Granola TrailMix Review

Price	Etsy
Release	July 8, 2023
Compatibility	NS / PS3 / PC
Dimensions	8.5” x 4.2” x 0.6”
Weight	0.31 lbs

Introduction

The TrailMix by Granola Arcade a stickless controller based on the Flatbox. It has a vegetation theme as well as other unique design elements.

Performance

The buttons are quite smooth to press, which is understandable because the soldered switches of the TrailMix are Kailh Choc that should outlast 50 million button presses or thousands of hours. You can choose from different types of switches as well. There are also six secondary buttons on the upper left:

L3
R3
Touchpad
Capture
Select
Start

Those secondary buttons require diligence to use as they are quite small and so forth. Also, note that the directional button placement of the TrailMix is quite unique, so it might be hit or miss for you. Furthermore, the TrailMix can slide around during play if you are the aggressive type.

Hardware

The TrailMix is thin and lightweight. The case of the TrailMix itself is 3D-printed out of PLA, and the case snaps onto the PCB without extra hardware needed. You see, the TrailMix is compatible with Brook PCBs for PlayStation 5 support and so on. It runs on the GP2040-CE firmware with latency that is lower than a millisecond. The default SOCD mode is up plus down equal neutral by default. The port is USB-C.

One thing worth noting is that one of the budget elements of the TrailMix is that its PCB is exposed, so take heed when handling this product.

Appearance

Any design elements you might feel are missing from the TrailMix are probably because Granola Arcade was aiming to make a budget version of the Flatbox. On the bright side, you can pick from different colors.

Conclusion

Granola Arcade did the best that it could to make the TrailMix as good as possible without inflating its price.

Good buttons
Good switches
Compact
Thin
Lightweight
Color options

Directional button layout
Tiny secondary buttons
Soldered switches
Exposed PCB
Can slide around

Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐