April Fool's Day pranks in the gaming world have been coming true more often lately, Sometimes that's because companies decide after the fact to roll out as real what was once a joke. Other times, it's because companies use the "holiday" prank to announce new products. It can get confusing, but in the case of CRKD's limited-edition Goat Simulator controllers, seeing is baaa-lieving. They're real, and their uncommon form factors and colorful artwork make them a sight to behold--and actually hold.
Tying into the Goat Sim franchise's 10th anniversary, CRKD's Nitro Deck for Switch and the NEO S controller for Switch, mobile, and PC, have both been given goat makeovers, complete with the character's signature stretchy tongue roaming all over the face of either gamepad. You may know these controllers from past limited-edition models like the CRKD Fortnite collection from earlier this year. There's also the Fortnite Festival-specific edition for the musically inclined.
The Nitro Deck is a docking station into which you insert your Switch screen. It's compatible with either the classic Switch or the Switch OLED, and the USB-C-based dock locks the screen securely into place--I tried shaking mine out for science, and I (thankfully) failed.
Didn't anyone tell the goat you shouldn't lick Switch cartridges?
Gallery
This was my first time using the Nitro Deck, which comes in several other variant, some of which are listed below in case you missed them. I've adopted the Nitro Deck as my new default mode for the Switch, as has my daughter, who happens to be the biggest Goat Sim fan I know. It gives the Switch a form factor quite like the Steam Deck, especially due to its four mappable back buttons just like Steam's handheld. It's chunkier than a traditional Switch, but not too big for my kids' hands.
At the same time, its bigger buttons feel more natural than the official Switch Joy-Cons. Personally, I won't go back to that mode of Switch gaming. At $50, the Nitro Deck makes for a great, adult-friendlier form factor without leaving little hands behind.
The Bluetooth-enabled NEO S controller is more of an acquired taste, though my daughter has quickly adopted it for her mobile gaming needs. Like a lot of us, she was glad to get away from touch controls. The rectangular NEO S feels like a thick smartphone held sideways in one's hands, and in this case, I actually did find it too small for my taste, but I like having it in the home as a dedicated mobile controller for my kids, sparing my controllers from being desynced a few times per week.
Because it's built with Switch in mind, it's worth noting that the face buttons match Nintendo's default style, arranged as Y, A, B, and X clockwise from the top. That might be an adjustment for anyone who is used to Xbox's controller, considering it's widely adopted as the default PC controller. Other mobile controllers, such as the Razer Kishi and Backbone have matched Xbox's button map, but the NEO S is loyal to Nintendo's layout. For a dedicated Switch player, that's no issue at all, I imagine, but your mileage may vary. For $60, it includes a charging dock and comes with two mappable back buttons for controller customization options.
While the Goat Simulator Edition Nitro Deck and NEO S are exclusive to CRKD's own website, you can find other recent editions on Amazon, like the several Fortnite variants below.
Source
Tying into the Goat Sim franchise's 10th anniversary, CRKD's Nitro Deck for Switch and the NEO S controller for Switch, mobile, and PC, have both been given goat makeovers, complete with the character's signature stretchy tongue roaming all over the face of either gamepad. You may know these controllers from past limited-edition models like the CRKD Fortnite collection from earlier this year. There's also the Fortnite Festival-specific edition for the musically inclined.
The Nitro Deck is a docking station into which you insert your Switch screen. It's compatible with either the classic Switch or the Switch OLED, and the USB-C-based dock locks the screen securely into place--I tried shaking mine out for science, and I (thankfully) failed.
Didn't anyone tell the goat you shouldn't lick Switch cartridges?
Gallery
This was my first time using the Nitro Deck, which comes in several other variant, some of which are listed below in case you missed them. I've adopted the Nitro Deck as my new default mode for the Switch, as has my daughter, who happens to be the biggest Goat Sim fan I know. It gives the Switch a form factor quite like the Steam Deck, especially due to its four mappable back buttons just like Steam's handheld. It's chunkier than a traditional Switch, but not too big for my kids' hands.
At the same time, its bigger buttons feel more natural than the official Switch Joy-Cons. Personally, I won't go back to that mode of Switch gaming. At $50, the Nitro Deck makes for a great, adult-friendlier form factor without leaving little hands behind.
The Bluetooth-enabled NEO S controller is more of an acquired taste, though my daughter has quickly adopted it for her mobile gaming needs. Like a lot of us, she was glad to get away from touch controls. The rectangular NEO S feels like a thick smartphone held sideways in one's hands, and in this case, I actually did find it too small for my taste, but I like having it in the home as a dedicated mobile controller for my kids, sparing my controllers from being desynced a few times per week.
Because it's built with Switch in mind, it's worth noting that the face buttons match Nintendo's default style, arranged as Y, A, B, and X clockwise from the top. That might be an adjustment for anyone who is used to Xbox's controller, considering it's widely adopted as the default PC controller. Other mobile controllers, such as the Razer Kishi and Backbone have matched Xbox's button map, but the NEO S is loyal to Nintendo's layout. For a dedicated Switch player, that's no issue at all, I imagine, but your mileage may vary. For $60, it includes a charging dock and comes with two mappable back buttons for controller customization options.
While the Goat Simulator Edition Nitro Deck and NEO S are exclusive to CRKD's own website, you can find other recent editions on Amazon, like the several Fortnite variants below.
Source