When the M12S is attached to the Switch 2, the console has almost the same dimensions as Valve’s Steam Deck. Unfortunately, however, it does not have the same button layout. On the M12S, the sticks are offset like on an Xbox controller, which, with my larger hands, repeatedly required me to reposition my grip and rest the right Joy-Con on my bent little finger. Even when using the left stick with the tip of my thumb and the right stick with the middle of my thumb, the handling felt somewhat unnatural. The only comfortable way was to use the lower part of my thumb, but that was uncomfortable. So I preferred to use my bent little finger for support. To find out if this was due to my large hands, I had my 13-year-old son test the controllers. He got along better with them, though he also used the middle of his right thumb for control. Since the right stick isn’t used in games like Mario Kart anyway, this is tolerable, and I’ve gotten somewhat used to holding my right hand differently.

Overall, the buttons, D-pad, and sticks are superbly crafted, produce no unwanted friction, and have a satisfying click. The colored logo is mostly covered by your hand while in use, and can be turned off completely or adjusted to be darker or lighter via the app if needed. The vibration feature is okay, but not comparable to HD Rumble. Since I’m the first to turn off vibrations in every game, this isn’t a problem for me. Rumble enthusiasts might find this a drawback. Users of Amiibo or other games that use NFC probably won’t be happy with the M12S either, since the controllers don’t support NFC. I’m not the target audience here either, so this doesn’t really matter to me.

The M12S Joy-Cons feel great on the device in handheld mode; they offer a solid grip, and thanks to the waffle-patterned texture on the back, they stay comfortable in your hands even during longer gaming sessions. Mouse mode isn’t supported, but there’s a C button on the right Joy-Con that lets you use the chat function with the push of a button. In my test, however, the Joy-Cons acted up: After I briefly removed them to use them separately, they took on a ghostly life of their own once I clipped them back onto the Switch 2, causing buttons to be pressed and the stick to move without any input from me. This could only be fixed by restarting the console.