We recently reviewed the Hyperion 2 controller for Nintendo Switch devices from NYXI.

We were massively surprised by the quality and design of this controller, it transformed the entire feel of our Nintendo Switch from feeling like a child's toy into a proper gaming machine and we were hungry to try more from them. So I'm happy to share that NYXI sent us the new Flexi controller to try out too!

This one is a lot more standard and universal compared to the Hyperion 2 joypads as those were specifically for use with Nintendo Switch consoles, whereas the Flexi is meant for more everyday use with PC, mobile or Switch devices. So if you're looking for a multi-use controller that offers flexibility with premium features, keep on reading!

BUTTONS, FEATURES AND CUSTOMISABILITY

So, where the Flexi shines most is in its ability to meet the comfort preferences and needs of most types of gamers. This time featuring four entirely programmable back buttons, which don't get in the way if you don't need or want to use them, but become very powerful options if you do. If you've used a Steam Deck they feel similar in setups to the back buttons on that device.

Besides mappable buttons though the biggest draw is how the controller can be customised itself. The left analogue stick and directional pad can be pulled away from the controller and their locations swapped, especially allowing you to change the design of the controller from those seen on Xbox and Playstation pads, which both have a strong fanbase who swear by either design. While this is a cool function and doesn't lock the customer into a specific design, it does feel like something you'd only do once, which means the integrity of the design is somewhat flawed for something you may only do once and then never again - can't help but wonder if just two designs would have made more sense here?

The same can be done for all of the ABXY face buttons, effectively allowing you to switch buttons to match the Xbox or Nintendo design, depending on the system you're playing on. I've fortunately played enough games that my brain is wired to switch the buttons around depending on the system I'm playing on and even when that muscle memory fails, I'm hardly looking down at the controller to remind myself - so while it's cool, I'm not sure how practical it will be for everyone, especially if you jump between devices often.

The actual buttons themselves are a little hit-and-miss. For reference, we absolutely LOVED the feel of each and every button on the Hyperion 2 pads, many if not all of the buttons of those controllers were micro switches and felt great to press, the feedback they gave you was joy to behold even when the gamepad wasn't hooked up to anything! Here, none of that same feel is carried over. While the ABXY buttons do feel fairly clicky, the rest of the buttons feel pretty mushy in comparison, especially the bumpers and triggers. To be honest we feel pretty spoilt by the feel of the Hyperion 2, so maybe we're harshly judging the feel of this one, but the difference is too wide not to mention it.

At the very least both the thumbsticks and triggers are built with hall effect tech, meaning no drift and much more responsive triggers, in fact the controller is a bit of a Swiss army knife of premium features that you rarely see in many third-party options - hall effect sticks and triggers, programmable buttons, customisable button layout, rumble feedback, turbo function, gyro support (for the Switch) and even RGB options - you can't deny that the controller offers incredible value for money, especially when you consider it supports multiple platforms.

FLAWS AND AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT

As may have been clear leading up to this, the Flexi is not without some pretty noticeable flaws that make it hard to fully recommend to everyone. First of all the manual you get in the box covers the absolute bare minimum with only a QR code to lead you to a page that explains the meat of the functionality in more detail. While this will be fine for most, that website won't be up forever and if someone is gifted this or buys it second-hand one day, they may have no idea how certain aspects of it work. There's also nothing on the box to suggest buttons and pads can be entirely switched out and positions swapped, it's a key feature and it's almost like they don't want everyone to know about it, very odd to me.

Another unfortunate fact is there's seemingly no support from this controller for Xbox or Playstation consoles, which is a real shame given first-party controllers for those machines can be unnecessarily expensive. We tested multiple connection options on our Xbox Series X, using the provided dongle, USB-C cable and plain Bluetooth and it had no interest in connecting - we're sure there are good reasons for this but given the controller is literally named after being flexible you'd had that it would support the more mainstream consoles and devices.

Along with the already mentioned mushy feeling of most the buttons (besides ABXY, thankfully), the whole feel of the controller also feels pretty average, there was something about the Hyperion 2 controllers that felt incredibly premium, from the moment you first held them. You do not get that experience here, and the honeycomb-shaped holes in the grips along with pretty basic RGB options, makes the design almost feel pretty reminiscent of cheap Madcatz offerings from the early 2010s. We're not mad about the design ourselves and although it feels better than 90% of third-party options, it doesn't feel anywhere near as high-quality as the Hyperion 2 we reviewed. Even the cable you get with it is a mere 1 metre long.

This is the first standard controller design we've tried from NYXI, so we really only have the Hyperion 2 to compare it to, which isn't entirely fair as they're completely different controllers for entirely different needs, we'd definitely be interested in trying another controller of a similar design from them to get a better idea of their spectrum of design, but for now this is all we have to go on. If you were looking for Xbox Elite controller levels of premium feel in a third-party option, you won't be getting that here. That said, there is a valid target audience here, and I'll go more into that below.

SUMMARY

So if you're looking for a well-priced controller that you can use between your PC, Switch, phone and other Bluetooth devices - one that has commonly desirable features in a premium controller, that allows you to customise the layout and functionality to your needs, the Flexi is really difficult not to recommend, it just ticks a whole bunch of boxes in those fields and is built without enough care and attention to detail to serve you well.

If, however, you want a premium pad to upgrade your first-party controller or want something you can use with all of your consoles, the Flexi is really not designed to fill this void. We see it as a great controller to travel with and share among friends or family. It's trying to be that one-size-fits-all gadget and in some ways it gets very close to ticking all the boxes and in others, it just feels like a controller mapped with many missed opportunities.

PROS

+ Programmable back buttons

+ Hall effect sticks and triggers

+ Switchable left thumbstick and dpad

+ Rumble, Turbo and Gyro support

+ Compatible on PC, mobile and Switch

CONS

- Lackluster documentation

- Mushy menu buttons, bumpers and trigger

- Limited and non-exciting RGB options

- Cheap feeling materials

- Laughably short cable

- Incompatibility with major consoles besides Switch