I’ve had my eye on Funlab’sSwitch controllersfor a while thanks to a few intriguing Instagram posts that have graced my feed, so when the company reached out for a review I was excited to finally see one of these fancy RGB controllers for myself. All of Funlab’s devices feature what it calls “Hidden-Til-Lit displays”. They look like plain black pro controllers when they’re off, but when you turn them on they light up, revealing fun, intricate patterns. What can I say, I’m a sucker for pretty lights and colors.
I’ve been testing the Luminex Controller with Charging Dock, a Zelda-inspired controller covered in the tight, maze-like etchings found in the shrines in Zonai ruins throughout Hyrule in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. At the center of the controller is the Crest of the Sheikah, otherwise known as the Sheikah Eye… or at least that’s what you’re supposed to think it is.
It wasn’t until I started writing this review that I realized the symbol is slightly different from the Sheikah Eye, in what I can only assume is an intentional, legally-distinct way. I went back through the marketing material and the review guide I was given for the controller and the word Zelda isn’t mentioned anywhere in there. Funlab has plenty of seemingly official Nintendo-branded controllers, like thesePokemon Scarlet & Violet controllers featuring the Paldean startersand this “Firefly Pro”controller covered in piranha plants and bob-ombs, but for whatever reason the new Luminex controller is sporting some Great Value Zelda iconography.
There’s a bootleggy quality to the controller that’s going to turn some people off, but it’s a Zelda controller in my heart, and that’s good enough for me. I’m really just here for the lights and colors anyway. As I mentioned earlier, I’m a bit of a sicko for things that glow, and the Luminex glows great, most of the time. The controller and charging dock features seven colors: green, orange, teal, pink, yellow, red, and purple, and if you put the controller on the dock you’re able to press the light button on the back of it to make the controller and the dock match. Unfortunately when you undock and redock the controller it will default to red, so if you want a different color when it’s docked, you’ll have to change it manually every time you put the controller down.
I thought red might indicate a low battery when docked, which would have been a nice touch, but the controller and dock turn red by default no matter what. I was also disappointed to see that the lights on the controller will eventually turn off while it’s docked, leaving only the dock lit up red.
Aside from the RGB toggle you’ve got a few other bells and whistles on the Luminex that you won’t find on the OEM pro controller. You can adjust the intensity of the rumble with a button on the back, and there are two programmable back buttons, which are well positioned and easy to hit with my natural middle finger position. There’s also a good ol’ fashioned turbo button, which you can assign to a button to either simulate repeated pressing when holding the button down, or fully automate a button as though you’re repeatedly pressing it, without needing to actually press it at all. Surely there’s nothing nefarious you could do with a feature like that.
You also get an upgraded eight-way D-Pad, which is a huge improvement over the normal Switch Pro controller if you’re going to play the Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection.
Pairing to a Switch is as easy as plugging it into the USB-C port one time, and I had no problem keeping it connected over multiple sessions, though it did go to sleep due to inactivity much quicker than I would like.
One of the best things about the official Pro controller is absent here though: its seemingly infinite battery life. I got down to half a charge after three days of pretty heavy use playing the Castlevania Dominus Collection. Funlab advertises “fast charging”, claiming you’ll get a full charge in just five hours. I think we have different definitions of fast, but if you plug it in overnight you won’t have to worry about charging again for quite a while.
If you can get past this being a Legend of Zeldo: Lunk’s Awakening controller and the RGB lighting quirks when docking the controller, the Luminex is a stylish and feature-rich alternative to Nintendo’s Pro Controller. It does everything you want a Switch controller to do and then some, and it looks good doing it. Sure it makes you feel a bit like the kid wearing a Supreme hoodie your mom got for $30 at the swap meet, but if no one looks at the tag, who’s gonna know?
Check out the Funlab Luminex Controller with Charging Dock on Kickstarter.
