A Switch Pro Controller? A PC Controller? What is this?
The Xbox 360 (and later XBox One) controller was a huge success. Quite a few people preferred it to the Sony and Nintendo offerings and it even worked on PC without issue. Ever want to use an Xbox style controller on other platforms? The Gioteck WX4 Wireless controller might be the answer.
The Gioteck WX4 Wireless is a Nintendo Switch, PC, and PlayStation 3 controller in an XBox style. While it works on all of those platforms (though I admit I couldn’t test PS3), I feel like it is primarily a Nintendo Switch product due to the button layout and labeling. Despite the name, it works both as a wireless and wired controller.
The boxes and contents.
Unboxing, Connection, and Setup
The Gioteck WX4 Wireless comes packaged in a well-presented box. I opened up both the black version and ‘adventure edition’ to find the controller, a cable, and the instructions. The battery is a rechargeable internal one and had some power on arrival, so there was no need for finding batteries. I probably should’ve charged it up to full capacity first, but it didn’t cause any problems.
I went straight to hard mode with the black controller first – connecting it wireless to my PC. This is not the most straightforward process at the best of times, so the controller itself doesn’t get any blame for this. I went through the steps to connect it via my Bluetooth dongle without any issues.
While the wireless connection went fine, it detected on the PC as a Nintendo Switch Pro Controller. That isn’t wrong but sadly comes with the same fiddling around with settings as the official one requires. Enabling it in Steam, switching the A and B button, and so on.
Next up I plugged the cable in and switched over to wired mode. This was also not the smoothest experience. It was detected as an XBox 360 controller, but I still had to manually switch the A and B layout. I also noticed here that the cable itself is quite short.
In both cases, there were no issues after connection and setup on the PC. It just wasn’t exactly a plug and play experience. Exactly the same can be said about the official Nintendo Pro Controller though.
It went smoother on the Switch. I pulled out the Adventure Edition and set up that controller. This involved navigating to the controller page on the Switch and pressing the home and Y button to pair. I had to try twice before it was successful, which isn’t unusual for the official version either. As with all third party controllers, I had to turn the Switch on by the power button after pairing, then press the button on the controller and wait for a second. After this, the controller connects. Wired was just a case of plugging it into the dock.
The instructions and even the controller itself mentioned firmware upgrades, but checking on the website it said they’re not necessary at this point. One less task is always good.
Gioteck WX4 Wireless Adventure Edition and Black on left. XBox 360 and Switch Joycons with Comfort Grip on right.
Comfort, Layout, and Shape
The first thing I noticed on picking up the Gioteck WX4 Wireless – it weighs very, very, little. 5.9oz/ 168g according to my scales. For comparison, it’s lighter than the official joycons in the comfort grip (6.9oz/196g), the PlayStation 4 controller (7.7oz/217g), The XBox 360 controller (8.1oz/230g), The Switch Pro Controller (8.7oz/246g) or the XBox One controller (11.9oz/317g). It’s not quite half the weight of my XBox One controller, but it’s not far off. This is certainly a benefit both for those long play sessions and for younger players. It could even be a benefit for accessibility, for those who find it difficult to hold the controller.
The layout and shape are great for the most part. Being modeled after the XBox style, it’s comfortable to grip. It has the ‘+’, ‘-’, home, and screenshot buttons in the middle much like the Switch Pro Controller which felt convenient.
Buttons felt clicky and were responsive in all modes. There was one issue though – the triggers don’t seem to have that responsive spring back up like XBox or PS4 triggers and they don’t feel as strong when forcing them either. They are comparable to the joycon ones though and more comfortable than them due to the longer shape. As I mentioned in my Gioteck JC-40 joycons review, Smash Bros players might be interested in the shoulder buttons. I found certain moves much easier to pull off with the ZL/ZR button being bigger than the joycons.
The Gioteck WX4 Wireless does not have a turbo button. It does have the function, which you’d only really know from reading the manual. It uses the screenshot button which isn’t ideal and isn’t labeled anywhere.
I personally didn’t have an issue with the thumbsticks, but they are fairly small and shallow. It might be an issue for people with sweaty hands. Standard XBox thumbstick grips do fit, so they can be used if this is an issue. The grip of the overall body seemed fine.
Overall, I feel like the Gioteck WX4 Wireless is fairly comparable in these areas to the Switch Pro Controller, perhaps edging it out. It’s certainly preferable to the joycons in the comfort grip. It doesn’t quite match up to the PlayStation 4 or XBox controllers though.
Gioteck WX4 Wireless – Black version close up.
The Appearance
Appearance is subjective of course. On first looking at the controllers though, my first thought was that they looked ‘cheap’ based on the plastic. Of course, to be fair, they are very cheap.
I personally liked the black controller but wasn’t really a fan of the adventure edition design. I imagine it would appeal more to younger players and there’s a cubes design which may remind some of Minecraft to appeal to that crowd too. The arctic camo version also looks quite nice from the pictures I’ve seen.
The ABXY follows the XBox color scheme of green, red, blue, and yellow. I liked this more than the black buttons with white text on my official joycons. It helped when using it as a PC controller too.
Quality, Performance, and Price
In short, I don’t have any issues with the quality aside from the trigger issue mentioned before. The controller housing feels solid enough, despite the appearance. It’s survived some minor drops. I haven’t had any issues with the buttons being loose. Everything works without any noticeable input delay. I tested at a range of eight meters with two walls between and it stayed connected. I have been testing this controller for a couple of weeks without any faults developing.
This controller is priced at £24.99 which is very reasonable. It’s essentially a third-party Switch Pro Controller, which costs £59.99 – more than twice the price. If you’re using it as a PC controller, then you could compare it against the XBox One controller which I’ve found for between £49.99 and £59.99.
It doesn’t give you quite the same experience as the two comparisons as I’ll mention in the next section, but for the difference in price, it’s certainly worth it.
The Issues
The Gioteck WX4 Wireless does have some downsides. As third party controllers, they are missing some functions. They include rumble, but not HD rumble and they don’t include the NFC reader. I’ve not personally missed these. The NFC reader might be an important note for anyone who uses amiibos. The controllers take a bit longer to connect too. If you leave the controllers alone for a while they’ll automatically turn off, so this can be an issue then too.
As a PC controller, it’s not ideal due to the complex setup. The later versions of the XBox One controller are better for this, or even the XBox 360 controller if you don’t mind playing wired.
For general usage, I’ve not really found the issues to be too significant. It’s mostly just minor inconveniences.
Gioteck WX4 Wireless – Adventure Edition close up.
Verdict
The Gioteck WX4 Wireless may be missing a feature or two and have a few minor inconveniences, but considering that it clocks in at less than half of the price of the official Switch Pro Controller, I can forgive it that. In the end, it’s a solid controller at a great price.
For Nintendo Switch usage, I found these preferable to the standard joycons with the comfort grip and I liked the shape and comfort a bit more than the Switch Pro Controller. I’d choose them over either of these.
For PC usage, I’ll probably stick with my XBox controllers, but if I was on a budget and had to choose one then I’d be happy choosing the Gioteck WX4 Wireless. The easier compatibility and triggers on the pricier XBox controllers win me over, but wouldn’t if I was paying twice the price for them.
GIOTECK WX4 WIRELESS IS RECOMMENDED
Why not check out some of our Nintendo Switch reviews while you’re here?
Many thanks go to Gioteck for a review unit of this hardware.
A gamer since the days of Amstrad and DOS and someone who has dabbled in a variety of professions. He enjoys a wide variety of genres, but has been focusing on visual novels and virtual reality in recent years. Head Editor of NookGaming. Follow him and the website on @NookSite.
