Mobapad N1 HD GBAtemp review
Hardware
Product Information:
Mobapad is typically not the first name I think of when it comes to peripherals for any console, but could this item change that?
The Mobapad N1 is a new Nintendo Switch, Android/iOS, and PC controller that is upping the ante by adding premium features rarely seen in a third-party controller. These features include liquid silicone buttons, hall effect sticks, ALPS 3D vibration technology, and they're even putting NFC back into unlicensed input devices for all your Amiibo needs!
Super Light, Wonderfully Solid
When unboxing the N1, I first noticed how light it was. Given that it has a built-in battery of undisclosed mAh (yes I could not find this information anywhere online, but contacting the company I found that it is rated for 30+ hours!) it felt featherlight in hand. The obvious addition of the Xbox-style faceted D-Pad elevates your initial assumptions about the controller too, it is something not seen too often on third-party peripherals.
The controller feels rock solid with no bend or play in the seems, and the tactile grip effect on the rear brings the device to life under your fingertips. The triggers feel very "digital", they have no springloaded analogue abilities, and thus no features like lockout positions, or the ability to perform analogue trigger tasks in emulated games, like Super Mario Sunshine, for example.
Connecting the device is a cinch. Using the supplied USB dongle, you can connect it directly to your Switch or PC with ease. Simply plug it in and go; it's pre-paired. Should the device need repairing, hold the button on the dongle for 2 seconds and hold up + the home button on the controller. It's so simple.
Connecting to Bluetooth is equally as straightforward. Holding the button on the top of the controller goes into pairing mode. Open the Bluetooth settings on your chosen devices (I chose my iPad and iPhone, as well as an Android phone), and the Mobpad N1 is ready to go.
There is a companion app for this device, but it is more of a gimmick than a utility, and it has a whopping 2.5 out of 5 stars on the app store. I found it useful for updating the firmware (which took a lengthy 25+ minutes per attempt to get to 66% and crash repeatedly) to improve x-input and vibration, for example in V1.23.
Further examples include customising the layout for specific games, programming game-specific macros, and modifying the controller's startup and shutdown sounds.
I used the app to edit each stick's dead zones, configure turbo and remapping, alter vibration intensity and set the power saving time until the pad turned off. I also modified the controller to make the "Super Mario" jingle, and it sounded strangely elongated, tacky, and very badly made. The app features a few useful features that are bookended with weird valueless fluff.
You have several sounds preset that you can apply, including some bizarre options like "Wukong", "Peppa Pig" and "Xiaomi Power On". You can even edit these using a built-in editor that reminded me of the cobweb-coated olden days of polyphonic ringtone editors. They sounded horrible back then and this sounds equally as bad, if not worse in 2024!
Some people may enjoy the possibility of this aspect because "customization is king," but honestly, who cares about a frankly awful sound that plays when it starts up or powers down? Also, did it even need a sound? Thankfully you can turn them off altogether in the app anyway.
Handles Well, Good Battery Life
Testing the controller on the Nintendo Switch, I found that the N1 HD was fantastic. Every button clicks nicely and promptly, with very little notable input lag. All face buttons feel nice and punchy, and the sticks are as smooth as you like with zero notable issues in 2D or 3D platformers, after hours of testing in games like Super Mario Bros Wonder, and Pumpkin Jack.
The concave faceted d-pad is an interesting addition, though I think it's more form over function for the majority of users, but in fighting games it certainly takes the edge off getting a blistered thumb when throwing fireballs in Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers for example. You get a standard d-pad with it too if you want to swap it out.
The gyro functions work as well as the official Pro controller, and the NFC feature, though nice, I feel has come way too late in the Nintendo Switch's ecosystem. Amiibo is now celebrating its 10th year, and yet it's only now that we get a third-party controller of this quality that can also include NFC alongside HD rumble and gyro aiming.
Perhaps that feature has become too niche for many in this day and age, and I also couldn't figure out if it was possible to use the NFC reader function on a PC to back up Amiibo, for example, as an additional use-case scenario.
I own every commercially available Amiibo in existence, and though they are all boxed, my Amiiqo and a selection of NFC cards worked just fine on the Mobapad N1, scanning them into Breath of the Wild.
The battery life is great, with plenty of juice for playtime per charge, and the Hall effect sticks are sensationally accurate, and grant you the peace of mind that they will never drift or go nuts after a huge Smash Bros, Fortnite or EAFC session. I have to say that Mobapad's implementation of Rumble is easily the best third-party rumble I have felt on the Nintendo Switch. Usually, it's a noisy and rattly affair, but this is as legitimately as smooth as silk!
Occasionally, I noticed the pad lagged a few times in Delta for iOS. Most notably in the NES emulator, which I believe to be a fault of the emulator rather than the controller, because I subsequently used screen mirroring to cast my iPhone to my TV, and was able to play Diddy Kong Racing via Delta.
I would recommend the Mobapad N1 HD to those who are looking for a reasonable facsimile of the official pro controller, but who would like to also use it effortlessly on a PC or mobile device. It's a definite competitor to the official controller, with 30hr battery life, 99% of the rock-solid feel and authentic features but the trashy app and crappy sound effects take a bit of the shine off of the product.
Use the app to update your pad, turn the sounds off and then delete the app: now it's a great controller!
Verdict
- A solid controller for Switch, PC or Mobile
- Hall Effect sticks are excellent
- The faceted d-pad is a nice touch
- Lightweight and 30hr battery life
- Gyro/NFC and HD rumble are nice additions
- Most functions can be set without the app
- Gimmicky sound effects
- Lacklustre companion app
- No analog/lockout triggers
