As much as I appreciate the clever design of the Nintendo Switch Joy-Con, my family and I can’t stand using them as standalone gamepads. So when we travel with the Switch 2, we always carry at least one full-size gamepad, plus a pair of 8BitDo’s Zero 2 controllers for games that don’t use analog sticks. I’ve spent years looking for an alternative that combines the size of the Zero 2 with the greatest possible functionality of a larger controller, and CRKD’s new Atom Plus is almost exactly that. But if you have larger hands like me, you may find it difficult to focus on the portability of the gamepad.
At about 3.5 inches wide, the $29.99 Atom Plus is about a half-inch smaller than the 8BitDo Zero 2, but includes considerably more features and functionality. The most obvious is a pair of symmetrical analog sticks with anti-drift tunnel magnetoresistance technology. You also get side buttons and triggers, rumble response, a dedicated home button, motion controls, and customization via a mobile app.
Like many third-party controllers, Atom Plus works with multiple platforms, including Switch and Switch 2, PC, Android, iOS, and various smart TVs. And like other gamepads, pairing with different devices requires putting the Atom Plus into one of several Bluetooth modes by holding down a combination of buttons during power-up, which in this case is the home button plus a specific direction on the D-pad. It’s easy to do, but never easy to remember: I often needed to grab the manual or quickly Google which direction I should press when switching devices. The Atom Plus already has a lot of technical information etched on the back of the controller, so I’d love to see these important pairing instructions included there as well. (And that goes for all cross-platform gamepads.)
I primarily tested the Atom Plus with the Nintendo Switch 2, as I plan to use the controller primarily as a travel accessory. The joysticks are about the same size as those on the original Switch Joy-Con, meaning they’re smaller than those on the Switch 2. And while I prefer an asymmetrical design, the Atom Plus’s sticks are very good, with a little more tension than the Nintendo ones, which I think really helps with precision movements given their limited travel.
While the overall build quality seems excellent, the small size of the Atom Plus creates some compromises and challenges. The front action buttons and D-pad feel nice and squishy, but the gamepad controls are a little crowded. When pressing down or right on the D-pad, my thumb regularly hits the left stick. It doesn’t hinder gameplay, but I find it an annoying distraction.
The side buttons use digital microswitches, as do the triggers, meaning the latter cannot be used for racing games that support analog throttle controls. I like that the two sets of buttons on the top edge are at slightly different heights, but I would have preferred a little more differentiation, as I occasionally accidentally pressed the triggers when I wanted to press the side buttons.
However, I was impressed with the Atom Plus’s customizability. When paired with an accompanying mobile app, you can check the controller’s remaining charge, turn off feedback, view your unique product number (by holding your phone up to an NFC chip inside the controller), and reassign any of your controls. That includes the pair of dual-function shortcut sticks that replicate the Switch’s plus and minus buttons and screenshot shortcut.
Those levers move up and down and cleverly reduce the number of buttons taking up the front of the Atom Plus, but they feel a little small, which is pretty much the overall theme. It is a small gamepad ideal for traveling or keeping in your daily handbag. But, as expected, it probably won’t make it into your usual game rotation. The assumption is that gamers will be willing to settle for the compromise of occasionally contorting their fingers in strange new ways for one of the smallest, most fully-featured controllers on the market.
I don’t think a dual stick controller can be smaller than the Atom Plus without making too many ergonomic compromises. So while I applaud CRKD for the careful balancing act behind the design of the Atom Plus, and would certainly recommend it for those who want a very capable controller that’s also cheap and portable, I’m now curious to see how it compares to Microsoft’s recently announced Xbox Nano controller which is “surprisingly comfortable,” according to The edgeIt’s Tom Warren. It’s $20 more than the CRKD and noticeably larger, but it adds analog triggers, a roomier design, and stubby grips that make it easier to hold for those of us with beefy gloves.
Photos by Andrew Liszewski/The Verge
