| Price | JumpHack |
| Release | Circa November 2021 |
| Compatibility | PS5 / XSX / NS2 / PC |
| Dimensions* | 15.6″ x 8.1″ x 1.1″ |
Introduction
Hack your way to fighting game success with JumpHack—one of Japan’s finest sources of fighting game controllers, such as the JumpHack11-XL, which is also known as the JH11XL.
Unboxing
You can order the JH11XL as an assembly kit—or you can just order it preassembled for you. You can also order this controller with a JumpHack or Brook board in mind.
The JumpHack board gives you minimum compatibility—with the possibility of extending the compatibility options later on—whereas the Brook option has a lot of compatibility from the get go.
In addition to the panels and so on, here’s a rough idea of the JH11XL’s contents, which come in a black JumpHack box:
- JumpHack board or Brook board bridge parts
- JumpHack board mounting parts
- 10P harness with a menu board
- 30P harness to connect buttons
Full disclosure: You might have to source your own buttons and Brook board. Also, assembly may take you one to two hours based on your experience—and whether or not you spin your wheels.
Performance
Using JumpHack’s layout editor, you can request a completely custom button layout for your JH11XL. If you get the thin version of this controller, which is 27 mm, you can’t fit in Sanwa buttons. For Sanwa, go for the 42 mm thick version.
Regarding the 30P harness for connecting the buttons, its L-shaped terminal is ideal for Sanwa and even OneFRAME buttons. For Punk Workshop Blaze Spark buttons, you’d have to buy a straight terminal harness separately.
That said, the JH11XL can have five tactile menu buttons in a location like the top panel’s upper left. Furthermore, the controller can run on the open source GP2040-CE that’s low latency.
It’s because of that popular firmware that you can insert an adapter to make the JH11XL compatible with even more consoles. The USB-C port is in the back left, and you’d have to source your own USB-C to A cable.
Hardware
The JH11XL’s hardware is quite interesting. It’s not the slimmest controller in the world, but it’s still relatively slim. Its structure consists of:
- Acrylic top panel
- Aluminum plates
- FR4 plates
- Metal columns
- Magnetic bottom
The above should be pretty self explanatory, but in case you were wondering, the JH11XL’s magnetic bottom allows you to access its internals without screwdrivers, unscrewing, and a whole bunch of time spent. Once you’re inside the controller, you’ll likely admire its neat, color coded wiring.
Appearance
Let’s start with the JH11XL’s acrylic top variants:
- Matte black
- Matte white
- Frosted
- Clear
If you get the thin version of the JH11XL, the sides would be black. If you get the thick version, the sides would be white. That said, there are some possible imperfections you should be aware of…
For example, there may appear a “foggy” pattern around the JH11XL acrylic panel’s cut line due to the nature of laser cutting. This is especially noticeable with clear acrylic.
Not only that, the aluminum plate inside the JH11XL—plus other aluminum plate parts used for the bottom—are often scratched during manufacturing.
Finally, portions of the JH11XL are painted, and the paint may fade or change in color if in contact with alcohol or solvents etc. So, preferably, use a dry cloth when cleaning.
Conclusion
Given the JH11XL’s sheer customizability and overall uniqueness, it’s worth ordering from Japan through a proxy service if you don’t live there.
- Assembly kit or preassembled
- JumpHack or Brook board
- Thin or thick version
- Custom layout
- Magnetic bottom
- Color coded wiring
- Matte/frosted/clear
- Aluminum/acrylic/FR4
- Open source firmware
- Extendable compatibility
- Possible blemishes
- Paint can fade
Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐