Should You Buy the #Hyperkin #Cadet Premium Bluetooth Wireless #Nintendo NES & Clone Controllers?
161In this video, we unbox and test out the Cadet Premium Wireless Bluetooth Controller, designed to be compatible with the Nintendo Entertainment System and Clone NES systems.
While wireless controllers have become the norm in modern gaming, back in the day they were an add-on, often expensive, and not very good. They were most often infrared, had very poor range, and you frequently missed button presses. Thankfully, the technology is now to a point where you can have good, quality wireless controllers for your retro video game systems.
#Hyperkin has used their Cadet platform for controllers for quite some time now. As both a replacement controller for NES systems and as the included controller for the RetronHD, the Cadet has generally been well-received.
Hyperkin has retrofitted their Cadet with Bluetooth and paired it with a dongle that will plug into a standard NES controller port. The Cadet features a lithium battery that promises up to a 6-hour playtime, micro USB for charging, and can even be paired to standard Bluetooth devices such as a Mac, PC, or Android device
One of the first things that I noticed was the fact that it was extremely tight to plug into the controller port on my HDMI modified top loader. I checked my front loader, also very tight. I guess that's just the way the system is designed? I also thought the Cadet looked a bit smaller than the original Nintendo Controller and, upon further inspection, it is by just a few millimeters.
The pairing was a snap, it's connected on my very first attempt. From here I got into the gameplay, and I was presently surprised with how connected I felt. Often, even with the best wireless controllers, there is noticeable lag and latency. The games just were not designed to compensate for the broadcasting and receiving a wireless controller signal. I'm pleased to report that I did not notice any negative connectivity issues during any gameplay. Pretty stout!
Next, I did try to connect the Cadet controller to my PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and my Switch. I used the USB cable for this to see if it would work, and it did not. It appears the USB port on the top of the controller is strictly for charging, not for communication. Whomp, whomp. I was able to pair it to my PlayStation 3, however, it did not function at all.
Why it RoX:
- Responsive
- Great ergonomics
- The buttons and d-pad felt good
- Reasonable price
- Compatible with NES and clone systems
- Compatible with Bluetooth devices
- Exceptional range
- Exceptional battery life
What Could be Improved?
- The front label on mine started peeling off before I took it out of the box
- Tight fit into the controller port
- I'm not a huge fan of the color palette, but that's personal preference
- The dongle has a micro USB port on it, a micro USB to micro-USB cable for charging would be nice
- USB port is for charging only
Should you buy one?
You know, wireless controllers for the NES have never been very good. Even wireless controllers for the NES Classic have been hit-and-miss. This is probably the best wireless controller for the NES that I've tested so far, but I will admit I have not tested all of them that are out there. The biggest thing for me was the fact that I never felt disconnected while playing, and that's a good thing. While I was a little surprised to see the right front part of the decal pull up from the lower dog ear on the Cadet, that's a minor cosmetic issue. I am sure that there is a frame to of lag or latency built into this, simply based on the fact that you are transmitting and receiving a signal, for me it was imperceivable.
The footage used in this review are used under the Fair Use laws, referenced below:
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/107
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