Friday, 4 October 2024

These precise retro-styled game controllers from GuliKit look sick

Third-party peripherals cop a bit of flak sometimes for not being up to the same level of quality as their first-party counterparts. There’s something about these couple of controllers from GuliKit that look different, however.

I confess to being a bit of a controller snob; growing up with a funky-looking SNES gamepad will do that to you. Wherever possible, I stick to the controllers and accessories made by the likes of Nintendo, PlayStation and Xbox. More often than not, they work flawlessly out of the box and feel more premium than cheaply made alternatives.

When I saw the local launch of the GuliKit range, however, I thought I was looking at an alternate-universe version of the official Xbox controller. They look just close enough to the real thing, yet are slightly different. Which is funny because Australia is getting the GuliKit KK3 Pro and KK3 Max controllers to start with, neither of which are natively compatible with Xbox consoles.

Instead, they work with Nintendo Switch, Windows PCs, iOS, and Android devices. Advertised as lasting up to 28 hours between charges, which isn’t too far behind the first-party Nintendo Switch Pro Controller. Both GuliKit controllers house what’s called a “Maglev Vibration Motor” designed with customisation in mind, and can recreate Nintendo’s HD Rumble effect.

Modularity is also a big thing here. Normally, you’d pay nearly $200 and above for a customisable Xbox Elite Controller or DualSense Edge. In a nice change of pace, the KK3 Pro costs $99 with two swappable rear paddles, while the KK3 Max costs $139 and supports up to four paddles.

GuliKit’s Max model also supports replaceable face button caps in addition to “Smartrigger” technology. This lets you swap between digital and analogue triggers for more precision, something Nintendo’s first-party gamepads lack.

Where to buy GuliKit controllers in Australia

Available to pre-order now, the GuliKit KK3 Pro and KK3 Max controllers arrive in Australia on 12 October. You can grab the Pro model in a stylish retro finish reminiscent of the old-school Game & Watch devices or the original Famicom console.

Meanwhile, the Max comes in two colours: black, and a purple variant styled after the North American version of the Super Nintendo. It may not be the multi-coloured finish of the Super Nintendo we got, but it’s still cool.

Both controllers also use Hall Effect joysticks and triggers, precise inputs designed not to drift over time.

Here’s where you can buy the GuliKit controllers in Australia:

I’m not lacking in controllers at the moment, but these gamepads look like a decent alternative to pricier modular peripherals.

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