Chinese manufacturer Manba may not be among the better-known gaming peripherals manufacturers, but it has been slowly making a name for itself with a range of solid controllers, Nintendo Switch, and VR headset accessories like charging stations. Following the release of a multi-platform mini controller, a set of great looking Switch Joy-Con and controller with turbo function, the manufacturer has now released a more advanced controller called the Manba One controller, a solid controller with hall effect sticks, unique features, and additional accessories that are usually sold at a much higher price.
The Manba One controller doesn't attempt to reinvent the wheel, and it is shaped like your regular Xbox controller, featuring its typical asymmetrical stick placement, which doesn't take too long to get used to for those who are used to the symmetrical stick placement of the DualShock and DualSense controllers like me. Even at a glance, however, the controller sets itself apart from similar devices with its 2-inch LCD screen, which can be used to set up the controller on the fly. Among the options available are mode switching between Nintendo Switch, PC, iOS, and Android (the controller does not support PlayStation consoles), button remapping, a great feature to have when playing games that natively do not support such feature, back button programming, of which the controller features four, hall effects stick sensitivity and vibration intensity. The LCD screen also allows the user to change language between English, Chinese, and Japanese, the screen's brightness, and customize the RGB lights placed on the side of the controller with multiple colors and three modes (Keep Light, Breath, and Off). These RGB lights aren't particularly bright, so they create no issue whatsoever in dimly lit rooms.
Alongside the aforementioned LCD screen and four programmable back buttons, the Manba One features some additional advanced features that, while not really required for a controller, are still welcome. Included in the controller's package are two replacement sticks, which are a little higher than the ones installed on the controller for maximum customization, linear hall effect triggers whose run can be adjusted with locks located on the back of the controller, and an easily removable magnetic cover that can be potentially swapped with another of a different color which also makes basic maintenance of the controller extremely convenient.
A welcome inclusion in the controller's package, which retails for 69.99 US dollars, is a charging base complete with a USB Type-C cable and a proprietary plug-and-play USB Bluetooth dongle to use the controller wirelessly on PC. Pairing the controller with a Nintendo Switch console and iOS or Android device requires no additional accessory, and the process is extremely simple, even for those not particularly tech-savvy.
While the plastic build of the Manba One controller doesn't scream premium, it doesn't feel like a cheap controller at all. While the face and shoulder buttons are a little "clicky," they are fairly accurate and don't produce excessive noise when pressed. The Hall effect sticks feel great and grant the controller much better longevity than others that use traditional sticks. The only real downside of the controller is its frankly bad directional pad. After having tried to make it work for more than a few hours in Street Fighter 6 and having failed to do the most basic special moves consistently, I can safely say that fighting game players who use the d-pad should avoid getting this controller, although the four back buttons might have made it enticing to access additional button shortcuts. With a weight that is pretty much on par with the around 280 grams/9.87 oz of the DualSense, making it instantly comfortable for those used to the PlayStation 5 controller, and a battery capacity of 1800mAh that grants around 12 hours of continuous use, the Manba One controller is essentially in line with other controllers from bigger manufacturers, with the advantage of including some advanced features and a charging base for a more than reasonable price.
The price is certainly the distinguishing factor of the Manba One controller compared to similar products. While only a few gamers are likely to take advantage of some of the controller's advanced features, the proposition of a comfortable controller with on-the-fly settings adjustment, Hall effect sticks, and a charging base sold for the price of a DualSense controller is definitely enticing, and only its incompatibility with PlayStation consoles and poor d-pad do detract from its appeal.
Review unit provided by the manufacturer.
About the author: Francesco De Meo has been covering video games and technology since 2012, starting his career at small outlets like Gamersyndrome and GeekSnack. After joining Wccftech gaming section in 2015, he quickly expanded his video gaming coverage with in-depth reporting, interviews with iconic industry figures such as Grasshopper Manufacture founder and No More Heroes creator Goichi "Suda51" Suda, Resident Evil series creator Shinji Mikami, Team NINJA's president and Nioh series director Fumihiko Yasuda, and Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama, reviews and on-the-ground coverage of major industry events such as Gamescom and E3. When he's not reporting or reviewing, Francesco can be found playing the genres he loves most, spending time with his six cats, reading, writing music, playing guitar and drumming for his progressive rock band.
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