PowerA Enhanced Wired Controller for Nintendo Switch - Fireball Mario

Overview

The PowerA Enhanced Wired Controller for Nintendo Switch - Fireball Mario is an officially licensed wired gamepad. The short verdict: it is a cheap way to add a second or third controller for people who never scan amiibo and do not care about HD Rumble.

It is not a Pro Controller replacement. Its two defining traits are the Fireball Mario artwork and its roughly 131g weight.

That weight matters more than the spec sheet suggests. A Pro Controller is generally around 240g, and Joy-Con in a grip land near 200g.

At about 131g this pad is roughly half that, which noticeably reduces strain on wrists and the base of the fingers. Because the cable carries its own weight at the console end, what your hands hold is essentially just the pad.

Amazon.co.jp listed 307 reviews at 4.5 stars (90% favourable) as captured on 28 May 2026.

A product holding 4.5 across 300-plus reviews is unlikely to be shipping a badly defective batch.

Read that score with the price in mind, though: much of it reflects satisfaction relative to cost.

Compatibility Guide

Connection is wired USB only. You can plug it into a USB port on the dock or directly into the console's USB port in tabletop mode.

No drivers and no console-side setup are needed; a player number is assigned the moment it is connected. With no pairing steps, it is an easy second pad to hand to a family member who dislikes fiddly setup.

Nintendo Switch Lite needs care. The Lite has no USB Type-A port, so you need a separately sold USB adapter (Type-C to Type-A).

That turns the Lite into something closer to a stationary console on a desk and removes the portability that made you buy a Lite. Do not read "works with Lite" as "works while you carry the Lite around."

Feature compatibility is the key point. Motion sensors are included, so gyro aiming in Splatoon 3 and the gyro puzzles in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom work fine.

NFC (amiibo scanning), HD Rumble, and the infrared motion camera are not supported. For amiibo you will need a Joy-Con or Pro Controller nearby.

Physical dimensions are 15.01 x 10.59 x 6.1 cm.

Players with large hands may find it slightly smaller than a Pro Controller. For children or smaller hands, that size combined with the low weight works in its favour.

Product Info

The spec sheet comes down to six items: wired USB, about 131g, 15.01 x 10.59 x 6.1 cm, motion sensor support, no NFC, no HD Rumble.

Being officially licensed, it carries relatively low risk of being broken by a firmware update, a common problem with unlicensed pads. The box contains only the controller and a USB cable.

Warranty follows manufacturer terms.

Treat the pricing data with caution, because the captured figures disagree. Amazon recorded JPY 10,061 as of 28 May 2026, while eBay recorded USD 16.99 as of 9 July 2026.

Even allowing for exchange rates the gap is wide, which suggests the yen figure may reflect a scalped, imported, or different-variant listing. Do not treat JPY 10,061 as a list price.

Check the current price on the product page before buying.

A useful rule: if the asking price climbs past half the street price of a Pro Controller, the economic argument for this pad largely disappears. Accepting no wireless, no NFC, and no HD Rumble only makes sense when it is meaningfully cheaper.

How It Compares

There are three alternatives worth weighing. The official Pro Controller offers wireless, HD Rumble, amiibo, and long battery life, at a higher price and nearly double the weight.

Third-party wireless pads such as 8BitDo's models balance price and features, and some include Hall-effect sticks. Then there are wired licensed pads like this one, which trade features away for price and light weight.

If stick drift is your main worry, a Hall-effect stick model deserves consideration. The stick mechanism here is not stated in the available data, so the safe assumption is a conventional design with a finite lifespan.

Buying it as an inexpensive second pad and replacing it when it wears out is the realistic plan.

Being wired is not purely a drawback. There is no battery to degrade, no mid-match power loss, and in local multiplayer the cable makes it obvious which pad belongs to whom.

Avoiding the "it isn't charged" argument with kids is a small but real benefit.

Look and Feel in Use

The Fireball artwork is louder in person than in product photos. Mario fans will enjoy it; anyone matching a tidy living room setup may find it clashes.

If you want something restrained, look for a plain colourway in the same series.

Cable length is not stated in the spec data. If you plan to sit on a sofa well away from the TV, confirm the length on the product page or plan on a USB extension cable.

"It doesn't reach from the dock" is the single most common stumble with wired pads.

Best Use Cases

The best fit is someone who already owns a Switch and a main controller and wants cheap extra pads for local multiplayer. In games like Mario Kart or Super Smash Bros., the number of controllers in the room directly determines the quality of the evening.

The second-best fit is anyone whose hands tire during long sessions. At roughly 131g the difference becomes obvious past the three-hour mark, and never watching a battery meter suits marathon play.

It is also a sensible first controller for a child: light, easy to handle, no charging to manage, and less painful to replace than an official pad. If the child likes Mario, the design closes the deal.

It is a poor choice as your only controller, because when a game requires amiibo or leans on HD Rumble for feedback, you will have no fallback.

Before You Buy

Watch for mismatched listing data. In the pricing data referenced here, the label reads "Amazon US" while the link actually points to Amazon.co.jp, and the JPY 10,061 figure diverges sharply from eBay's USD 16.99.

Product pages sometimes carry incorrect manufacturer, model, or compatibility entries. Confirm from the product image and title that you are buying the PowerA Enhanced Wired Controller in the Fireball Mario design, and check the price at that moment.

Misreading "Switch Lite compatible" is the most common mistake. As noted, it needs a separately sold adapter and cannot coexist with handheld play.

A Lite owner buying this as a portable extra pad will almost certainly be disappointed.

No HD Rumble affects more than you expect. Standard rumble is present, but effects designed around HD Rumble — flowing water, fine-grained feedback — are not reproduced.

Switching from an official pad to this one, some players notice the drop. Accept that trade-off up front.

amiibo will not work with this pad. If you plan to use amiibo figure players or unlock gear via amiibo, buy it expecting to keep a Joy-Con or Pro Controller alongside.

Behaviour on newer Nintendo hardware cannot be guaranteed. This is a 2022 product for the Nintendo Switch.

Support on newer consoles or future system updates cannot be confirmed from public data, so verify compatibility on the manufacturer's product page rather than assuming it.

FAQ

Q. Can I just plug it into the Switch? A.

Yes. Use a USB port on the dock or the console's USB port in tabletop mode.

No drivers or settings changes are needed.

Q. Does gyro aiming work in Splatoon?
A. Yes. Motion sensors are built in and are usable even for players who rely on gyro aiming.

Q. Can it scan amiibo?
A. No. There is no NFC, so you need a Joy-Con or Pro Controller for amiibo.

Q. Should I buy this or the Pro Controller? A.

For a first or main controller, buy the Pro Controller. This pad makes sense as a lighter, cheaper second unit.

Q. Does it work with Switch Lite?
A. Yes, with a separately sold USB adapter — but only in a desk-bound setup, not for handheld play.

Q. How much does it cost? A.

The captured figures disagree too much to quote a firm price here. Check the product page for the current price.