The CRKD Nitro Deck 2 has dropped to $79.99 on Amazon, a $20 discount from its original price of $99.99, marking its current historical low. One author chose this four-back-button controller to upgrade their Nintendo Switch 2 handheld mode ahead of the release of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remastered.
The Nitro Deck 2 is an all-in-one control system designed to replace Joy-Cons, supporting Switch 2, Switch OLED, and the original Switch. In addition to four back buttons, it offers joystick damping adjustment, extra shoulder buttons, and dead zone tuning, and can be used as a pro controller in docked mode. After a month of testing, the author's team gave it a 4/5 star rating.
The specific control scheme for the game is not yet fully clear. The author's assessment of the back buttons' uses is partly based on demo footage and player analysis. Actions such as switching weapons, jumping while climbing, and changing items might be suitable for mapping to the back buttons, but these arrangements are not officially confirmed final control designs.
The device is about the size of a Steam Deck, making it inconvenient to store and transport. It also has issues such as overly strong vibration and some adjustment structures whose quality doesn't quite match the price. For comparison, the Mobapad M12S, priced at $99.99, features TMR joysticks but only two back buttons; the Nyxi Hyperion 3 Ultra, discounted to $149.99, retains Switch 2 mouse functionality but also has only two back buttons. Considering the four-back-button configuration and the discounted price, the author believes the Nitro Deck 2 is better suited for their pre-launch upgrade.