| Price | AliExpress |
| Release | December 2024 |
| Compatibility* | NS / PC / RPi / Android |
| Dimensions | 8.2″ x 5.5″ x 0.5″ |
| Weight | 0.5 lbs |
Introduction
If you were not born in the 90’s, you are still invited to the party—because Haute42 dropped a pro version of its popular P12 controller with the nostalgic PlayStation 1 aesthetic!
The Haute42 P12 Pro is a mini leverless controller that is thin. With a built-in screen, you are better informed about your inputs while in-game. Moreover, there are function buttons for:
- Start
- Home
- Back
- LS
- RS
- Tournament lock
- Touchpad
- Turbo
Turbo is for pressing a button once and resulting in many inputs—with little effort. As for the tournament lock, it is to disable the P12 Pro’s function buttons, avoiding getting DQ’d due to pressing them accidentally at some tournament.
Performance
The P12 Pro’s buttons feel smooth to the touch. They are not silent—but not loud either. The buttons use low profile Shadow Hunting switches that are pretty fast.
(For the tech savvy, you may be glad to know that the overclocked polling rate of the P12 Pro allows it to achieve less than a millisecond of input lag.)
Now, the layout that the P12 Pro uses is the standard one, meaning the jump button is bigger than the rest of the primary buttons. That requires less precision from whichever thumb you like to use when jumping in a game.
On a desk, the P12 Pro feels decent, thanks to the anti-slip bottom. If you would like to place the controller on your lap, however, you will likely have to squeeze your legs together due to the controller’s compact size.
As for wrist resting space, the P12 Pro does not have much of it—which is not a problem because your palms will likely be raised in the air whenever you use a leverless controller anyway. If anything, your desk can act as a wrist rest.
Hardware
The P12 Pro is one of Haute42’s lightest controllers, and it is small enough to potentially fit into a tablet sleeve you might already own.
The USB-C port is on the P12 Pro’s left, and there is a USB-A port on the right where you can insert a PlayStation 5 dongle like the BOOTER 5. What you should also receive with your order:
- USB-C cable
- Switch puller
- Extra switch
The switches are hot swappable for your convenience. Regarding firmware, the P12 Pro runs on the open source GP2040-CE firmware, so you have multiple SOCD cleaning modes at your disposal. Oh, and the controller conveniently includes embedded web configuration.
Appearance
The P12 Pro is one of the more unique looking Haute42 controllers compared to its predecessors. Its curved edges are a sight to behold.
Another nice aspect about the P12 Pro’s aesthetics is that it does not easily show fingerprint smudges. If it does get oily over time, just wipe it down occasionally. ¿Comprende?
With that said, the star of the show—aside from the gray PS1 theme—may very well be the RGB LED that adds an additional element of beauty to the P12 Pro’s buttons.
For custom art, your best bet may be to apply vinyl onto your P12 Pro, and we at The Arcade Stick actually have an art service to help you with that customization process.
Conclusion
If you need a mini leverless controller with just 12 buttons—plus some PS1 nostalgia, grab the Haute42 P12 Pro.
- PS1 theme
- Small size
- Thin build
- Anti-slip bottom
- Smoother buttons
- Hot swap switches
- Nice lights
- Included screen
- Extendable compatibility
Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐