Road testing Nintendo Switch gear from PDP + Giveaway

by Daniel VuckovicSeptember 3, 2023

The fine people at PDP sent us a box of their latest gear to test out: cases, headsets, and many controllers with so many fantastic designs. It took a bit to go through them all, but we’ve tried them out and will give some away. But first, how do they all stack up?

Afterglow Wired and Wireless Controllers – Prismatic

Out of all the things sent to us from PDP to checkout, these two controllers are the more premium items, and while they look almost the same, there are some slight differences.

The design of these controllers you’ll either love or hate. RGB and transparent tech aren’t for everyone, but they’re done relatively classy here. The glossy transparent plastic is strong and scatters the LED lights well. You can also control the LEDs, make them lighter, and make them darker. They can flash on or off, glow in and out or react to the analogue sticks. You can also step through the colours or have the colours change automatically.

The controllers also have two rear buttons, which are super simple to set up. Hold the little function button and the rear bumper you want to set up, wait for it to flash and then press another button. You’ll have to redo it for every game, but reconfiguring takes seconds.

The quality of sticks and other buttons is fantastic, with good response and feeling on all the buttons with only a few notes. The wired controller seemed to have squishier L and R buttons. I’m unsure if this is a difference in tolerance in a manufacturing run, but this squishyness certainly felt cheaper.

But the wired controller, despite lacking that Wireless freedom, does come with a super long Micro-USB cable and the ability to pass through audio. That means you can plug in earbuds or any other 3.5mm device and listen to game audio. This is something not even Nintendo’s controllers have.

Can we ditch Micro-USB now, though? The Nintendo Switch has everything USB-C. If you’re travelling with this controller, you’ll have to take another cable.

Where to buy

Afterglow Deluxe Wireless Controller – Amazon, Big W, EB Games, JB HiFi
Afterglow Deluxe Audio Wired Controller – Amazon, Big W, JB HiFi

PDP Travel Cases

Even before we were sent a bunch of these cases to check out, I had been rocking the Glow in the Dark Sheikah Shoot Glow case as my main Switch case since it was released, and I love it. Sure, it looks great both in the daylight and glows in the dark, which, to be honest, has yet to help me find it at all in the night, but it does look great.

All of the designs for the PDP Travel cases look great, but it’s more than just a pretty-looking case you want. It’s something that’s versatile and protects your Switch.

The Travel Cases work for all models of the Switch, including the Switch Lite with an insert inside the packaging. I don’t have a Switch Lite, so I have this insert floating around now somewhere in a drawer, and you’re better off finding something smaller if you have the Lite.

The outside of the case is a soft but firm shell, with one side a nice faux-leather effect and the other a material texture. The zip wraps all the way around, so the console will never fall out, and on the inside, you have a little stand* that can set your Switch up, but if you have an OLED, at least you probably don’t need it. There’s also a little tiny pouch on the stand that might hold a game or two. Despite being called a Travel Case, you can’t fit much else in it – maybe a small USB-C cable.

The glow-in-the-dark case you see in the pictures is a “Travel Case Plus,” which has a pouch in the top part of the case. Otherwise, it’s the same as the standard Travel cases.

For the price, these are well-built cases with fantastic designs. They’re not the smallest cases, but they will protect your Switch very well.

Where to buy – Amazon, EB Games, JB Hi-Fi, The Gamesmen

Rematch Wired Controller

Nintendo has only a handful of limited edition Pro Controllers, and they’re all black in the middle with coloured handles. You’ll have to go third party to get different designs, and the Rematch controllers from PDP have some of the best designs out there. They’re licenced by Nintendo, so they feature proper “Nintendo” artwork. They’re bright and colourful, and there seems to be a new one every week. So eventually, you’ll find one that suits you.

Like the Afterglow controllers, they all feature great-feeling sticks and buttons and are solidly built. They are all wired, so they feature rumble, the same audio pass-through as the more premium Afterglow controllers and come with the same 3-metre USB cables. They even have reprogrammable back buttons on the back.

Where to buy – Amazon, Big W, EB Games, JB Hi-Fi, The Gamesmen

Airlight Wired Headset

There are so many headsets on the market. Some work with the Switch, some don’t – some need USB dongles. We can now use Bluetooth ones (just for audio, not with a microphone), or you can plug them in. That usually means they’re handheld only unless you’re running a cable from your Switch to your face across the room when docked.

The Airlight Wired Headset is a wired headset with a flip-down microphone. The microphone will work with any Switch game that uses its own voice chat, such as Fortnite or Apex Legends, and mutes itself when folded up.

The audio quality is reasonably punchy, with solid bass. There’s no fancy noise cancelling or anything here, but for a budget range, it sounds great. As the name implies, the headsets are light but still feel relatively solid. After an hour or so, they were also still comfy to wear.

If you’re after a cheaper set of headphones that sound decent and are a big handheld player, these could be for you – plus, the Zelda design is understated and clean. There’s even a hidden Hyrule Crest in the ear piece.

Where to buy: EB Games, JB Hi-Fi, Big W, The Gamesmen

Thanks to PDP, we’re giving away three sets of matching cases and controllers. We’ll also be giving some other goodies away to our Patreons and listeners of the Vookcast.

Entry is simple: Tell us your favourite design between the Sheikah Shoot (left), Mario Escape (middle) and the 1-UP Glow (right) designs below and you’ll go into the draw.