GuliKit ES PRO Fastest Wireless E-sports PC Game Controller with Lowest Wireless Latency 3.25ms, 4000-level Anti-Drift Magnetic TMR Joysticks, Compatible with… by GuliKit

Now that the Nintendo-style abxy buttons are available (elsewhere), this is an amazing option for Switch 2. If you follow the instructions, S2 wakeup is achievable (it’s a pain, but does work).

Joysticks feel amazing and I really like the switches Gulikit uses for their abxy buttons. UFO-dpad is super clicky and great. As good as the Xbox series controllers. Shoulder buttons are fine.

My only qualm is the plastic used. The grippy parts are great, but the rest of the controller feels a bit too gritty and rough. That being said, the controller is very sturdy and doesn’t creak. This is only a minor personal preference, and frankly, I’d rather this over the S2 Pro Controller’s slippery coating.

Highly recommended. Also check out Elves 2 (non pro) for another great controller that can wake the Switch 2. Both of these controllers are priced very competitively and are flying past the competition.

UPDATED REVIEW: Mfgr has posted detailed instructions and a video on this product page on how to set up controller to wake up Switch 2 – these instructions do work, making Gulikit (so far) the only third party Switch controller maker to achieve the challenge of being able to wake up Switch 2.

The instructions are a bit tricky, and the controller will probably need a firmware update for most users before they can even follow these to set the wake mode up. Part of the issue here is that Big N is making it tough for third party makers to get this convenient function on board their controllers, so as to subtly nudge gamers towards buying Nintendo’s own pricy Pro Controller 2.

So now that the ES Pro does what it say it would, I’ll discuss its merits as a controller…

PROS:
* Uses TMR joysticks, the newest flavor of the day, which are even better than Hall Effect sticks at resisting drift. I’ve used pot sticks for decades and never had drift, so I think the “need” for HE / TMR is a tad overstated, but I appreciate the application of technology to problems (even if not everyone has those problems) and in any case the implementation here is fine, with precise and ergonomic sticks that move smoothly through their range. Circularity is a bit high at around 8%, but this technical point had no usage impact that I could perceive.
* Plus the presence of TMR sticks in a $30 controller is very impressive, especially when that tech is missing from the $85 Nintendo Pro 2 stick.
* Hall Effect triggers, allowing smooth gradual application of trigger effects, good for racing games.
* Buttons crisp and responsive.
* D pad feels accurate and can be converted from 8 to 4 way use, depending on your needs.
* Burly 950 mAh battery, very long use time between charges (easily 30 hrs +)
* Easy conversion from PC to Switch use and vice versa. No need to worry about what mode you’re in, so features like vibration are automatically configured on PC, something all “universal” controllers should do.
* Good ergonomics, grippy textured plastic. The “wings” are mid sized, bigger than the Nint Pro, smaller than XBox.
* Pretty good detailed manual.

Neutral:
* Set up for Xbox / PC, the face buttons automatically convert over to Switch functions when in that mode – i.e. “B” button works as A on Switch when you press it. This is a great feature if you are using muscle memory to recall game controls on Switch, less so if you look down and try to press A by looking for said button, or if you learning a new game and it says “press A” and you look for that face button rather than its “usual” position on Switch controllers. In other words, the buttons retain their labeling but work differently based on their position in the two different modes. I like this, but it can lead to some confusion for Switch users. You can always reprogram the buttons in the Switch system and have those new settings retained if you like.
* Kind of convoluted to get Switch 2 wake to work, but that is more Nintendo’s anti-competitive behavior at fault than Gulikit. At least the feature does work eventually, something no other 3P controller maker has yet offered.
* Crappy website, par the course for Chinese controller makers. To be expected. You can go buy a $200 Razer controller if you want a smooth fully featured English language website.

Cons:
* Rumble is awful. Heavy, only on/off, makes controller rattle cheaply. CBP 2077 has a whole altered reality / flashback sequence after Konpeki Plaza which has a variety of rumbles from soft to medium to heavy, readily experienced on the Pro 2 stick, and that is utterly lost on the ES Pro with a tacky oafish heavy rumble making everything clatter. I’d rather just turn rumble off than have this heavy unpleasant one-note shaking.
* When initially setting up, the controller “bricked” and would not respond to any input until I pressed the small reset button (center of the rear bottom frame). The little button was not mentioned in the manual, so maybe it should have been.
* Plastic used in construction looks and feels cheap.

Bottom Line:
Ninty’s Pro Controller 2 is better in every way, even with its pot sticks. However, it also costs roughly three times as much. The ES Pro, at its price, is highly competitive and full featured, and most users will be very happy with it. The inclusion of wake for Switch 2 is notable. The only real issue here is the dreadful RRRRUUUUMMMBBBLLLEE but other than that, this is a great budget controller.

Original One Star Review text below, now superseded —

Decent controller, but if the maker is going to say “Switch 2 wakeup” in the product description, it’s not acceptable if that capability does not exist.

I followed the convoluted instructions on the mfgrs website to update the controller firmware, and even after that process, the Gulikit not only does not wake the Switch 2 up, it will not even reconnect automatically to the Switch 2 once the console has been woken up by other means. Instead, the Gulikit needs to be laboriously paired with the console each and every time you want to use it. Last gen controllers and the current 8BitDo controllers at least don’t have to be paired with each use on Switch 2, thought they don’t wake the console up either.

Gulikit, be 100% sure that your products do what they say they will in the product title. If I bought this not expecting it to wake up the Switch 2, I would not be so critical, and the main reason why I expected this feature is because you advertise it in the description.

Looks great and works perfectly! I use it to play steam on my computer and it has made my life so much easier! Great with connecting to systems. I like the looks better in person than the picture.