I personally never had any issues playing the Nintendo Switch for long periods of time (thanks to my relatively small hands). However I do have issues with the analog drift on my Joycons. My launch day Switch was relatively problem free until Super Smash Bros Ultimate came out. Not long after playing the game, my left Joycon started to drift. Thankfully I was able to fix the issue cheaply by ordering some replacement parts on AliExpress.
Considering that I mostly play my Switch in handheld mode, having to replace the analog sticks every so often isn’t a long term solution. I went online to search for a suitable replacement and came across the Hori Split Pad Pro.
When it comes to build quality, I personally feel that Hori products are fantastic and the Split Pad Pro is no exception. The full sized analog sticks are solid and feels great, had no issues pulling off special moves in Street Fighter with the d-pad and the buttons are responsive. The overall design of the product makes it really comfortable to hold, further reducing hand strain when gaming for long hours. You can also assign turbo / auto fire to buttons and there are also 2 extra mappable trigger buttons at the back.
The Hori Split Pad Pro is not without its caveats however. They lack wireless capability (meaning they have to be attached to the Switch in order to work), no gyro sensors and also no rumble. The Split Pad Pro adds a bit of extra weight and the larger size also makes the Switch less portable, in the sense that it will not fit into most ‘made-for-Switch’ pouches.
To sum things up
Pros
- Good build quality
- Great analog sticks, dpad and buttons
- Comfortable to hold
- Able to assign turbo / auto-fire to buttons. Additional 2 mappable trigger buttons
- Able to fit into the Switch dock without having to remove them.
Cons
- Lack wireless capability
- No gyro sensors
- No Rumble
- Add a bit of extra weight
- Larger body means less portability.
Overall, I love the Hori Split Pad Pro and it has been my daily driver ever since I got it. If you are interested in getting your own Hori Split Pad Pro, Play-Asia has quite a number of selections, including the really awesome Pikachu Cool edition. (Affiliate links)