Engadget Reviews GuliKit TT Max, a Hefty and Versatile Switch 2 Controller

Engadget said the TT Max is a standard size and fairly lightweight in the broader controller market but a beast compared with Switch 2 gamepads. In the reviewer's small hands, it sits more like an Xbox pad than a Nintendo Pro Controller, though it has aligned joysticks like a DualSense. The metal rear paddles, attached out of the box, are raised above the grips like slim butterfly wings and press in with a satisfying click. According to the review, they make the controller feel even bigger than its chassis.

The gamepad's triggers flare upward and are roughly textured at the tips, with a switch to swap between an ultra-smooth Hall effect pull and a digital click. The face is matte plastic, the rear grips are heavily textured like the triggers, and the bumpers are wide. The floating circular D-pad can be set to a 4-way or 8-way mode, and the TMR thumbsticks are described as super precise, with a slick glide and adjustable stepless tension. The TT Max comes with an extra D-pad and a stick kit providing two additional heights, each with silicone caps that have low-profile edges.

Engadget said the TT Max looks like a multiplatform controller because it is one, supporting PC, Android and iOS as well as Switch and Switch 2. Its face buttons are shiny with a hard-rubber feel, press in with a stiff click, and the box includes a spare set of PC-style keycaps. The controller can swap between Nintendo and PC layouts on demand.

The review highlighted the TT Max's power-on sequence. Pressing the small home button makes the controller shake while RGB rings light up around the left joystick, the right joystick and then the central logo. The default mode leaves rainbow circles flowing around the sticks, and there are four light modes in total: constant on, stick tracing, trigger tracing and rainbow. The lights also serve as quick-look indicators for thumbstick sensitivity settings, with pink for 50 percent, blue for 100 percent and green for 150 percent.

The TT Max has gyro controls for supported games and adjustable haptics with three modes: rotary motor, maglev haptics and HD vibration. When paired with the Switch 2, the default mode is HD vibration. Engadget said this offers pinpoint haptics and a lovely all-over rumble but tends to make a grinding noise noticeable even over the on-screen action of Resident Evil Requiem. Rotary mode is even louder and crunchier, according to the review. GuliKit's proprietary maglev haptic mode, the default for PC play, is the quietest and least mechanical-sounding of the three and the reviewer's personal favorite. These observations are based on the standard intensity setting; there is one softer and one stronger option.

Engadget also noted that the TT Max can wake up the Switch 2, a feature it called one of the most luxurious capabilities a Switch 2 controller can have. The controller pairs easily to the Switch 2 and reliably wakes the console with a press of the home button, and the in-box instructions are easy to follow. It does not have a player indicator on the chassis, but it has lights to signal pairing mode and battery life between the bumpers. The reviewer reported no issues with battery lifespan and said the controller charges easily via USB-C. GuliKit says it can last up to 26 hours with the RGBs off, or 14 hours with the lights on low.

The review also mentioned a simple hard case molded to the controller's contours, providing protection while traveling or living with children, roommates, cats or other sources of sticky messes. Engadget said the case is nothing special but nice to have. The box includes three analog stick pairs of varying heights, with one pair attached; PC-layout keycaps; a keycap puller; a tension adjustment tool; four metal paddles attached to the rear grips; two D-pads, one attached; a Hyperlink 2 wireless USB adapter; a USB-C to USB charging cable; a protective case; and a user manual that the review described as actually useful.

Editor's Summary Engadget's review of the GuliKit TT Max highlights a large, feature-rich Switch 2 controller with adjustable TMR sticks, four back paddles, multiplatform support and multiple haptic modes. The controller also offers console wake-up, RGB lighting and USB-C charging, with GuliKit claiming up to 26 hours of battery life with lights off. The review's main reservation is that the default HD vibration mode can produce a noticeable grinding noise.