Hori Split Pad Pro review: fantastic Nintendo Switch grips with a few drawbacks to consider
Hori Split Pad Pro: One Minute Review
Hori Split Pad Pro is easy to be Best Nintendo Switch Controllers When it first comes with Daemon X Machina Five years ago, an excellent wired joy alternative was offered with fantastic features such as HD rumble, motion controls, and wireless compatibility for exceptional comfort and performance. It remains a good choice in 2025, especially given its relatively modest price, but absolutely killer, the rise of alternatives to feature packaging (e.g. CRKD Nitro Deck or CRKD Nitro Deck+ Meaning it is not the Titan it used to be.
A full-size thumb, larger face buttons and a lot of improved shoulder buttons are still one of its biggest advantages, especially compared to the standard Joy-Con controller. It’s hard to overestimate this can improve certain games, especially like a shooter Border 3 or Eternal bad luck Limited thumb movement and Joy-Con’s shallow trigger is a constant frustration. Even so, the lack of motion control is a real shame in this regard, especially when most Nintendo Switch shooting games now support them with more accurate aiming and are not suitable for such targets. Splatoon 3 If that’s your preferred input method.
Hori Split Pad Pro’s D-Pad is also a powerful view, perfect for precise platforms such as similar games Super Mario Bros. Miracle. It incorporates some handy extras like two repeatable rear inputs and an optional turbo mode, although I find myself reaching for either one often. All of this can be configured on the controller itself, eliminating the need for any additional software.
There is also the problem with the overall shape of the controller, which is significantly larger than that of Joy-Con. This will make you Nintendo Switch It’s hard to hide in a bag? Absolutely, but I think it’s worth it given the greater comfort it brings. This makes the Nintendo Switch happy to play for a long time, and if you want to play games on a long journey, you might be a lifeguard.
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Hori Split Pad Pro: Price and Availability
- Price for the regular model is $49.99 / £39.99
- Licensed versions become expensive
- Accessories for cable playback on TV mode
The regular black version of the Hori Split Pad Pro is easy to find $49.99/£39.99 online retailer Amazon In addition to Best Buy in the United States and Walmart or Argos and Currys in the United Kingdom. Although these versions are usually more expensive, there are many licensed versions. For example, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom The variants I tested are priced at $59.99 / £53.99 at the time of writing, so if you are willing to pay more for the aesthetics, you can only sell these versions.
This price point makes the Hori Split Pad Pro compete with the $59.99/£59.99 CRKD Nitro deck, especially when you keep in mind the latter is almost sold for as low as 39.99/£37.99. After extensive testing, I can say the shape of the CRKD nitro deck is slightly more comfortable (though the Split Pad Pro is still comfortable), and features like motion control and Rumble are added. Still, the Hori Split Pad Pro is worth choosing if you prefer a smaller form factor – or want something that doesn’t require a mobile app to tweak.
You can also buy Hori Split Pad Pro in a bundle with a small attachment included between controllers playing in cable mode and also enable PC compatibility. This is $79.99/£69.99 and is the only way to buy the attachment as it is not sold separately.
Hori Split Pad Pro: Specifications
|
price |
$49.99 / £39.99 |
|
weight |
0.18 lbs/80 g (each) |
|
compatibility |
Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch OLED |
|
Connection type |
wired |
|
Battery life |
N/A. |
|
feature |
2x removable rear input, turbo mode |
|
software |
N/A. |
Hori Split Pad Pro: Design and Features
- More comfortable than Joy-Con
- But light weight
- Turbo mode, plus the features of detachable buttons
Take the Hori Split Pad Pro out of the box and the first thing you will notice is its weight. Each of these controllers is only 0.18 lbs/80g – actually a little more than the standard Joy-Con, but there is much less substantial in your hand due to the size increase. They are almost hollow, which is not the best first impression of the price. Thankfully, once you plug them into the Joy-Con rails, it’s almost obvious, and they slide seamlessly and then hold them in place with a reassuring click.
Hori Nintendo Switch Pro Controller Someone accidentally sat there. The grips are small in the corners on both sides of the game board, and they look ridiculous to be honest. That said, because the Hori Split Pad Pro is very comfortable, the company has to do something here.
The grip fits well into my palms, and the thick depth allows you to master the load. The shoulder buttons are improved, larger, and have a softer pressure on them than the shoulders found on Joy-Con. The triggers were also enhanced and some extra movement was performed to be more satisfying. Likewise, the thumb keys have a lot of movement and can be smaller than the tiny inputs on the joy-con-although unfortunately, they are not Hall effect Just like those on CRKD nitro decks. There is also a suitable D-plate that has a satisfying sponge feel (not too far from the Nintendo 2ds feeling) and is pleasant on the thumb.
When it comes to features, you can choose a modest choice. Each side of the split PAD Pro has its own rear input, which can be mapped by holding the tiny “assign” button in the front. This is only achieved when the Nintendo switch is on, but thankfully, it does save your choice between two uses. There is also a turbo button that you can keep to simulate a quick button press without breaking your thumb – if you play a lot of arcade shooting style games, you can use it.
As I mentioned before, this is a wired controller that can only be connected to the switch. Unlike Joy-Con, you won’t get HD rumble (or any vibration of this thing), gyroscope controls, IR cameras, or Amiibo support, which is shameful, but not surprising in the realm of third-party controllers .
Hori Split Pad Pro: Performance
- Very comfortable
- Very suitable for shooters
- Over CRKD Nitro Deck
In raw performance, I can hardly blame the Hori Split Pad Pro. It feels great and still does it in the extended meeting. I often find my fingers cramped after using Joy-Con for more than hours, which is not the case.
The buttons and D-pads are responsive and are also very large for those with hands, further increasing the comfort factor. Larger thumb intelligence doesn’t have much resistance, so it’s ideal for fast motion, both in 3D adventures Super Mario Odyssey Or fast-paced driving games, e.g. Rocket League.
My only complaint about the buttons is to start with a very soft rubber material, select, home, “distribution” and turbo buttons, which makes them quite tedious and slow. Of course, these are not the buttons you will always use, but plastic will be a big improvement. Although I did miss the ability to adjust settings like ThumbStick sensitivity, the fact that you don’t need an app to access the rear button assignment and turbo is refreshing, which becomes very good if you’re shopping for your kids Suitable.
Unfortunately, the Hori Split Pad Pro suffers losses due to its relative age. The CRKD Nitro Deck and CRKD Nitro Deck+ have been launched in the past few years and have surpassed it in almost every way – the presence of motion control, Rumble, two rear inputs, HDMI ports or Hall effect components. After extensive testing of both, I even found the nitro deck a little comfortable because of its weight gain and certainly has a higher build. One area where the Hori Split Pad Pro appears on the top is that it is smaller and easy to remove, so it is generally cheaper.
Should I buy a Hori Split Pad Pro?
If…buy it
if…
Consider also…
Considering Hori Split Pad Pro? These alternatives should also be on your radar.
| Line 0 – Unit 0 |
Hori Split Pad Pro |
CRKD Nitro Deck |
Nintendo Switch Pro Controller |
|
price |
$49.99 / £39.99 |
$59.99 / £59.99 |
$69.99 / £59.99 |
|
weight |
0.18 lbs/80 g (each) |
0.59 lbs/ 269.3 g |
0.54 lbs/246 g |
|
compatibility |
Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch OLED |
Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch OLED |
Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch OL, Nintendo Switch Lite |
|
Connection type |
wired |
wired |
Wired/Bluetooth Wireless |
|
Battery life |
N/A. |
N/A. |
40 hours |
|
feature |
2x removable rear input, turbo mode |
Hall effect thumb key, four removable buttons, rear kick, gyroscope support |
Gyroscope, NFC (Amiibo support), HD rumble |
|
software |
N/A. |
Real collection system application |
N/A. |
How do I test Hori Split Pad Pro
- Tested for two weeks
- Try a variety of Nintendo Switch games
- Compared to other Nintendo Switch accessories
Although Hori provides this The Legend of Zelda: The tears of the kingdom For the purposes of this review, I have a black version of the Hori Split Pad Pro for years, which is my main Nintendo Switch Controller between 2021 and 2023, at which point I upgraded it to the CRKD Nitro Deck. I spent hundreds of hours testing all its features and playing a variety of Nintendo Switch games.
For this review, I compared my experience with the Hori Split Pad Pro with other Nintendo Switch controllers and accessories – i.e. the CRKD Nitro Deck.
First reviewed February 2025
