EasySMX S10 Review: The Switch Pro Controller Alternative

The review

I’ll give you a spoiler on my EasySMX S10 Review: This thing is finally a third-party controller that serves as a Nintendo Switch Pro Controller alternative. In the past, I’ve sought off-brand controllers for the Switch (mostly so my wife and I can play Overcooked without having to use Joy-Con). My experience has been, up until this point… sub-par. If you’ve been watching video game content on YouTube recently, you’ve probably been served with the EasySMX S10 as a Nintendo Switch Pro Controller alternative, so you might be curious if it fits that bill? Well let’s see.

As a kid who grew up on the abominations that are Mad Catz, I know that one of the most important indicators that your controller isn’t first-party is if the buttons and sticks feel cheap. This isn’t as much of a problem now-a-days, considering how cheap electronic components have become, but the S10 controller really impressed me in this category. The buttons and triggers appear to be legitimately mechanical mouse click switches, which seemed odd at first—but after playing for a bit I love them. The squishy membrane feel of other options was imprecise and unreliable.

Then there’s the thumbsticks. One of the biggest reasons you need a Pro Controller alternative is because of the proneness of physically capacitive thumbsticks to acquiring drift over time. Many controllers now opt for Hall Effect sticks, which are more reliable but can still fail over time if they are cheap. The S10 opts for a higher quality magnetic-style thumb stick called TMR sticks. While I haven’t had this controller for very long, all signs are pointing to high-quality performance with smooth responsive action and high-quality feel.

Finally there are assignable extra buttons on the bottom that are assigned to the thumbstick presses right out of the box. I actually found this assignment rather intuitive in a game like Tears of the Kingdom as it triggers crouch and zoom view quite easily and quickly. This also makes it a great choice for a Switch Pro Controller alternative because it gave me quicker access to these key functions. Plus, the latency and responsiveness on Switch was great, more generally.

All of the materials at play here are also top-notch, with a satisfying textured plastic back that reminds me a lot of a first-party Xbox Series controller. The top buttons themselves also feel high quality with a subtle matte texture, and the sticks themselves have an almost gnarled surface that is grippy and satisfying. Great Pro Controller alternative if you prefer something grippier.

The design here is also a pleasant surprise. I picked up the black colorway and it actually came with a swooshy, transparent, white-accented faceplate that gives it a unique, refined look. However, if you’d prefer something sleeker and more minimal, then you can just pop on the solid-colored clear faceplate to stealth things out. It quickly snaps on via magnets, so it’s an easy swap either way. EasySMX also allows for you to swap the directional pad from a circular, Xbox-style surface to a traditional four-way button. All great touches, all great Pro Controller alternative features.

Obviously if you’re here looking for a Pro Controller alternative, then price is high on your list. With a Pro Controller costing around $70, it can be a tough pill to swallow for comfortable couch gaming. However, many of the off-brand alternatives that are cheap sacrifice functions and performance (I’ll get to the functionality in the next section). With a complete offering, the EasySMX S10 still just costs under $50 (I picked mine up for $44!). When I saw all the YouTube reviews, I was skeptical that this would feel high-quality at the price. But as soon as you unbox it, you can clearly feel and see that the money is going a long way. 

A common trade-off when you’re looking for a Nintendo Switch Pro Controller alternative is not quite getting all the features and functionality. Sure, many third-party controllers give you a solid feel and decent quality. But you may have to sacrifice motion controls, or NFT functionality, for example. Not with the S10. This thing has basically everything a Pro Controller has, including solid motion controls, NFC connectivity, and even instant wake for your Switch if you set it up right. EasySMX claims to have HD Rumble, and I can confirm it’s decent, but it’s not quite as three-dimensional as the Switch Pro Controller. All in all, though, the feature set is excellent.

Connectivity is also a bright spot here. One challenge with consoles and controllers is that they all connect with their own proprietary format now-a-days. Typically this is just a suped up version of Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, but you still have to use an Xbox controller with an Xbox, and a PS controller with a PS5, for instance. Switch is no exception, so this thing has been programmed to fit with the Switch. But, you can switch a toggle on the back and turn it into a Bluetooth controller, making it a solid option for PC or even a tablet. I love this flexibility, because it makes it much more than just a Pro Controller alternative: It’s a great, on-the-go accessory in case I want to game at a coffee shop or in a hotel.