NYXI Hyperion Meteor review: A great alternative for Switch gamers

I’ve been using the NYXI Hyperion Meteor Joy-Pad for around a week now, and I have to say I’m really impressed with how this controller compares to the official Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons. We already had the NYXI Hyperion Pad as one of our best Nintendo Switch Joy-Con alternatives picks, and it should definitely be ranked higher (I’ll fix that later), but since getting to try it out I'm even more convinced that this pad is a great solution for Joy-Con drift, especially playing handheld.

The Hyperion Meteor joy-pad costs around $56.99 / ￡44.95 making it a super affordable alternative to buying an official pair of Nintendo Joy-Cons which can cost up to $79.99 / ￡74.99 for the classic colour pairings. The NYXI Hyperion Meteor joy-pad can do everything that a Joy-Con can, functioning either as two separate controllers or combined into one using the frame for a pro controller experience.

The key features of this joy-pad include an ergonomic design that offers a comfortable grip, breathable LED lights in eight different colours, and a 6-axis gyro making it compatible with most motion control games (like Switch Sports). Plus it also has a pretty intense shock and rumble vibration, but you can adjust this.

It’s worth mentioning that this Joy-Pad has since been updated by NYXI with a new model, the NYXI Hyperion Pro Wireless Joy-Pad, which is pretty similar to this controller in most aspects, aside from being equipped with the latest Hall Effect joysticks instead.

This essentially means that the analog sticks won’t wear out as easily, and will never develop stick drift in their lifetime, as the sticks have no physical contact between moving parts, compared to traditional joysticks that use electrical resistance to detect movement. This is a game-changer for tackling stick drift, and I’m excited to try out this Pro pad from NYXI while comparing how both controllers perform.

If you haven’t experienced the dreaded Joy-Con drift on your Nintendo Switch console yet then count yourself lucky, as this is a common issue that Nintendo is very aware of. Sure, you can always get your Joy-Cons repaired by Nintendo for free if they develop this problem, but there's no guarantee that the drift won't come back at a later time (this happened to my Joy-Cons).

So if you're after a long-term solution for stick drift on your Nintendo Switch, then keep reading to find out how this NYXI joypad performed when I put it through its paces – by catching wild Pokemon and drifting through 200cc Mario Kart of course.

NYXI Hyperion Meteor Joy-Pad review: Key specs

NYXI Hyperion Meteor Joy-Pad review: Design and build

At first impression, the general feel of this joy-pad is a little off. There's nothing majorly wrong with it, but if you're used to handling official Nintendo Joy-Cons then you'll immediately notice the difference in weight when you pick one up (it feels super light - like air) as well as the plastic-y feel that it has in comparison.

These joypads individually are significantly wider and chunkier than official Joy-Cons, which means if you travel a lot with your Switch then you're going to want to buy a bigger Switch travel case if you want to leave them attached to your console, or maybe a separate case entirely for the controller.

The Joy-pads have large tactile buttons with a noticeable clicky sound when pressing down on the back triggers. The D-pad on the left (L) joypad is a welcome addition, and I always wondered why Nintendo decided to leave out this feature from the original Joy-Con design. Overall, it feels kind of like an Xbox controller in terms of weight, texture, and bulky design.

There's a nice ergonomic grip when playing handheld with these NYXI joy-pads, and it does feel balanced overall when the joy-pads are attached to either side of the Switch console. The textured back adds to the overall grip and ergonomic design, making it easy to hold comfortably without any wrist strain.

However, when you're playing with the joy-pad as a pro controller, it's very easy to accidentally hit the back buttons when you don't mean to, which is a problem if you have them mapped to complete a certain combo or action (more on this in the features section). I really like that the face buttons on the right pad are engraved, and not painted on, so the lettering won't rub off over time.

The joy-pads connect easily to the console by slotting into either side of the Switch display, and once paired, can then be used wirelessly for seamless connectivity. They charge individually via a USB-C port at the bottom of each pad, and can also be charged through the Switch itself with an official Nintendo Switch dock.

It would be cool if NYXI alternatively could’ve made the included grip/frame a chargeable one, which would’ve made it easier to charge both pads at the same time instead of needing USB-C ports on each pad.

NYXI Hyperion Meteor Joy-Pad review: Features and performance

The NYXI Hyperion Meteor Joy-Pad has a lot of things going for it. I love the design, the way it feels in hand, and the colour-changing LED lights add a whole new level to your gaming session (especially at night). It's not just about the pretty lights though, as this joypad can do more than the traditional Nintendo Joy-Cons.

There are two tiny circular M buttons on the back of either pad, which can be used to enter macro programming and assign a function to the MR back button on the right (R) NYXI joy-pad and the ML button on the left, which can be really useful for combos. I think this can be turned off if you don't want to use the macro function, but I haven't figured out how to do this yet.

To change the LED lights on the joy-pad, you'll need to hold down the turbo button, which is situated on the bottom of either pad, next to where the home and capture buttons would be on a traditional Switch. While holding down turbo, click the joystick (L3 or R3) to change its colour. You can do this repeatedly to cycle through the eight different colour options, and if you hold down the turbo button again – but this time click twice – then you can choose a motion mode, like the breathable blinking lights.

I think my favourite mode is the blue and purple breathing colour cycle. You can choose different colours for each pad too, which gives it a great neon aesthetic to match your vibe. Keep in mind that the pads don't communicate with each other, so you’ll need to change the settings and colours individually, and the pads won’t always remember your choices. I found that they would often revert to the basic colour red when going idle.

The turbo buttons can also be used to activate the joypad’s Turbo mode, if you hold down the turbo button on each pad, and press any other button (YXBA), it will cause that button to go into turbo mode, which can be handy for intense levels and boss fights.

There's also the shock button on the back of the pad (again, there's one on either pad), which controls the rumble intensity ranging from 0% to 100%. There's no HD rumble here, only a basic motor vibration, but it's still more than you need.

The only thing this NYXI Joypad doesn't do is read amiibos – but they're kind of irrelevant nowadays anyway aren't they? I used to have them for my 3DS.

NYXI Hyperion Meteor Joy-Pad review: Price

Now it's time to assess if this NYXI Switch joypad is actually worth it. At the time of writing, the NYXI Hyperion Meteor Joy-Pad retails for $56.99 in the US and ￡44.95 in the UK, which makes it a very affordable choice for those who want a great gaming experience without having to fork out for official Nintendo Joy-Cons.

When you consider that one official Joy-Con alone costs roughly $39.99 / ￡35, then this controller is great value for money offering not one but two controllers as well as the included frame to combine them into a pro controller. What more can you really ask for at this price point?

Sure, it doesn't have HD rumble or Hall Joysticks (if this is something you want then consider the latest NYXI Hyperion Pro model instead) but for most Nintendo Switch games you don't necessarily need a lot of rumble or advanced joysticks anyway.

Should I buy the NYXI Hyperion Meteor Joy-Pad?

In all honesty, most of the Switch games I play are solo adventure games or relaxing titles where you fish and harvest crops. I rarely play any games that require a fast response time or adapted triggers, so these features aren't important to me as a gamer when choosing a controller for the Switch.

But if these things are important to you, then there are probably better controllers on the market that offer enhanced precision (but at a higher price tag). The fact that you can map buttons with this controller and customise turbo functions should you want/need to, is a great option for the casual and slightly more serious switch gamers. If you're looking for replacement Joy-Cons with great ergonomics and reduced risk of drift then this controller is an excellent buy.