When I was first offered the opportunity to look at the abxylute N6 Nintendo Switch 2 Deck, I was a little surprised with myself. I don’t usually go for these kinds of add-on peripherals for gaming tech. I barely liked those protective covers that went over the Wii Remotes, let alone something as cumbersome as the Handy Boy—which I actually had back in the day.
But something about the abxylute N6 Nintendo Switch 2 Deck appealed to me. I don’t know if it was its Gamecube aesthetic or its genuinely solid-looking frame, but I needed to get my hands on this thing. It was a unique experience going into reviewing something I was fairly apathetic about and coming out genuinely impressed—the N6 is a fantastic unit that is really built to enhance Switch 2 usage.
My initial worry with the N6 was that it was going to feel a little too bulky in my hands. The Nintendo Switch 2 is already such a noticeably large handheld compared to its predecessor, so I was concerned the added heft might detract from the experience. But it really doesn’t—the abxylute N6 has a sleek, ergonomic design that feels fantastic in the hands, without adding too much extra weight.
“…the abxylute N6 utilizes Hal-Effect joysticks to give players a really solid sense of control while ensuring the sticks won’t succumb to drift after long-term use.”
And the whole abxylute N6 unit has a really solid feel. The face buttons are firm and responsive, while maintaining the same size and positioning as the standard Joy-Con 2 buttons. The L/R buttons have a good, clicky feel, while the ZR/ZL buttons have a little more added depth for a more tactile click when pressed.
In addition to the standard buttons, the abxylute N6 also includes the GR/GL buttons added to the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controllers, giving players even more options for customization. And because the N6 connects directly to the Switch 2 via a USB-C connection on the bottom of the unit, there’s virtually no latency between the device and the deck.
Not only that, but the abxylute N6 utilizes Hal-Effect joysticks to give players a really solid sense of control while ensuring the sticks won’t succumb to drift after long-term use. In addition, the unit has a really solid D-Pad that makes playing classic Nintendo games a lot more convenient and responsive. I know it’s not the biggest deal, but having the directional buttons separated on the standard Joy Cons just never felt right to me, and it’s nice to have a D-Pad that feels as good to use as it did on the NES controller.
But the abxylute N6 Nintendo Switch 2 Deck isn’t just a fancy Switch 2 holder. The unit is built with a 9-axis gyro sensor to provide smoother and more precise motion controls to the Switch 2. And after coming off the Snakebyte Gamepad Pro S2 controller, it was genuinely relieving to see a unit that not only included gyro controls but sought to improve them. On top of this, the abxylute N6 implements dual linear motors to provide haptic feedback at four different levels of selectable intensity.
“…the abxylute N6 has a sleek, ergonomic design that feels fantastic in the hands, without adding too much extra weight.”
And the abxylute N6 attempts to enhance the user experience even further by including a “Turbo” button, allowing for rapid button inputs with only a simple tap of a button. It might sound a bit corny, but it did take me back to the days of the old NES Max, since I really haven’t seen Turbo functionality on a controller in quite a long time.
The standout feature of the abxylute N6 Nintendo Switch 2 Deck is its visual design that’s meant to emulate the classic GameCube colours. While its N9C counterpart goes above and beyond replicating the style and feel of the classic GameCube controller, the abxylute N6 captures the aesthetic brilliantly with the iconic purple chassis, red, green and grey buttons, and yellow right analogue stick. While the unit itself is meant to feel more thematically similar to the Nintendo Switch, it bridges the gap nicely between new and classic Nintendo.
There’s not much more to say about the abxylute N6 Nintendo Switch 2 Deck other than it’s an incredibly solid peripheral that does add a lot to the Switch 2 experience. If you’ve felt like the console on its own has felt a little awkward or uncomfortable in your hands, then this is sure to add a lot to your handheld play.
