Hot off their success with the Nitro Deck, CRKD is back with a new collection of controller offerings. The Neo S POPeArt series was released in April 2024 and hopes to stand out from the pack with their unique design in the modern space, and a variety of art designs to appeal to different gamers.
I have something of a personal weakness when it comes to controllers. When I saw these on sale a few weeks back for $50 and just so happened to have some credit card rewards points in my Amazon account, I was powerless to the call. What I received was a controller that I’ve since fallen in love with and has become my go-to grab for a gaming session.
Admit it, you’re intrigued.
Overview
CRKD is a relative newcomer in the accessories space, having first emerged on most people’s radars with the release of the Nitro Deck, a Joy-Con replacement for the Nintendo Switch. Never really felt compelled to try that one, but from most accounts I read, folks seemed to have a pretty favorable overall opinion of the quality of the device. Going off the back of that vague reputation was good enough for me to give the company a shot.
The Neo S lists on the CRKD website for $69 but currently sits on Amazon for $50 with an applicable $5 coupon at checkout. This puts it right in the price pocket to compete with something like the standard Xbox Series lineup. That Microsoft standard issue controller is known as a workhorse and regularly sees sale prices in the $50 range.
CRKD is using its unique designs to offer something that stands out from the pack without compromising on quality. And maybe even throwing in a few features normally reserved for high-end accessories. A tall order for sure.
The CRKD official website lists the following as features:
- For Switch, PC, Mobile & Smart TV’s
- Zero Stick Drift (Hall Effect Thumbsticks)
- Ergonomic
- Wireless Bluetooth
- Wired Connection (Optional)
- No Deadzone Mode
- Swappable Stick Tops
- Adjustable Trigger Actuation Points
- Adjustable Vibration
- Re-mappable back buttons
- Motion Controls
- Rumble Support
- Turbo Function
- Connects to the CRKD Companion app
Design
The analog sticks can be easily swapped on the fly.
The stated goal from CRKD with the Neo S was to create a controller that “looked unique, but also felt familiar and comfortable”. Familiar is certainly the word that first stuck with me in this description, as my reaction when first seeing the Neo S design was more or less “Dear god, they’ve made a modern NES Brick.” I think that’s probably what the team was likely going for here, and I think the bold choice has paid off.
The standard handled design of the modern era has been ditched for something much simpler and singular. The rectangular shape appears as though it wouldn’t be as comfortable as more standard offerings over long play sessions, but there is enough refinement here to change people’s minds. The controller has a significant size advantage over its NES inspiration. It measures out at 8.7 x 5.63 x 2.05-inches and hits the scales just under a pound at 15.84 ounces.
I opted for the Cherry Blossom design in the POPeArt selections, but there are enough different options on offer that everyone should be able to find something to their liking. The options range from other graphic splash designs like those pictured here to an array of 90s iMac-inspired translucent colors that we all know and so well in the retro handhelds world. A Hellboy variant featured on the official website is sure to turn some heads.
CRKD Color Options
Feel and Play
Simply put, I cannot get over how much I love playing with this controller. The deceptively simple rectangular front view gives way to some nice curvature around the back that makes holding the Neo S over long periods of time a joy. I am a larger-handed guy, and while I generally don’t have problems using controllers of any size, this one just feels especially good in my hands. The backend curves are given an etched textured section on the plastic shell. In my testing, the ridges seemed to provide more than enough grip for my needs.
Slight curves and bonus buttons
One look at the product page for the Neo S and you can tell that the dual Hall analog sticks are spaced a good bit further apart than what we might be used to seeing on similar offerings from the big three. When combined with the rectangular design, this layout actually makes a lot of sense. You realize this the first time you hold it in your hands, and everything just sort of naturally lines up. I’ve used other similarly shaped controllers in the past, where I constantly felt like I was reaching in towards the center to operate the sticks.
Talking about the sticks, they’re wonderful. The Hall Sticks installed here give users a huge range of available motion, and for those like me who like a no-dead zone option, it’s here and it works. The adjustable sensitivity is yours to do with as you please, but these sticks can be as precise as you need them to be. Removable caps a la the Odin 2 make switching out styles and designs a breeze. I haven’t had the chance to test any of the caps yet, but CRKD has a number of packs available for sale, and I very well might like to try a few down the line.
Initial views of the D-Pad came with slight hesitation, as it appeared as though it might be a little looser than I might like, but those fears were quickly put to bed after I hooked it up to my Steam deck and put it through its paces. Throughout gameplay testing, there were no false inputs, and fireballs were flowing just fine in Marvel vs. Capcom. It might not be the best d-pad out there by any means, but it’s certainly holding its own. You would have no problems going through even the touchiest of NES games here.
Battery life is going to be affected by a variety of factors like rumble strength, but I think it’s fair to say that you can expect 6-8 hours of real-world use from the Neo S between charging. Standard USB charging works fine, but CRKD does offer a cradle for your desk if you’re so inclined.
True Collection System and Companion App
A feature that certainly took me a bit by surprise was when I registered my controller with the accompanying CRKD app, I was greeted with an elaborate celebration of my “true collection number”. This is basically a digital registration that associates the controller to you and confirms that it was number X out of Y produced. It’s silly and has very little applicable real-world utility, but I actually found it sort of charming. There’s no real need for it to exist, assuming these controllers will not become sought-after collectibles, but hey it’s kind of fun. In the end, that’s what we’re here for, right? Any side-eyeing you may be doing at this concept through your screen should hopefully be managed by CRKD’s assurance that “The True Collection System (TCS) is in no way affiliated with NFTs or Cryptocurrency.”
My controller registered in the True Collection system
The rest of the CRKD companion app gives you live access to your controller and a litany of available options. You can set the strength of rumble, remap buttons/turbo assignments, set exact trigger sensitives, as well as preferences for the hall sticks. All in a nicely wrapped and presented package. I am at a loss to come up with something that they didn’t include here. This level of functionality and user control is usually reserved for more expensive options like the Microsoft Xbox Elite series. Hard to argue with that type of value for money.
Conclusions
Should you buy it? Well, if you’re in need of a controller, and you think this form factor might be right for you, then it’s an emphatic and enthusiastic yes from me. I have not picked up another controller since the Neo S arrived, and we are not short on controller options in this household. It will connect to more or less anything with Bluetooth or a USB port. It’s comfortable, different, customizable, and just an overall pleasure to use in a variety of different gaming applications.
What started out as a fun curiosity to add to the collection quickly became a candidate for a daily driver. Having never used a Nitro Deck, I was kind of going into this experience in the dark, but I’m certainly glad that I did. I will continue to keep my eye on offerings from CRKD in the future, because if they can keep releasing options like this, 8BitDo better keep an eye out.
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