One of the things about the Nintendo Switch that seemed a bit off-putting when the console was revealed was the lack of a D-Pad. Of course one could argue that a D-Pad would negatively affect one of the console's core features that allows players to use both Joy-Cons as an individual controller but, for some players, the lack of a directional pad has been somewhat of a problem. Especially for fighting and platformer games.
While the Nintendo Switch does offer a dedicated Pro-Controller that does come with a D-Pad, it also means that the player has to pay extra since Nintendo's hybrid console does not come with one out of the box and doesn't allow users to actually use the console as a handheld.
Now, thanks to Japanese Manufacturer
Hori, Nintendo Switch owners will be able to use their console in handheld mode and have a D-Pad on their left Joy-Con. According to
Hori, the
D-Pad Con (L) for Nintendo Switch doesn't provide the same experience the official Nintendo Joy-Con does as some sacrifices had to be made.
Siliconera reports that Hori's Joy-Con will not come with these features:
-
HD Rumble
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Player LED
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Sync Button
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SL Button
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SR Button
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Accelerometer
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Gyro Sensors
Some of the missing features like the lack of both shoulder buttons(SL and SR), or the Sync Button mean that the Hori Joy-Con will only be used in handheld mode as it does away with the function that makes a Joy-Con a wireless controller. It is a small price to be paid that many players won't mind paying.
Hori's
D-Pad Con (L) for Nintendo Switch will come out during the month of July in Japan and will likely come to the West sometime later this year.