Geek Review: Omelet Mini Joy-Pad For Nintendo Switch

It’s been seven years since the release of the Nintendo Switch, but where some things have changed, others stay the same. The hybrid console is a bestseller for all the right reasons – it’s versatile, ultraportable, and easy to use, with the Joy-Con controller as the glue that holds everything together. 

Yet, the detachable controller is also one of its biggest weaknesses. On top of the dreaded Joy-Con drift on older models, its small and contour-free design brings about discomfort during long gaming sessions, especially for owners with larger hands. Having a proper setup proves vital in making it feel more like a home console, and Malaysia-based Nintendo Switch accessory brand Omelet Gaming has stepped in with a solution. 

The Omelet Mini Joy-Pad, just like the many alternatives before it, seeks to smoothen out the rough edges. Keeping in line with most third-party designs, the device is heftier, bigger, and easier to grip; unlike them, it sports a more unique design language. The company’s latest comes in five colourways: Moon White, Azure Blue, Volt Green, Lemon Yellow, and Sunset Orange, with each side included as an individual package. 

This mix-and-match versatility brings a welcome touch of personality to the console, inviting users to customise however they want. The showstopper, though, is its built-in glow-in-the-dark feature, touted to be the world’s first for a joypad. On paper, that comes across as a cool addition, because there’s no need to apply external components like LED strips or illuminating decals. 

In practice, it fails to stick the landing. The luminescence does show up under ultraviolet (UV) light, but naturally dark environments – such as an unlit room at night – renders it ineffective. At most, there will be a pulsing strip running down near the edge of each controller (not even across the whole grip, mind you), which is especially disappointing to see on a product that considers the glow to be its biggest selling point. 

In fact, it’d have made more sense to incorporate backlight into the buttons instead. Etched in black with a thin font, they can be difficult to locate in places with poor visibility or low light. It’s a real pity, since everything else about the Omelet Mini Joy-Pad easily meets expectations, from build quality to performance.

Contrary to what its plasticky appearance may suggest, the device is decked out with buttons that are firm to the touch, including the triggers. They feel stiffer than those on the original Joy-Con, ditching the familiar mushiness for more solid and tactile feedback. Despite offering more resistance, the Hall-Elite joysticks are also pleasant to use, living up to the promise of a drift-free experience. 

Well, not exactly. The Omelet Mini Joy-Pad succumbed to just one instance of Joy-Con drift, where Dave continued swimming in Dave the Diver’s Sea People Village when hands were off the Switch. It’s unclear whether this was a one-off glitch, however, so here’s the benefit of doubt. 

The joypad, with its thicker cut (likely to also accommodate the USB-C port on each side), will feel heavier and bigger than one is used to, particularly for users with smaller hands. Still, it can be easily snapped in place, even if doing so requires more effort. Simply press down on the small button at the back, slide each one down the same way you would with the original Joy-Con, and voila, device pairing is done. 

As compared to its Nintendo counterpart, Omelet’s latest offers stronger haptic feedback in both handheld or wireless mode. Reeling in a medium-sized catch in Dave the Diver activates constant thrumming, while getting attacked by a lynel in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom triggers aggressive vibration. 

The Switch’s versatile form factor means owners can play games docked, or while on the move. The Omelet Mini Joy-Pad, naturally, fulfills both requirements – except for specific scenarios involving the Joy-Con grip. With a strap included, the device allows users to loop their hand through and hold the controllers separately, but they won’t be able to slot it into the grip or a standard-size case due to the stockier form factor. As such, there isn’t any way to turn it into an untethered two-handed controller, inadvertently limiting play options.  

At S$29.90 / RM99, the Omelet Mini Joy-Pad is a solid third-party alternative that offers more for less. The inability to execute its glow-in-the-dark design premise isn’t a good look, even if the blow is considerably softened by its high-performing and reliable functionality. Barring some minor compromises, the gaming console presents convincing proof against the enduring price-equals-quality argument.