| Price | ENTH |
| Release | November 2022 |
| Compatibility | PS5 / PS4 / PS3 / PSC / XSX / XB1 / X360 / NS / PC |
| Dimensions | 14.6″ x 9.4″ x 2.0″ |
| Weight | 4.4 lbs |
Introduction
ENTH is an Italian brand that has continued to innovate over the years, whether we are talking about the unique controllers or the KRM buttons that are growing on the fighting game community.
The NE line can be ordered in preassembled or DIY formats. It is available in both all-button and joystick formats. All-button models include the NE-KRCK and NE-SLS-30, but the NE-AS in particular is a joystick model. The “AS” part of the name probably stands for “arcade stick”.
Performance
The NE-AS is one of the first controllers of ENTH (if not the first) with ENTH’s own KRM24 and KRM30 buttons. The numbers indicate the millimeters.
Basically, there are eight 30 mm face buttons and six 24 mm secondary buttons. KRM buttons are known for their responsivity, thanks to the 1 mm pretravel of Akko CS Silver switches.
KRM buttons are loud! Some prefer loud buttons for solo play at home, but versus someone else, they may give away your inputs or at least unsettle your opponent by way of noise pollution.
Moving on, the buttons have a Noir-esque layout to feel the most natural for your fingers. ENTH believes a closer joystick and higher buttons relative to the joystick provide optimal ergonomics. The joystick is not ENTH’s own; it is the Sanwa JLF-TP-8YT, but that joystick is also known for responsivity as well as fluid movements.
The icing on the cake is the ample wrist space for your comfort during play (partial credit goes to the unique layout). The cherry on top is the inclusion of four rubber feet at the bottom to enhance stability.
A foam pad is optional, but it may be overkill because, sometimes, you may deliberately want to readjust your arcade stick’s position on a table, for example.
Hardware
Even if you go for the DIY edition, the NE-AS case itself should still be preassembled. The plexiglass of the NE-AS is solid. The case can be modded to have a Seimitsu joystick instead, such as the SE and LS-32 models.
Note that the inner room for the joystick is roughly 4.4 cm from the plate base to the lower cover of the arcade stick. So, a joystick like the Seimitsu LS-32 should be the tallest allowable joystick as it does not exceed 4.1 cm.
The joystick hole is 35 mm. There are a couple of 4 mm plexiglass layers down yonder and a couple of 4 mm layers up top, so the total top-surface real estate is 8 mm. Most buttons should also be compatible.
What is on the side panels?
- Two secondary buttons on the left
- Two secondary buttons on the right
- Two secondary buttons in the back
- Tournament mode switch in the back
- USB-A port in the back
A cable is included. The back buttons are for start and back. The right buttons are for L3 and R3. The left buttons are for guide (or the Xbox bar) and capture (for the Nintendo Switch).
Opening up the NE-AS requires the old-school screwdriver method, and it is worth noting that the NE-AS may have more screws than average (even the rubber feet have to come off). Though, that is probably a blessing in disguise to make sure that everything is held together nicely.
The interior wiring is quite organized. ENTH’s Veleno fighting board with less than 0.85 ms input latency is compatible. It is based on the open source GP2040 firmware and features SOCD cleaning. If you get the NE-AS with the Brook UFB Fusion PCB instead of the case only, that should maximize platform compatibility.
Appearance
As the Armani of arcade sticks, when you receive your bubble-wrapped NE-AS, you will quickly realize how elegant it is. The see-through version does not look too shabby either. While the joystick is Sanwa, ENTH can still provide a custom ball top, decking out your NE-AS with full ENTH style.
That said, if you have the black version of the NE-AS, it can be a fingerprint magnet, but is that not the same with dark plexiglass and acrylic in general? Just have a microfiber cloth on hand, and you should be good to go!
Conclusion
The NE-AS is a no brainer if you are in the market for a boutique fightstick solution that does not compromise quality.
- Preassembled or DIY
- Black or transparent
- ENTH KRM buttons
- Custom ball top
- Innovative layout
- Rubber feet
- Louder buttons
- Many screws
- Fingerprint smudging
Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐