CRKD Nitro Deck+ Review

Whilst I was a big gamer as a teenager and throughout my twenties, I drifted away from it for quite a while after getting married and having kids. However, after COVID gave me more free time and my children got a Nintendo® Switch™ that I’ve ended up playing more than them, I’ve got back into the gaming world.

This is starting to reflect in my reviewing output, as I’ve recently posted reviews of Turbokid and Sociable Soccer. Well, now I’m taking things to another level and reviewing a bit of kit.

The generous folk at CRKD™ have offered me a Nitro™ Deck+ to playtest. This is an updated version of their Nintendo Switch controller deck, the Nitro Deck. Not being a massive fan of Nintendo’s default Joy-Con controllers, I jumped at the chance of checking out this new alternative.

As you can probably tell from the images here and if you’re familiar with the original Nitro Deck, the Nitro Deck+ is best designed for handheld play, providing a stylish dock for the Switch console to slot into, rather than individual Joy-Cons that simply slide onto the sides. Now, I must admit, I rarely play the Switch in handheld mode, as I prefer to have it on the big screen and rarely get the chance to play whilst out and about. When I have played it in handheld mode with the Joy-Cons, I also find it quite uncomfortable, particularly after prolonged play.

Using the Nitro Deck+ is a much more pleasurable experience, however. It’s perhaps a touch heavier, but the shape of the grips is better fitting than before, particularly for adult-sized hands. A more notable difference is the fact that the right-hand joystick has been switched with the A, B, X, Y buttons. This makes 3D games, particularly first-person shooters, much more comfortable to play.

The sticks and buttons are also much sturdier than their official Nintendo counterparts. I haven’t experienced stick drift myself yet on the Switch, but I’ve heard plenty of horror stories. The Nitro Deck+ avoids this problem altogether by using Hall-Effect sensors on its sticks. I won’t lie, I don’t know what this means, but I do know the joysticks are wonderfully responsive and feel to be of a high quality. You can even purchase new stick tops, if you want to personalise them or if you wear out the rubber grips.

Another added bonus, in terms of buttons, is the inclusion of multiple re-mappable extra buttons. There are four at the back and two on each side. I must admit, I was dubious about the extra rear buttons at first, as I thought I’d keep pressing them by accident. Whilst this did happen occasionally to begin with, I soon got used to them and found them most valuable after a while. They’re particularly useful for handheld play, when shifting your grip to reach the lower set of buttons can be problematic. They’re also a game-changer for fast-paced shooters and similar games where you don’t want to be constantly switching between the right-hand joystick and the buttons. My Overwatch 2 skills are certainly improved with the Nitro Deck+

I did find the sidekick buttons a little pointless though as I felt they were a little awkward to use and I couldn’t think when I’d need them.

As mentioned, I prefer to play my Switch docked, but CRKD have you covered for this. The Nitro Deck+ can be used as a dock itself, so long as you have a USB-C to HDMI adapter, which can be purchased with the device. You can also use the deck as a controller whilst the console is sat in the standard Nintendo dock. It needs to be wired to your dock, as there’s no internal battery in the Nitro Deck+ but if you’ve got a long enough cable this isn’t a problem. Indeed, it’s how I most used it and I found it an excellent alternative to using the standard Joy-Cons.

An odd mode also allows you to use Bluetooth to connect the controller to your console, which seems pointless when it always has to be hardwired to it for power. I believe this might just be for upgrading the firmware though.

You need to do your research for this controller as it does a lot but you need to know the button combinations to unlock some of the different modes, including using it as a wired controller. Everything you need can be found in the CRKD mobile app though. You can access the manual there, register the device, view its ‘rarity rank’, update the firmware and adjust a lot of settings, such as the trigger sensitivity and button mapping. You can customise a lot on the controller, in fact, such as adjusting the rumble level or programming a turbo button. CRKD have really thought of everything.

My only real complaint is that I find it hard to insert my Switch into the deck. I have to push the bottom of the console forward quite hard to line up the USB-C socket. It’s a shame as it means my kids aren’t able to attach it (leading to one of them snapping one of the plastic grills on the console – though she was putting it in the wrong way, to be fair) and I’m afraid of damaging the console or the deck when I put it in. It’s also a little difficult to get out. There’s a handy release button, but due to the tight fit of the console, it still doesn’t click out as easily as it’s supposed to.

Otherwise, I’m very impressed with the Nitro Deck+. It’s comfortable and sturdy without feeling too heavy and is packed with features. Some seem a little unnecessary, but every base is covered and ‘serious’ Nintendo Switch players, particularly those who prefer handheld play, will be advised to pick it up.

Full set of features:

For more information about NITRO DECK+ and all CRKD products, please visit: https://crkd.gg