EasySMX X10 Bluetooth and Nintendo Switch controller review

EasySMX

I was so close to saying that the EasySMX X10 should be your next controller. It sounds like a home run on paper: Hall effect sticks, native compatibility across Nintendo Switch, Bluetooth, PC, mobile, and more, and an Xbox Series-inspired design that doesn’t change anything that already works. And after getting it in my hands I have to say, it feels great. The swappable faceplates feel more solid than my SCUF DualSense controller, the buttons all have a satisfying click, and the d-pad is genuinely great – most controllers mess up on the d-pad, but here, EasySMX really nailed it.

EasySMX is a Chinese company and it’s fine if you’ve never heard of it before. I don’t judge based on brand, I just want the end product to be high quality. And after weeks of using the X10 to play PC games, I was convinced that it was a smash hit. The only real complaint I can muster about the build quality is that the shoulder buttons and triggers offer very little resistance, feeling a bit weak and loose when depressing them. Still, it’s a relatively minor nitpick when the controller offers so much.

Full contents of the X10 box. / EasySMX

I skipped the process of pairing through Bluetooth and immediately plugged the X10’s USB dongle into my PC, allowing me to jump into Steam and Xbox Game Pass titles immediately. I couldn’t detect any perceptible latency, all the buttons worked when I wanted them to, and games felt great. Absolutely zero complaints, and I was convinced that it was a brilliant controller, zero drawbacks.

But I had to test it out on Nintendo Switch and mobile at least. After trialing Xbox Game Pass cloud streaming with the controller, I was convinced to purchase EasySMX’s mobile clip, allowing me to perch my phone above the pad. That’s right, I actually bought it – even after EasySMX supplied me with the controller – and although it’s not strong enough to stop your phone from flopping about while you lay down and play in bed, it made jumping into Game Pass games incredibly convenient, so I felt it was worth it.

Mechanical face buttons is a rare feature. / EasySMX

The experience of playing on mobile was perfectly fine, and while there was a bit of a delay – that’s to be expected with cloud streaming – it was still an acceptable experience for slower-paced games. That’s when I went to test the controller on Nintendo Switch, and immediately got hit with considerable latency. It’s not unplayable, but it suddenly felt like I was playing through cloud streaming when I wasn’t anymore. Swapping between attached JoyCons and the wireless X10 was night and day, even when the X10 was incredibly close to the console.

There is a wired option on the controller, thankfully, and it seems to significantly reduce the input delay, but playing with an official Pro Controller or with the JoyCon was still a better experience. At only £41 for the controller, it’s still great value, but it doesn’t quite work as an all-purpose solution to play games on multiple systems. The PC experience is great, the mobile experience is acceptable, and the Nintendo Switch experience is just not ideal. The ability to sync up the pad and swap between devices with the switch on the back of the pad is brilliant, and if it worked flawlessly in every situation, I would’ve recommended it to everyone.

Hall effect sticks complete the premium package. / EasySMX

As it is, I’ll say the EasySMX X10 is a great gaming controller for PC, and very capable for mobile – if that’s what you’re looking for in a controller. The X10 has some of the best features of any controller you can buy at this price point – Hall effect sticks and mechanical buttons are not common – but if the main thing you’re looking for is a controller to use with fast-paced Nintendo Switch games, you’d be better off spending money on an official pad.