| Price | YungTek |
| Release | May 31, 2025 |
| Compatibility | NS / PC |
| Dimensions | 11.4″ x 6.3″ x 0.4″ |
Introduction
He’s talented, he’s an OG, and he’s incredibly handsome. What made Mike Ross endorse the MR.Box by The YungTek Store? Well, you’d have to read on to find out…
First off, the MR.Box is not supposed to be pronounced like Mister Box. Instead, the MR stands for—you guessed it—Mike Ross. Simply put, the controller’s full name is the Mike Ross Box.
This FGC legend achieved a top 8 placing at Evo in Street Fighter with a tough character to play at the time, Honda, among many other accomplishments. Maybe you can achieve the same with the MR.Box.
(Fun fact: The Arcade Stick’s cofounder met Mike Ross around 2011 and had a wonderful—yet brief—chat.)
Unboxing
The MR.Box comes in a package that has a snug-fit, and the package opens up like a briefcase or laptop. Remove the controller from its bubble wrap, untie the USB-C cable, and you should be good to go. Oh, and enjoy the Mike Ross card (plus a note)!
Performance
The fact of the matter is the MR.Box has a dozen main buttons that feel good, and the controller is available in standard & XL sizes. The polycarbonate keycaps have a frosted surface so your fingers can grip them better. Also, the jump button being bigger than the rest allows you to press it with your thumb’s side easily.
Even the MR.Box’s top panel is frosted for grip purposes. Regarding the switches, they are Kailh Deep Sea Island Pinks that are low profile, linear, and silent—hiding the sound of your inputs as you mash your way to victory. Unfortunately, these switches may not be hot swappable, but fortunately, the switches are quite good!
As for the MR.Box’s function buttons:
- L3
- R3
- Touchpad
- Home
- Back
- Start
Hardware
The MR.Box is made of quality acrylic, and it’s quite slim. Seven screws hold the controller together. Essentially, the controller has an RP2040 chip, which means it runs on the fine GP2040-CE firmware that you can update online. Not only that, this highly acclaimed and open source firmware also grants you:
- SOCD cleaning modes to stay legal
- Almost zero input latency
- Decent compatibility
(You can make the MR.Box compatible with more consoles by inserting an appropriate dongle into the USB-A port.)
Moving on, the MR.Box can be considered medium sized, but it’s closer to small. Regardless, you can perform at a high level with it—as well as travel with it tirelessly.
Around the time of the MR.Box’s release, corner loops have been becoming a thing with fighting game controllers, and the case is no different here. You see, the controller has a corner loop where you can attach something like a keychain—or even a lanyard.
Appearance
If you have no idea what to attach to the corner loop, you can go for YoungTek’s own hologram strap—with shiny MR.Box text.
Speaking of accessories, you can also get a large MR.Box bag. Its black color matches the controller’s color rather nicely, and so does the cable’s black color. Even the cable tie is branded!
Whether you get the standard or XL size, the MR.Box text always appears on the top panel’s bottom right—along with Mike Ross’ very own signature. This spares you from waiting in line at a meet and greet to grab an autograph. More branding can be found at the bottom, by the way.
That said, the MR.Box has some interesting labeling. Its function buttons are labeled, but out of the main buttons, only the directional buttons are labeled.
On the bright side, less labels mean less clutter, and less clutter allows the LED to light up the MR.Box’s buttons without many labels distracting you.
Conclusion
With the MR.Box, you get to choose your controller’s size—and you get to make it compatible with enough consoles so you can conveniently play at home, your friend’s dorm, or the local tournament. Plus, the endorsement by Mike Ross doesn’t hurt… 😉
- Endorsed by Mike Ross
- Standard or XL size
- Slim acrylic
- Grippy panel & keycaps
- Silent switches
- LED functionality
- Excellent firmware
- Extendable compatibility
- Cable included
- Hologram strap loop
- Branded bag available
- Switches not hot swappable
Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐