| Price | Etsy |
| Release | Circa September 2023 |
| Compatibility | PC |
| Dimensions | 7.9″ x 5.9″ x 2.0″ |
Introduction
Austrians! Where y’all at? StepUpSFF is an Austrian Etsy store, so it can ship to y’all at a minimum cost, but if you’re not in Austria, then don’t worry—for this fine establishment can ship worldwide.
Joel from StepUpSFF usually makes computer and audio accessories by hand from wood. Over the years, this establishment has generated an impressive sales record on Etsy as a result. Yet, you’re probably most interested in its Retro Lever-less Arcade Controller…
Performance
You can order this controller in leverless or WASD format. While the WASD format features a WASD cluster that’s typically slanted for your left wrist’s comfort, the leverless format has the left, down, and right button cluster in a pretty straight line—instead of being curved. Not only that, the jump button is quite close to the other directional buttons.
That said, the attack buttons are 24 mm Baolians (the stiffer kind), whereas the directional buttons—which sit quite tall—have hot swappable Gateron Yellow switches that are:
- Linear
- Smooth
- Durable
In the controller’s back right, you can find a couple more buttons, which are function buttons. Another thing worth noting is that the top panel’s bottom corners are very slanted, so the wrist rest kind of cuts off there, and these sections also slope downwards rather aggressively.
Hardware
This is a small controller, but it’s not the small and slim type. Still, it’s portable enough to travel with. You see, it’s made of a mixture of European walnut and PLA+, which is a type of plastic that’s impact resistant.
(Consider PLA+ an upgrade over standard PLA.)
In addition to PC, the controller is more specifically compatible with options from Steam to MAME. Meanwhile, you can find a USB-B port in the controller’s back left.
Appearance
The controller has an elegant combo of brown and matte black. It appears that the walnut itself is the brown part, and the PLA+ is matte black. Also, the directional buttons are brown & black, whereas the attack buttons are just black.
By the way, you can see six screws on the top panel, but in general, this controller would look epic on your shelf if it’s the wooden kind.
Conclusion
While the controller has some redeeming qualities, it’s probably best kept as a collector’s item.
- Swappable Gateron Yellow switches
- Leverless or WASD format
- European walnut & PLA+
- Small & portable size
- Straight left/down/right buttons
- Jump button close to others
- Tall directional buttons
- Stiffer attack buttons
- Doubtful wrist rest
Rating
⭐⭐⭐