After debuting its affordable $29.99 Elves 2 controller last month, GuliKit is back with another budget-friendly alternative to Nintendo’s Switch 2 Pro Controller — if you prefer an asymmetrical joystick layout.
Both the $24.99 GuliKit ES and $29.99 ES Pro controllers are available starting today in gray for the cheaper version and your choice of black or white for the pro model. GuliKit is positioning both controllers as being ideal for e-sports competitors with high Bluetooth polling rates and reduced latency that the company claims outperforms the controllers included with the PS5 and Xbox.
But the ES and ES Pro will potentially appeal even more to non-competitive gamers who are more interested in finding an affordable alternative to the $89.99 Switch 2 Pro Controller without sacrificing much functionality to hit a lower price point.
The $25 GuliKit ES features anti-drift Hall effect joysticks (Nintendo’s uses the same problematic joystick technology as the previous version) and triggers, a gyroscope for games that support motion controls, and a 950mAh battery with up to 30 hours of playtime. It supports Windows PCs and Android devices, but like GuliKit’s Elves 2, the ES and ES Pro are both Switch compatible and can be used to wake the Switch 2. That’s a feature that’s still not common amongst third-party Switch 2 controllers.
The pricier $30 GuliKit ES Pro carries forward all the same features but adds upgraded and more precise anti-drift tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) joysticks with adjustable sensitivity, a D-pad that can be switched between four and eight-direction modes, and the ability to swap between PC and Switch button layouts — with alternate buttons being sold separately.
There are a couple of Switch 2 Pro Controller features you won’t find on either of these. The ES and ES Pro can’t be used to scan Amiibo figures, and they don’t have an additional set of buttons on the back. But those seem like small tradeoffs given you’re not only saving over $60 by choosing either of these over Nintendo’s, you’re also getting a controller with better joystick hardware that will potentially last a lot longer.