staff@slashgear.com (Sarah Chaney)
2024-04-17 11:36:54
www.slashgear.com
All of the premium features the Nova controller promises for a low price — the anti-drift Hall effect sticks, interactive motion controls, and rumble motors in each grip — are certainly present in hands-on testing.
Of course, the drift that comes with analog sticks (which are what Nintendo’s Joy-Cons use) typically only shows up over time. I’ve only been testing this controller for about a week, so I can’t speak to exactly how anti-drift these sticks really are, but they feel super smooth compared to the sticks on Ninteno’s Joy-Cons.
To test the motion controls, I played a few rounds of “Mario Kart 8” with motion driving enabled. While this was an abysmal experience, that has everything to do with using motion controls to drive and nothing to do with the Nova’s gyroscope. When I used Sony’s DualSense controller to compare motion controls, I found that the Nova controller surprisingly delivered a better motion-control experience.
The HD Linear Vibration motors in each grip provided a strong, accurate rumble response when running into obstacles in Mario Kart 8 or fighting enemies in Hollow Knight on PC. I noticed stronger vibration feedback than I’d usually get from the DualSense, and while it doesn’t bother me, it’s worth noting that someone who hates rumble feedback might not like the Nova. Right now, there doesn’t seem to be a way to adjust the controller’s vibration strength.
The Nova’s ABXY buttons are satisfyingly clacky, and the triggers feel great as well. There isn’t much resistance in the triggers, but I didn’t expect there to be in a controller at this price point.