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¶ A Note About The Controller Research Guide
If you don't see the controller you own in the list at the bottom of this page, please check to see if it's in the Controller Research Guide. Our Controller Research Guide is a comprehensive database of Nintendo Switch first and third-party controllers; if you have a question about a controller, it's very likely the Guide will be able to answer it.
¶ Welcome
Welcome! If you’re here, you’re probably asking yourself "what controller should I use to speedrun this game?" With this Research Guide, we hope to provide the information you need to make an informed decision.
Please post in the help-and-troubleshooting forum on the Metroid Dread Speedrunning Discord server if you have any questions or concerns.
It is the responsibility of the runner to ensure that they are using a legal controller and turbo speed setting in their runs. The verifier team conducts periodic audits of turbo speed in runs. If a run is found that is breaking the cap, regardless of the reason, that run will be removed from the leaderboard. Options for self-verifying turbo speed can be found here.
¶ Legend
✅ Recommended Controller (learn more)
💚 Budget Pick (learn more)
🧲 Controller has Hall effect sensor analog sticks
⭐ Granular (fully adjustable) turbo function
Turbo function is capable of leaderboard-legal Gold Skip
🎯 Controller has exceptionally accurate analog sticks (fine tracking, minimal snapback, no jitter, 3% circularity error or less)
20Hz speed setting performs poorly enough to fall under the 13Hz cap
⏬ Requires firmware downpatching for optimal turbo
¶ List of allowed controllers
Last updated June 26, 2024
If your controller is not listed here, please look for it in the Controller Research Guide before submitting controller feedback to the Discord Server.
- All non-turbo controllers
- All turbo controllers where the turbo is turned off
- All turbo controllers not on this list where the raw beam fire rate is less than 13Hz as measured using frame counting
- 8BitDo Pro 2 (Firmwares 1.05-1.07b2, 2.00+) ✅⏬
- 8BitDo Pro 2 Hall Effect Edition ✅
- 8BitDo USB Wireless Adapter 2
- Binbok / Doyoky YS32 (slow and medium speed settings ONLY)
- Binbok / Doyoky YS32-2 (slow and medium speed settings ONLY) ✅🧲🎯💚
- CEHENSY 8592 💚
- CuleedTec Wireless Switch Controller (slow and medium speed settings ONLY)
- ELISWEEN Wireless Switch Controller (slow and medium speed settings ONLY)
- EUROA Wireless Pro Controller (slow and medium speed settings ONLY)
- EasySMX Bayard 9124 Pro, Wired USB Mode 🧲
- EasySMX Bayard 9124 Pro, Bluetooth Mode 🧲
- EasySMX ESM-9110
- EasySMX X10 Mechanic Master (slow speed setting ONLY) 🎯✅
- FlyDigi Vader 3 Pro (allowed speed settings: custom values from 1-13Hz ) 🧲⭐
- FlyDigi Vader 4 Pro (allowed speed settings: custom values from 1-13Hz ) 🧲⭐
- FunLab Firefly (slow and medium speed settings ONLY) ✅🎯
- HORIPAD Wired Controller (slow and medium speed settings ONLY) ✅💚
- HORIPAD+ Wired Controller (slow and medium speed settings ONLY)
- HORI Split Pad Compact Joycons (slow and medium speed settings ONLY)
- Hyperkin Nuchamp (slow and medium speed settings ONLY)
- Isenpenk GYCHEE Switch Controller (slow and medium speed settings ONLY)
- KMD Wired Pro Controller with Turbo
- KMD Wireless Pro Controller with Turbo, Wired USB Mode (slow and medium speed settings ONLY)
- KMD Wireless Pro Controller with Turbo, Bluetooth Mode (all speed settings )
- MOBAPAD M9-HD Wireless Switch Controller (all speed settings) 🎯
- NYXI Chaos Pro (allowed speed settings: "Slow", "Medium", custom values from 1-12Hz ) 🧲⭐
- NYXI Hyperion Pro, Bluetooth Mode (slow and medium speed settings ONLY) 🧲
- NYXI Hyperion Pro, Joycon Rail Mode (slow and medium speed settings ONLY) 🧲
- Sefitopher Wireless Switch Controller (slow and medium speed settings ONLY)
- Terios T17 Wireless Pro Controller (slow and medium speed settings ONLY)
- Terios T23 Wireless Pro Controller (slow and medium speed settings ONLY)
- Terios Winkey (slow and medium speed settings ONLY) 🧲
- Zakgbxbig Wireless Switch Controller (slow and medium speed settings ONLY)
These controllers have been recommended by the Controller Research Guide. Learn more.
¶ Turbo-Optimal Controllers
"Turbo-Optimal" controllers are controllers that are capable of leaderboard-legal Gold Skip.
- 8BitDo Pro 2 (firmware 1.05-1.07b2 only)
- Binbok / Doyoky YS32-2
- FUNLAB Firefly
- HORIPAD Wired Controller
¶ Non-Turbo / Non-Optimal Turbo Controllers
"Best-in-Class" controllers are the best controllers you can buy at that pricing tier. They may or may not be recommended, but each controller should have at least slightly positive sentiment. All prices are in United States Dollar (USD).
¶ Less than $25
- All form factors: Binbok / Doyoky YS32-2
¶ $25 - $40
- All form factors: FUNLAB Firefly
¶ $40 - $50
- "Pro" form factor: EasySMX X10 Mechanic Master
- "Dual Shock" form factor: 8BitDo Pro 2 Hall Effect Edition
- "Joycon" form factor: HORI Split Pad Compact Joycons
¶ $50 - $70
- All form factors: FlyDigi Vader 3 Pro
¶ More than $70
- All form factors: FlyDigi Vader 4 Pro
"Recommendation" comes with a high bar to clear, as it requires at least three community members to achieve. These controllers are not officially recommended, but they have been tested by at least one person in the community who found them to have no major defects.
¶ Turbo-Optimal Controllers
¶ Non-Turbo / Non-Optimal Turbo Controllers
These controllers have demonstrated poor construction and operation according to at least one community member.
¶ Wanted Board
We're looking for more information on these controllers:
- EasySMX T-37 (and variants)
- GuliKit KingKong 3 Max
- HORI Split Pad Pro
- Mytrix MTNSPC-M01 Hall Effect Controller
- NexiGo Hall Effect Controller
- NexiGo Potentiometric Controller
¶ Turbo Speed Cap Information
¶ Current Turbo Speed Caps
Last updated August 4, 2024
| Feature | Max Hz |
|---|---|
| Boss Rush | less than 21Hz |
| New Game / Continue | less than 13Hz |
| Competitive Randomizer | 17Hz or less |
| Boss Rush Practice ILs | less than 21Hz |
¶ Restricted Turbo Tricks
Last updated June 16, 2023
The list of tricks below are not leaderboard legal for turbo runners:
¶ Frequently Asked Questions
¶ Is there an easy way to compare the turbo speeds of multiple controllers?
¶ How was the decision made to cap the turbo speed at 12Hz?
Initially, the community ran the game with turbo capped at 20Hz, starting in January 2022. Community members felt that the 20Hz cap was excessive and the topic was revisited. The community managers held an interest poll and sanctioned a discussion about the turbo rules over the course of multiple months, where qualitative and quantitative data and concepts were discussed in order to come to a decision on what the cap should be.
The decision to cap turbo at 12Hz was based on a few areas where turbo runners had a distinct advantage, such as:
- Time save in boss fights, especially Raven Beak, and especially in the Unrestricted ruleset
- Unintended consequences of turbo, such as bombless Backdoor Flash Shift and turbo Omega Stream
- Curbing the "mental bandwidth" advantage of turbo runners from not having to button mash
After this discussion, a proposal to cap the turbo speed at 15Hz with a missile weaving restriction was introduced, and a round of ranked choice voting was held to determine what the final cap would be: 15Hz with restrictions on missile weaving and turbo Omega Stream, 12Hz with no restrictions, and 12Hz with restrictions. When the votes were tallied, 12Hz with no restrictions was the most popular option, followed by 15Hz with restrictions, and finally, by 12Hz with restrictions in a distant third place, so 12Hz with no restrictions became the new fire rate cap as of August 15, 2022. It was eventually determined that more restrictions were needed, and so a restriction on turbo missile weaving was imposed as of June 16, 2023.
If you would like to look more into the nitty gritty details, please take a look at the #turbo-rules-discussion channel under the Archives section in the Discord server!
¶ Why is the Boss Rush leaderboard cap higher than the cap for full runs? Doesn't turbo affect Boss Rush more?
The Boss Rush leaderboards are split between turbo and non-turbo, while other leaderboards are combined. Since turbo is not on the same leaderboard as non-turbo in Boss Rush, the 12Hz cap does not apply to it.
¶ The cap is 12Hz. Why are controllers up to 13Hz allowed?
Officially, the cap is 12Hz, but due to manufacturer variance, there is a 1Hz margin of error. Even though a lot of controllers are advertised as having a "12Hz" setting, very few controllers are 12Hz or slower even on this setting when tested - they're more like 12.4, 12.5, etc. Please see the Controller Research Guide for more details.
¶ If a controller has both a wireless mode and a wired mode, which one produces faster turbo?
It depends on the controller. For most controllers that are manufactured and programmed well, there is usually no difference. However, for certain controllers that suffer from Bluetooth packet loss, the wired mode produces more stable turbo, allowing a controller with an inconsistent fire rate in wireless mode to better approach its manufacturer-tested fire rate in wired mode.
In addition, research indicates that the shorter the USB cable, the more consistent the turbo, so if you are having trouble with inconsistent turbo speed, try switching to wired mode with a short cable, less than 3ft/1m.
¶ Can other Bluetooth devices interfere with a controller's turbo function in wireless mode?
Certain lower-latency Bluetooth devices, such as speakers, have been known to interfere with the turbo functions of the following controllers:
- 8BitDo Ultimate Bluetooth Controller [source]
- Terios WINKEY
In the case of the 8BitDo Ultimate Bluetooth Controller, the Hz of the turbo function was boosted from its normal 16.8 Hz all the way to 20Hz.