“These feels so good, but I cannot really recommend them!”
nubduck
Ingredients List:
Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons (S$102)
Boxy Pixel Aluminum Joy-Con Housing (US$99)
Boxy Pixel Aluminum Joy-Con Buttons (US$22)
Tools:
Tri-Point Y00 Screwdriver
Phillips #00 Screwdriver
Pry Tool / Opening Picks
Tweezers (Angled)
Yourself:
Time, Precision, and Patience.. ..
.. and a well-lighted working desk
So right off the bat, you will realize that in order to make a set of these fantastic joy-cons, it will set you back by a whooping ~S$265. That is more than 2 brand new pairs of joy-cons mind you!
Boxy Pixel is no stranger to the Retro modding scene — they are best known for their range of aluminum case conversion kits to many other Retro devices, like the classic Game Boy. These are available in Clear (pretty much just the aluminum base color), Purple (pretty close to that of a Game Cube, with a metal shine), Black (above in photo), and Blue (pretty close to a Game Boy Advance SP Blue, again with a metal shine).
Gone is the “cheap plastic-ky” feel, these aluminum joy-cons have a solid and very premium feel. They are perfectly machined, and the kit comes complete with 3 sizes of screw with varying depth to retro fit and not strip on the new housing.
I have always complained about the mushy feel on on joy-cons, and have pretty much always stuck to the Pro Controller for any gameplay — the aluminum build however changes things. Feedback is almost-tactile akin to mechanical keyboards, and response is great! I have found no difficulty playing music games with these converted controllers now! A slight nitpick, there is a very minor button wobble (more feel-able on the D-Pad) that occasionally ends up creating minor metal grinding noises. So far from my test plays, this does not result in the paint scrapping off, or scratches on the shell/keys.
Buyer’s note, the machined aluminum joy-cons only come in a D-Pad conversion kit edition.
Summary
Appearance / Presentation
Build Quality
Value
nubduck’s Satisfaction
I love the conversion, the joy-con feels premium to the touch. My sole concern and complain is with the button kit wobble. While it does not cause any issue in games, it becomes audible if you rub your fingers on the buttons/D-Pad, and a slight metal grinding sound can be heard. Finally, because of the price tag, I just cannot recommend this to any of my readers.
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