Max Glenister

I’ve gone through a few sets of Joy-Cons since buying my Switch back in 2018. Every pair has ended up with stick drift, and at this point my Switch is running Android full time, so spending £60 on first-party replacements felt like a waste. I picked up the LinYuvo KS42 from AliExpress for around £18 instead.

Specs

• Connectivity: Bluetooth 2.1
• Joysticks: Hall Effect
• Gyro: 6-axis
• Battery: 500mAh per side, ~6.5 hours, ~3 hours to charge
• Weight: 350g (combined)
• Extras: Dual vibration motors, 2 macro back buttons, turbo, RGB LEDs

Build and feel

These are chunky. They’re obviously inspired by (or a rebadged clone of) the Nyxi Hyperion, for about a third of the price, with a similar ergonomic grip that makes the Switch feel more like holding a proper controller. I’ve got big hands and the standard Joy-Cons always felt cramped, especially for longer sessions. The KS42s sorted that out - with them attached, the Switch is about the same size as a Steam Deck.

The left controller has a full-size d-pad rather than the four individual buttons on Nintendo’s Joy-Cons, which I prefer. Buttons feel soft but responsive. The Hall Effect sticks have a smooth range of motion and shouldn’t develop drift - they use magnets instead of physical contacts.

Each half has its own USB-C port for charging (they do not charge via the Switch). In the box there’s a bridging piece that clips the two halves together to form one (slightly wide) controller for wireless play. It also works with the original Joy-Cons and actually feels quite nice with them - a good option for player 2.

The vibration motors feel cheap. Instead of a continuous rumble, they do a noticeable burst of small vibrations. There’s a button on the back of each controller to adjust or disable it. There are two macro buttons on the back, reminiscent of the Steam Deck’s back paddles, but I’ve not found a use for them yet. The RGB LEDs have a few colour modes but I turned them off after about five minutes - they drain the battery and I couldn’t care less about RGB.

The controllers pair just like any other joycons. All the buttons map correctly, the gyro works, and holding the home button wakes the Switch from sleep. Slide them onto the rails and they’re recognised immediately (including the satisfying snap animation). The connecting edge is thicker than on first-party Joy-Cons, so there’s an abrupt step where the controller meets the Switch. Looks a bit odd given how thin the console is.

There’s no NFC, so no Amiibo support. They’ve got SL and SR buttons for split play, but holding a single controller sideways isn’t the most comfortable given how chunky they are. Fine for a quick round of something, not great for longer sessions.

Because of the grips, the Switch tilts back noticeably when set down on a surface or a lap. The standard Joy-Cons sit fairly flat, but with the KS42s attached the whole thing leans back at an angle. Not ideal for handheld propped against a cushion or a tray table.

One annoyance: accidentally knocking a controller while the Switch is off will wake it up, and it’ll sit there draining battery. They apparently auto-sleep after 5 minutes, but I’d rather they just stayed off.

For £18 they do the job. They’re comfortable, they work with Android without any fuss, and the build quality is fine for what they cost. I wanted functional joycons for a banned, last-gen Switch that I’m not about to spend serious money on, and that’s exactly what I got.