When I preordered the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller without ever having touched it, I did so through gritted teeth. The $70 price tag is a shock next to the $60 Sony DualShock 4 and Microsoft Xbox One gamepads, but I was buying the system primarily to play games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey – and I was banking on a better experience with the Pro Controller than the then-uncertain ergonomics of the Joy-Con Grip. I’m still not thrilled about the price tag, but I’m extremely satisfied with the Pro Controller.

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“ You get a real d-pad, which is an undeniable advantage over the tiny, separate directional buttons found on the left Joy-Con.

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“ Battery life from the built-in, rechargeable power source is phenomenal.

Ergonomically, the highest compliment I can pay Nintendo’s new gamepad is that it feels almost identical in your hands to the Hall of Fame-worthy Xbox 360 controller. The two are almost the exact same size and shape, and the Pro Controller’s build quality is even higher. But despite the resemblance it has a distinct look, thanks to its unassuming gray plastic body that’s transparent with a subtle circuit board pattern.Battery life from the built-in, rechargeable power source is phenomenal, with a claimed 40 hours that I’ve yet to successfully run down. That crushes the seven to eight-hour life of the DualShock 4, and may be similar (or perhaps even superior) to the AA-powered Xbox One gamepad. If you simply use the included USB-C cable to charge it once in awhile you’ll be hard-pressed to run out of power.And finally, that price. At $70, it’s more expensive than either a DualShock 4 or an Xbox One gamepad. But that extra $10 is buying you that impressive rechargeable battery and an NFC reader that can be used to scan in amiibo, so at least we know where the extra money goes.