, but PowerA doesn’t specify how long it lasts.
A four-light status indicator sits on the bottom between the grips, along with a headphone jack. The jack provides audio when the controller is in wired mode, but not wireless; it isn’t the same as the headphone jacks on the Xbox Wireless Controller and PlayStation DualSense (understandable, since the Switch doesn’t have a built-in wireless audio feature).
Lots of Accessories
The black faceplate of the Fusion is removable, attaching with magnets to the controller. PowerA includes an alternate white faceplate you can easily swap out. The short convex analog sticks can also be pulled off and replaced with an alternate short concave and long convex stick, also included with the controller.
The Fusion, Mappable Pro Pack, alternate faceplate, and alternate analog sticks all fit neatly in an included hard-shell zip-up carrying case, along with a 9.8-foot cloth-wrapped USB cable and a small backplate to cover the recess for the Mappable Pro Pack when it isn’t in use.
Unlike the 8Bitdo Pro 2 and Xbox Elite Wireless Controller, the Fusion doesn’t have any software for programming or tweaking its inputs. This means you can’t adjust the sensitivity curves of the analog sticks, remap the normal buttons to perform other functions, or create macros. Your only programming options are the paddles on the Mappable Pro Pack, which you can configure by pressing and holding the programming button above it on the back of the controller. This unfortunately limits just how much you can tweak the gamepad’s performance.
Primarily for Switch Gaming
Nintendo officially licensed the Fusion as a Switch controller, and it’s designed specifically for that role. You can use it with your PC wirelessly by enabling the Switch Pro Controller mode in Steam, but it doesn’t configure natively as a Windows-friendly gamepad over Bluetooth or a wired connection. As a Switch controller, the Fusion has all of the features of the Switch Pro Controller with the exception of Amiibo scanning. It supports force feedback and gyro control, and even can wake up the Switch from sleeping (something the 8Bitdo Pro 2 can’t do).
I spent some time playing Monster Hunter Rise with the Fusion, and I was satisfied with the feel and performance of the controller. Its heft and build quality is satisfyingly close to the Switch Pro Controller’s, and I didn’t get any feeling that the swappable faceplate or analog sticks were loose while playing. The sticks moved smoothly, and the buttons felt springy, and all controls were nicely responsive during hunts.
The Fusion’s limited configuration options were a bit disappointing, though. I attempted to map the back paddles to item selection (L+Y and L+A) and jumping while on my palamute (ZR), and only the latter worked. Because I couldn’t set two-button commands or short button sequences (combination commands in Monster Hunter Rise tend to work best by holding one button and then pushing the second), I couldn’t easily browse my items with the paddles. To be fair, the 8Bitdo Pro 2’s two programmable rear buttons also can’t be set to Monster Hunter Rise-friendly hold-then-push macros, but they still have more programming options, including remapping all digital controls.
I also played some Shovel Knight and Doom (2016) with the Fusion on the PC. I had no issue pairing the controller with my computer over Bluetooth, or with enabling Switch Pro Controller compatibility in Steam to get it to work. Shovel Knight functioned perfectly well with the Fusion, but I ran into an odd problem with Doom. The gamepad’s motion sensor controlled aiming as well as the right analog stick, and the motion sensing pulled my aim a little to the left no matter what I did. I couldn’t disable the feature in Doom’s or Steam’s menus, and without software to adjust the Fusion’s settings this meant I had to simply deal with it. Perhaps resetting the controller on a flat surface can reduce or eliminate the drift, but if the motion sensing is simply mapped to the right analog stick, that limits your gaming options.
The headphone jack on the Fusion only works with the Switch when it’s connected with a cable. It doesn’t send audio when it’s connected wirelessly to the Switch or connected to a PC at all. This makes it much less useful than the PlayStation and Xbox gamepads and their headset jacks, but at least it’s an option the Switch hasn’t had before.
Pricey Potential
The PowerA Fusion Pro Wireless Controller for the Nintendo Switch is a very good gamepad that has many of the trappings of high-end “pro” controllers like programmable rear paddles and swappable analog sticks. Without software to get really granular with customizations, and with a Switch-specific design that limits its use on the PC, though, it doesn’t justify its $100 price. The 8Bitdo Pro 2 offers a dedicated PC (and Mac and Android) mode and far more customization options with its software for half that, even if it has only two rear buttons and its face and analog sticks aren’t swappable. It remains our favorite multi-purpose and Switch wireless controller. The Fusion might have a few more tricks than the Switch Pro Controller, but you’ll have to decide whether that’s worth the extra price.
