EasySMX D05 Review: An Easy Choice

It’s no secret that I’m a controller enjoyer. I’ve grabbed everything from tiny controllers to controllers that let you swap out every last aspect of them for something different. I’ve done a 9-pack round-up of controllers under $40 and I’ve gotten things as low as $10 on sale. But what if you’re looking for something that Docks, and just seems to work.

Well, I picked up the EasySMX D05 for myself just to see how it does in terms of gameplay, and while it’s not perfect, I think it’s going to be an easy choice for many people to make.

Specs

Getting right into it, it’s a $45 controller at retail, but if you check Amazon, you can get it for just under $40. So with a dock, I’d say it’s sitting pretty good value value-wise. But other than that, you can find its specs right down below.

Sticks and Triggers: Hall-Effect
Face Buttons and D-pad: Membrane
Extra Features: M1/M2 buttons, Rapid Fire Triggers, Turbo, Charging Dock
Battery: 1000mAh
Polling: “Up to 1000hz”
Connectivity: Wired, 2.4ghz, Bluetooth
Compatibility: Nintendo Switch, PC, Android
Weight: 220 grams

EasySMX D05 at AliExpress EasySMX D05 at Amazon

EasySMX D05: What I Like

There’s a lot to like with the D05, so it’s time to start with something simple.

Ergonomics

90% of controllers get this right, and the D05 is one of them. It’s a comfortable controller to hold, and the textured back of the grips make it so I shouldn’t have to worry about losing the controller in a thrilling match of AK-olotl. It also feels like an improvement material wise over something like the Aolion K10, my favorite controller in the under $40 range.

Controls

When it comes to controls on the device, I honestly have a lot of nice things to say about it. And the first place I want to start is those Hall sticks up top. Their movement is super smooth, and the glide alongside the RGB rings is very reassuring in terms of stability. When playing through my usual gamut of games, I didn’t notice a single issue with them. Honestly, this has been one of the better experiences I’ve had with Hall Effect sticks in these cheaper end controllers.

Face Buttons

When it comes to the face buttons and d-pad, the way to test for me is obvious. Taking it down across a few runs of Celeste Classic. While the D-pad initially had a slight squeak to it, after a few runs, it was practically gone, and this was a controller I felt confident with when it came to traversing Celeste Mountain. On my first run alone, I was already sitting at three minutes with eight deaths. And subsequent runs only got better as I got used to the controls.

Depending on who you are, if you prefer a clicky or membrane controller, that’s going to be the real deciding factor on this controller. As someone who will use any type of control, the membrane presses of the D05 make me pretty content. If you’re worried about whether this thing has good controls or not, don’t be. It’s good precision-wise.

EasySMX D05: What I Don’t

When it comes to dislikes with the D05, most of my concerns are things I might consider ‘nitpicks’. The first of which mostly comes down to the charging dock itself. Not the pins, out of the cutouts for the controller, but in the weight and height. As it stands, the D05 has the lightest charging dock of the controllers I’ve got, and in combination with its taller height, I find that it’s a lot easier to tip over or get pulled by cables than others. It isn’t a deal breaker or a big deal, but still worth mentioning to me.

The other big “personal preference” nitpick I have is in regards to the triggers on the D05. While they’re hall triggers and they track well, they commit the sin of having a strangely pointy end. While not as bad as something like the GameSir Nova Lite, it still doesn’t hold the best ergonomics in terms of triggers. They end up being just a bit too narrow on the top. The actual place I’m resting my fingers. Otherwise, they’ve done really well with it.

Software?

When it comes to software, I appreciate the EasySMX not having any. Any of the adjustments you can make are just on the device itself. This means, while you can just plug and play, you probably should keep the manual just to help yourself remember what to do. Though I ended up remembering FN being the key.

From RGB and Vibration being controlled by FN and the D-pad to setting the back buttons with FN + M1/M2, you can tune your needs of the D05, and generally, you’re going to end up happily. The big reason I prefer this over dedicated software is just down to the fact that you can access it from any device. It doesn’t matter if you’re on PC, Switch, or your Android phone; if you can remember the buttons, you can make your adjustments on the fly.

Final Thoughts

As a whole, I think the D05 hits a lot of marks. Sub-$50 price point, solid controls, includes a charging dock, and doesn’t feel like it could fall apart if I squeeze it too hard. The issue is, since it came out, the competition has been knocking on its door ever since. The GameSir SuperNova is the same price, the Cyclone is just a little more expensive, and even Aolion released its K20 for just $30 this time around. Actually, at the time of writing this, EasySMX just put out the D10 for about $60. That gets you a cool design, a charging dock, and TMR sticks.

The D05 is a solid option in an ever-growing, crowded market of controllers with charging docks. Maybe I need to revisit my controller round-up but for those with docks? Who knows. But if you know what features you’re looking for, and you’re doing your best to avoid extra software like the plague. The EasySMX D05 is a fantastic contender, and one that’s well worth your consideration in my eyes. Just try and weigh the dock down though if you can.