| Price | AliExpress |
| Release | Circa May 2026 |
| Compatibility | NS2 / PC / Android |
| Dimensions | 11.8″ x 7.9″ x 0.5″ |
| Weight | 1.74+ lbs |
| Cable | 3 m |
Other Editions
Introduction
Don’t you feel like you could use a little bit more orange in your life? The Haute42 C16 Orange solves that problem, and it brings back many of its bestselling predecessor’s awesome qualities too!
Unboxing
You may be delighted that your C16 Orange comes with:
- Two extra Shadow Hunting switches
- Two blank templates
- Five art templates
- Keycap puller
- Black USB-C cable
(Side note: It would’ve been nicer for the C16 Orange’s cable to be orange instead of black.)
Performance
The C16 Orange isn’t just an orange version of the C16. Its buttons are now matte PBT keycaps with a rounder shape for easier finger sliding.
We’re talking about a mixture of 23.5 and 25.8 mm buttons. Well, only the C16 Orange’s bottom jump button is 25.8 mm, and that’s so you can press it more easily with either thumb’s side.
That said, the C16 Orange has an additional jump button you can press with your left middle finger. So, there’s essentially an optional WASD layout—good if you come from a keyboard background.
Now, the C16 Orange’s buttons utilize Shadow Hunting switches that are quiet in nature. This way, your opponent sitting nearby doesn’t hear your every move.
If the C16 Orange’s switches aren’t your style, they’re hot swappable, so you can quickly install other switches you prefer. Maybe you prefer loud switches over quiet ones, and maybe you like clicky switches with a bump, for instance.
About the C16 Orange’s function buttons, they’re labeled as:
- T
- –
- Home
- Back
- Start
Indeed, turbo mode is back, so if you’d like to press a button once—and have that one press result in multiple inputs—the C16 Orange can let you do so.
The C16 Orange also has a couple of toggles you can use, such as a tournament lock to disable the function buttons and prevent you from getting disqualified from tournaments (due to pressing function buttons accidentally).
Near the C16 Orange’s tournament lock is an informational screen that shows your:
- SOCD cleaning mode
- Directional mode
- Input mode
- Turbo speed
- Button presses
All of the above performance aspects are made more comfortable due to the C16 Orange’s subtle—yet still appreciated—wrist resting slope.
Hardware
The slim C16 Orange is made of CNC aluminum alloy, but it remains light. Also, it features one anti-slip pad per leg (meaning two pads total).
Speaking of legs, the C16 Orange should be wide enough to place on your legs without having to squeeze them together. Of course, the controller is suitable for desk placement too.
At its core, the C16 Orange runs on the popular GP2040-CE firmware known for:
- Open source nature
- Online upgrades
- Nearly no lag
- Wide compatibility
You see, the C16 Orange has two USB-C ports: one on the left and another in the back. The back USB-C port is sunk in a way that reduces the odds of the cable unplugging accidentally.
On the C16 Orange’s right, there’s a USB-A port that can accept an adapter like the BOOTER 5 to make the controller compatible with more consoles. Further, you can conveniently adjust the controller’s settings via web configuration.
Appearance
The orange color of the buttons and metal of the C16 Orange is brimming with pizzazz. You can ignite them further by way of custom RGB LEDs, specifically lighting up the buttons and controller’s midsection. You can conveniently toggle the LEDs through the light lock (near the tournament lock).
More interestingly, the C16 Orange’s top panel is magnetically liftable. Press the push button, and then press the appropriate nub. Voila, you can now lift the panel for some custom art modding! And here are your options:
- Purple, gold, or gray metal panels
- Two blank templates
- Five art templates
- Custom art (sold separately)
Not all the preset art templates are orange, but they still mesh with the orange color scheme nicely. Other than that, we at The Arcade Stick are at your service if you’d like some custom art for your C16 Orange. With that, we hope you enjoy this C16 series sample by our artist, Budi Kurniawan:
(If you already have some C16 Orange art, we can just print it for you.)
Conclusion
The C16 Orange has a color that’s bolder than the C16’s, and its rounder buttons make sliding techniques easier for you. Then again, this controller still brings back a lot of the C16’s unbeatable aspects that made it a bestseller.
- 16 quiet buttons
- Turbo mode
- Tournament lock
- Info screen
- Wrist slope
- Anti-slip pads
- Slim & light metal
- Extendable compatibility
- Three USB ports
- Custom RGB LED
- Customizable art
- Magnetic panel
- Cable not orange
Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐