The Nintendo Switch doesn’t have an officially licensed guitar controller for Fortnite Festival, but it is getting a spiritual successor to a controller that was once bundled with Guitar Hero: On Tour for…. Nintendo DS. Yes, controller manufacturer CRKD is releasing a Fortnite Festival Edition of its impressive Neo S Controller with a 5-fret attachment. The Bluetooth controller is compatible with Nintendo Switch, PC, and mobile and is available to preorder for $60 at Amazon ahead of its December 20 release.
Designed by the team behind Guitar Hero and DJ Hero controllers, the Neo S Fortnite Festival Edition is reminiscent to the 4-fret attachment that slotted into the Game Boy Advance slot on the DS. Playing Guitar Hero with cartridge slot attachment was actually pretty fun, so the Fortnite Festival Edition Neo S for Switch and PC sounds cool. Plus, the “Purple Wave” color scheme is arguably best-looking officially licensed Fortnite controller around.
CRKD Neo S Purple Wave Controller: Fortnite Festival Edition
- Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC, Mobile Smart TV
- Release Date: December 20
- Price: $60
Gallery
The controller comes with a velcro wrist strap to keep it from flying across the room when in the middle of a guitar solo and a microfiber string bag for travel. CRKD says that it’s compatible with Fortnite Festival on streaming platforms like Luna and Xbox Cloud Gaming, plus a wide range of other rhythm games.
Outside of the detachable five-button module, the Fortnite Festival Edition has the same features as the existing Neo S controllers. CRKD’s Neo S is a pro-style controller in a compact form factor. It has Hall Effect analog sticks, which combat pesky stick drift, and has swappable thumbstick caps. Additional stick tops are sold separately in bundles of eight. Amazon has $20 stick top bundles in gray, black, and an orange and black combo pack.
The Neo S also also has Hall Effect triggers with customizable sensitivity via the CRKD mobile app. The easy-to-use app is where you go to map inputs, including the pair of remappable back buttons. The Neo S has adjustable rumble and motion controls, though motion controls will only work on Nintendo Switch. Within the app, you can turn on optional preloaded configurations, including a turbo mode.
Other CRKD Neo S models
$50
CRKD’s Neo S first released in April. Like the manufacturer’s Nitro Deck handheld controller (more on that below), the Neo S aims to be a useful controller and a collectible. Each CRKD controller can be registered on the app by tapping your smartphone against the the company’s logo on the back of the controller. Considering CRKD’s approach to controller releases, it’s not surprising the Neo S already has some fairly unique and stylish designs, including a Famicom-inspired Retro Gold controller, “Junkyard” theme, and a number of transparent shells, including the clear model shown above.
All of the other Neo S controller themes go for $50 each, but you won’t get the fret attachment.
Nitro Deck Nintendo Switch Controller + Carrying Case Bundles
Switch owners who want better ergonomics in handheld mode should also check out CKRD’s Nitro Deck, one of GameSpot’s favorite handheld controllers for the Nintendo Switch. Priced at $50 on its own or $80 in a limited-edition bundle with a carrying case, the Nitro Deck is a U-shaped cradle that offers a premium feel, full-size inputs, four remappable back buttons, and the customization options via the official CRKD app mentioned above for the Neo S. The limited-edition bundles have pretty awesome color schemes, such as the GameCube-inspired model above, and the range of transparent colors like Atomic Red and Emerald Green. It also has a built-in kickstand for tabletop mode and passthrough USB-C for charging.
If you’re a fan of Hellboy, it’s worth noting that the officially licensed Hellboy-themed Nitro Deck (without a carrying case) is on sale for $50 (was $60). You can get CRKD’s hardshell carrying case with a shoulder strap for $25 at Amazon. Alternatively, there’s a shoulder bag for travel with room for a bunch of additional accessories for $40 (was $50).
CRKD also recently released the Nitro Deck+, which swaps the locations of the face buttons and analog stick on the right side, adds a pair of side buttons, and supports both USB-C passthrough for charging as well as HDMI passthrough for video output. You don’t need to remove the Switch from the Nitro Deck+ to play on your TV.
Nitro Deck Limited Edition Controller + Carry Case Bundles
Nitro Deck Controller
Nitro Deck+ Controller