| Price | AliExpress |
| Release | December 21, 2024 |
| Compatibility* | NS / PC / RPi / Android |
| Dimensions | 8.4″ x 6.0″ x 0.5″ |
| Weight | 1.36 lbs |
Introduction
Haute42—a brand we have a lot of experience with—took the fighting game community by storm with its release of the M16, a mini leverless controller made of aluminum alloy. The M Lite is a sequel you can buy that is lighter and comes in a gold or dark gray color.
Like its predecessor, you can also use the M Lite as a WASD controller, and there are more buttons for other inputs you may need, such as L3 and R3. Not only that, there are five function buttons on top too, which include turbo, home, back, and start.
Of course, the legendary OLED screen makes a comeback, allowing you to see things from your live button presses to which input, directional, and SOCD cleaning modes you are in.
Unboxing
Your M Lite will likely arrive housed in foam and with:
- Three extra function buttons
- Extra Crystal switch
- Switch puller
- Black USB cable
- Instructional manual
Performance
The M Lite features low profile Crystal linear switches that sound moderate, and the controller runs on the critically acclaimed GP2040-CE firmware, so the input lag is impressively less than a millisecond (thanks to an overclocked polling rate). Needless to say, the controller is quite responsive in-game.
The buttons of the M Lite feel similar to other Haute42 controllers, so they are of quality. There is even a thin foam pad inside to reduce the buttons’ sound.
The jump button is bigger than the rest at 25.8 mm. This way, you can easily hit it with the side of your thumb. As for the M Lite’s other main buttons, they are 23.5 mm.
The M Lite’s function buttons are the 6 mm tiny type, so a hidden benefit is that you are less likely to press them by accident in a way that may disqualify you from a tournament. In any case, you can remap the buttons conveniently through web configuration.
That said, the M Lite features turbo functionality, meaning you can press a button once and have that one press result in multiple inputs.
The button layout is comfortable, but the M Lite is a smaller controller, so keep that in mind. Fortunately, there is still considerable space for your hands to rest. There is even a little slope for your comfort. Oh, and do not worry about this controller sliding around while you play your favorite fighting game. It is very stable.
Hardware
The weight, size, and slimness of the M Lite make it very easy to carry around. Also, despite a reasonable price tag, you can tell the aluminum alloy is rather sturdy. It is easy to figure out why Haute42 won an Evo award. Another positive aspect about the aluminum alloy is that it should not feel cold as you play.
When it comes to hardware customization, there is not much you can do other than change the M Lite’s keycaps and switches. On the bright side, PlayStation 5 compatibility can be achieved by inserting an appropriate dongle into the USB-A port located in the back left. One dongle that can pull this off is the BOOTER 5.
Appearance
The M Lite is a classy looking controller that should not attract fingerprint smudges easily. You can also enjoy RGB LED with the buttons—plus some backlight. The color options of gold and dark gray are the icing on the cake. For example, you can grab the gold edition for yourself and the dark gray edition for your friend.
For custom art, you would need something like vinyl, and if you are down to take the vinyl route, you are welcome to hire us here at The Arcade Stick as we have a custom art service. You can even check out examples by our Petar Mitic and Milford Peynado for another small & bestselling Haute42 controller called the G16:
Conclusion
With the M Lite, you get to travel in style with a conveniently sized controller that can also get you some wins.
- Robust aluminum alloy
- Quieter buttons
- Swappable switches
- Dual layout
- Convenient size
- Slim enclosure
- Classy look
- Color options
- Gorgeous LED
- OLED display
- PS5 port
- Extra freebies
- Lightweight, baby!
Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐