| Price | BOOTH |
| Release | December 29, 2024 |
| Compatibility | NS2 / PC |
| Dimensions | 11.3″ x 7.9″ x 0.6″ |
| Weight | 1 lb |
| Cable | 1.5 m |
Introduction
The shoebill is a strikingly large bird, and its name comes from its massive shoe-shaped bill that gives it a comically prehistoric appearance.
What you’re probably more interested in, however, is Shoebill Gaming: a Japanese BOOTH shop that can ship worldwide if you choose the Buyee option when placing an order.
You have to check out the Plette—a 15 button controller with this one feature we at The Arcade Stick have rarely seen in other controllers (if ever). Read on to find out what this feature is!
Unboxing
Before revealing that feature, we gotta do some unboxing, right? Well, your Plette should arrive with an acrylic cover and some special screws. Also, you get a free USB-C to B cable, which is a questionable choice…
You see, USB-C cables are quite popular, but they’re usually USB-C to A cables so you can connect them to consoles, for example. Anyway, it’s time to reveal the awesome feature.
Performance
The Plette’s star feature is how its palm rest is recessed when compared to where the buttons are sitting. In other words, the buttons sit on a taller surface than the palm rest, which is Shoebill Gaming’s innovative ergonomic attempt.
Don’t like the height difference? Here’s where the Plette’s acrylic cover comes in: it lets you adjust the height difference—optimizing the performance to increase your chances of winning matches.
That said, the Plette’s three extra buttons serve as left stick, right stick, and back. The LS & RS buttons are to be used by your index and middle fingers, while the back button is supposed to be pressed with your thumb.
The Plette’s jump button is bigger than the rest of the buttons to make it easier to press with your thumb’s side. Also, the Kailh Choc V2 Red switches being hot swappable means that there’s no need for tedious tools to change them if needed.
Phew!
The stock switches are low profile & fast—with smooth, light, and consistent actuation. Anyhow, let’s wrap up this section with the Plette’s function keys, which serve as:
- Start
- Guide
- Custom
By the way, it’s awesome that the Plette’s function keys aren’t some little pins that can hurt to press.
Hardware
The Plette is made of wood veneer on top and at the bottom—with some acrylic thrown in the mix (as we’ve already established). The bottom can also have leg pads for some grip.
About the size of A4, the Plette is slim, light, and held together by only four screws. This makes it faster to unscrew, but going back to slimness: is this the slimmest controller of all time? No, but it’s still slim.
Compatibility-wise, the Plette makes use of a Raspberry Pi Pico chip to run on the open source and fantastic GP2040-CE firmware that has almost zero input delay. And the USB-C port? It can be found in the back, although to the left a little.
Appearance
Shoebill Gaming made the right choice with black buttons and keys for the Plette. In other words, black goes well with the two wood options the controller is available in:
- Walnut
- White oak
Walnut is rich and chocolatey, whereas white oak has a clean, golden grain. In any case, the wood is finished with a water-based urethane varnish. This results in a clear finish with low odor and insane durability. Though, it goes without saying that a handmade controller with a natural material like wood may have some minor blemishes.
There’s even a fully wooden edition of this controller called the WoodFloor. Otherwise, go for the Axte edition if you’d like the controller to be fully acrylic.
Finally, there’s an edition with a split layout that was made in collaboration with a pro player called Ajifurai. In fact, we’ll append a video of him down yonder in which he showcases the controller.
One last benefit we’d like to tell you about the Plette’s acrylic cover is that it can allow the display of custom art, which we at The Arcade Stick specialize in through our service. What will your art instructions be? Let us know!
Conclusion
The Plette’s unique selling proposition is its recessed palm rest that may be your greatest ergonomic unlock yet.
- Recessed palm rest
- Hot swap switches
- Almost A4 size
- Slim & light
- Customizable art
- GP2040 firmware
- Urethane varnish
- Walnut or white oak
- Wood, acrylic, or both
- May have blemishes
- USB-C to B cable
Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐