Retro-Bit Saturn Wireless Analog Pro Unboxing & First Looks

SHIRO! recently unboxed Retro-Bit’s NEW 2.4Ghz Wireless Analog Pro Controller for SEGA Saturn, and we’re here to share with you our opinions so far. (Thanks to the folks at Retro-Bit for providing SHIRO! these free review samples, and we appreciate the opportunity provide the community with an honest and unbiased review).

UNBOXING & OVERVIEW:

One thing we noticed straight away was the absence of SEGA’s famous ‘Seal of Quality’, present on the previous 2.4Ghz wireless pads. Having nothing to do with the quality of the product itself, this is rather a recent move by SEGA/Sammy to limit use of the SEGA logo to first-party products. However, these Retro-Bit pads are still officially licensed by SEGA and have retained all the original Saturn branding.

While the previous pads opted for an outer cardboard box containing a sleek plastic carry case, the new pads opt for an outer sleeve that slides off to reveal a sturdy cardboard box. While we’re sad to see the carry case go, we’re happy to know that the added cost it represents has gone into making a better controller with more features overall.

Once out of the sleeve, we open the box to reveal the controller itself, along with the included V2 Saturn & USB receivers and an instruction manual with pairing info and key binding chart.

When holding this pad, first impressions are very good. It feels a tad bit larger than the standard Saturn pad, and it’s just a bit heavier too, as is expected with the inclusion of dual sticks & rumble motors. Still, in larger hands, like my own, it feels quite nice. However, both Pat & Nick noted that, while the extra weight was not a problem, they both had some difficulty settling on a comfortable hold, considering the need to rest their index fingers on the ZL & ZR triggers, causing the pad’s somewhat wide/sharp shoulders to dig into their hands. Your mileage may vary depending on the size of your hands…

Here you can see the recessed cutaway where they’ve nestled the dual analog sticks, safe from drops or snagging. It should be noted that these sticks were recently changes from the previous Alps sticks (identical to Nintendo’s stock Joy-Cons) to GuliKit’s new hall effect sensors, which should significantly reduce overall wear and tear and prevent ‘stick drift’ in the long run.

From this shear angle, you can see that sticks do not protrude very far at all beyond the controller’s surface. The folks at Retro-Bit said that it was very important to them that, despite the inclusion of analog and rumble, this pad still FEELS like a Saturn pad, and by opting for such low profile sticks, they’ve certainly maintained that Saturn pad feel. Still, some folks, having glimpsed the early prototype with large PS2 style sticks, will bemoan what could have been. On the bright side, it’s very easy to get used to the smaller sticks after just a short play session, and we think the argument for keeping them small is a good one.

Here we can see the difference in size and silhouette, as the analog pads have broader shoulders and not nearly the same deep curve at the bottom. Also, rather than having the usual concave backing, the analog pads are convex across the back, which may affect grip a bit, though not to a significant degree…

Here we can see the exact size difference that you should expect. Again, the added dimensions might be a bother to folks with smaller hands, but we feel like it’s a pretty subtle difference and not one that gets in the way of gameplay…

With the removal of 7 screws (one hidden under the manufacture date sticker) the back cover comes off to reveal the circuit board, along with a screw-mounted hinge plate, securing the ZL & ZR triggers. We can also see that the 500mAh battery is secured with double sided tape and connected via a simple socket and header connector, making it easily replaceable by folks with even the most basic of technical skills. In fact, all of the components, from the rumble motors to the hall sticks, appear to be easily swappable, with either the aforementioned socket or simple ribbon cable connectors…

The dual rumble motors are fairly substantial in size, offering a good amount of feedback when playing games on a format that supports it. Unfortunately, Saturn and it’s games were never designed to take advantage of rumble, though who knows what the future may hold, when it comes to original homebrew games? Perhaps some industrious homebrew developer will endeavor to add rumble support, now that the option has been made available..? Either way, we must note that the dual rumble motors do present an added power draw to the same 500mAh battery that we had in the previous wireless pads, so we are not yet sure what this will mean for battery life when it comes to playing on modern consoles like PC and Switch…

While this first look is NOT intended as a full blown and definitive ‘REVIEW’, we have at least made some mental notes regarding the various ‘pros’ and ‘cons’ that folks should take into account when deciding whether or not now is the right time to shell out $50 for a new controller, especially if the purchase is not absolutely necessary or essential at the moment. Here are some things we think folks should consider:

We also noticed an issue with the shoulder triggers that needs to be addressed with a Firmware Update, hopefully sooner than later… Essentially, when in ANALOG MODE, the ZL & ZR shoulder triggers seem to behave inconsistently. When in the air (as NiGHTS), they don’t function at all, making it impossible for one to pull off the necessary acrobatic stunts or use NiGHTS’ air brakes. While on the ground (as Elliot or Claris) the triggers come back to life, rotating the camera in quarter turns, as they should. When in DIGITAL MODE, this doesn’t seem to be an issue at all, and the triggers both function perfectly normal despite being in the air or on the ground…

FIRMWARE ISSUE NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED: