The NEO S is a wireless collectible controller with a nod to retro gaming

Retro gaming is huge and shows no signs of slowing down. One of the best features of the Nintendo Switch (and hopefully Switch 2 when it arrives) is the ability to play so many old games and arcade classics on it but we often have to play them on these new-fangled controllers.

CRKD, the premium collectible gaming brand behind the award-winning Nitro Deck – an all-out Switch makeover where you basically keep the screen – has just launched a new controller – the NEO S, a retro-inspired controller with a modern feature set that comes in nine distinct designs.

The NEO S is compatible with the Nintendo Switch, but is also Bluetooth compatible so can be used with your PC, mobile devices, and Smart TVs. The controller launches in nine designs, including three Special Editions designed by renowned game controller artist POPeART.

To complement the striking design, the NEO S is packed with high-end features. Like the Nitro Deck before it, the NEO S is equipped with state-of-the-art Hall Effect Thumbsticks, providing drift-free, precision gaming, and adjustable actuation Hall Sensor Triggers allowing gamers to tailor trigger sensitivity to individual preference.

Lee Guinchard, CEO of Embracer Freemode commented, “Our launch of the Nitro Deck was met with an overwhelmingly positive response from the gaming community, and we’re excited to grow the brand further with the announcement of the NEO S. An ideal companion to the Nitro Deck, we believe the NEO S sits apart from the sea of mediocre controller designs available, presenting a highly collectible product which houses an array of advanced features. We look forward to introducing the NEO S later this spring and to the continued growth of the CRKD brand.”

The NEO S will be available in nine distinctive designs:

• Retro Gold Edition
• Classic Clear Edition
• Atomic Red Edition
• Emerald Green Edition
• Orange Zest Edition
• Electric Pink Edition
• Splatter Edition by POPeART
• Blossom Edition by POPeART
• Junkyard Edition by POPeART

The NEO S is available for pre-order from today and is expected to ship sometime in April, priced at £49.99.

Paul McNally

Gaming Editor

Paul McNally has been around consoles and computers since his parents bought him a Mattel Intellivision in 1980. He has been a prominent games journalist since the 1990s, spending over a decade as editor of popular print-based video games and computer magazines, including a market-leading PlayStation title published by IDG Media.

Having spent time as Head of Communications at a professional sports club and working for high-profile charities such as the National Literacy Trust, he returned as Managing Editor in charge of large US-based technology websites in 2020.

Paul has written high-end gaming content for GamePro, Official Australian PlayStation Magazine, PlayStation Pro, Amiga Action, Mega Action, ST Action, GQ, Loaded, and the The Mirror. He has also hosted panels at retro-gaming conventions and can regularly be found guesting on gaming podcasts and Twitch shows. He is obsessed with 3D printing and has worked with several major brands in the past to create content

Believing that the reader deserves actually to enjoy what they are reading is a big part of Paul’s ethos when it comes to gaming journalism, elevating the sites he works on above the norm. Reach out on X.