Michael Higham
Despite their compact nature, the CKRD series of Neo S controllers have proven to be high-quality, configurable gamepads with unique designs. Now, CKRD is back with another collectible gamepad, the Fortnite Festival-themed Neo S Purple Wave Edition. Besides its unique look, this controller comes with a five-fret guitar grip attachment that interfaces with the previously underutilized charging port at the bottom of the gamepad. While the attachment may not be the best gamepad or keyboard replacement for everyone who plays Fortnite Festival or other rhythm-based games, it nevertheless makes a compelling case for those who want a more compact instrument-like alternative.
CRKD Neo S Purple Wave Edition – Design and Performance
In the box is the controller, five-fret attachment, USB-C to USB-A charging cable, microfiber cloth string bag, and velcro hand strap. The Neo S Purple Wave Edition gamepad is the same as any other Neo S controller, save for the aesthetics, the instrument attachment and the strap that helps better secure the controller in-hand when using the attachment. In fact, if you already have a Neo S controller, you can get the guitar grip attachment add-on by itself, just without the color coordination, for $19.99.
While the Neo S is primarily meant as a Bluetooth controller, it does have a USB-C port at the top that can not only charge but also be used to play wired for lower latency. And despite its compact retro-style design, the gamepad has a full suite of controls. The replaceable thumbsticks and triggers are both Hall Effect, using the popular magnetic technology to reduce the chances of drift or other types of mechanical failure.
On the bottom of the controller are charging contacts and a 3.5mm headset jack where the guitar grip attachment is secured. The rear of the controller has an RFID touchpoint to use with the CRKD and CTRL app for iOS or Android, the programmable S1 and S2 buttons, the program button to map S1 and S2, and a pinhole reset button. Each programmable button can be set to various inputs or disabled completely for those who hold the controllers in such a way that would accidentally trigger them.
Nearly every aspect of the controller can be customized with the CRKD app and the CTRL feature. All buttons, as well as the thumbsticks, D-pad, and guitar-fret attachment can be remapped, which extends compatibility to other games without such options built-in. The LZ and RZ triggers can be set to low, medium, or high actuation points to adjust when inputs are recognized. The thumbsticks can be set to “No Deadzone Mode,” which allows even the slightest stick movements to be tracked. Finally, the intensity of the left and right motor rumble can be set individually or as a group.
The Neo S Gamepad is compatible with PC, Nintendo Switch, mobile devices, and just about any other device that supports Bluetooth or wired connections that work with Xinput, Switch, or Android controllers. The Neo S has an internal gyroscope that allows for motion controls on Switch and works like a Pro Controller over Bluetooth or USB. While you can leverage the 3.5mm audio jack and automatically route audio to your headphones when used over USB on the Switch, the guitar-fret attachment blocks the port when it’s connected.
For PC, macOS, or iOS, you can use the gamepad as an Xinput Bluetooth controller (like a Pro Controller or Xbox Wireless Controller), or wired over USB, with the latter only for PC and macOS. The Neo S will connect as a Gamepad over Bluetooth for Android. You can switch between multiple paired devices by holding the D-pad in the applicable direction and pressing the home button.
As with the other variations, the Neo S Purple Wave Edition Gamepad works well with a variety of game types either as a classic-style or modern controller, although it definitely favors the demands of more modestly-controlled classic games over more complex modern games. While some may balk at its compact nature and general shape, it’s a nice alternative to modern gamepad designs – although its 8 to 15 hours of battery life on a full charge is a bit on the weak side.
CRKD Neo S Purple Wave Edition – Fortnite Festival and Other Rhythm Games
As the Purple Wave Edition, the exterior of the controller matches the color tone of the notes and sustains in Fortnite Festival. I can’t say it’s my favorite design or one that gives me particularly strong Fortnite vibes beyond the Fortnite Festival logo, but there’s no denying that the trippy purple design makes a statement, and that’s what you’re ultimately trying to do as a music star in Fortnite Festival. There’s also the Tribal Black color scheme, which sports a more reserved look if you want, and it comes with the fret attachment as well.
More importantly, the guitar-fret attachment, which looks a lot like what you got with Guitar Hero: On Tour for the Nintendo DS, is purpose-built for Fortnite Festival. While you can play well with any standard gamepad, and especially well with a keyboard, reducing primary control to a single hand for hitting notes can help to further optimize your performance.
My preferred way to play Fortnite Festival has been with a Logitech G Pro X TKL Rapid Analog set to a very low actuation point. Admittedly, even with the high-performance keyboard, keeping the fingers in each hand straight when playing Fortnite Festival can be something of a challenge, particularly at higher, and much faster, difficulty levels.
With the guitar-fret attachment, there was a somewhat natural learning curve, but even early on I was able to see how it could improve my experience with enough practice. Instead of two active hands, I was using mostly one, with a logical one-to-one mapping for my fingers to each lane for the notes.
Since there’s no strum bar, you need to map that function to the D-pad, or, if you’re particularly dexterous, something like RT. Although there’s arguably no perfect option, this mapping is nevertheless necessary when playing in hard mode and selecting an instrument that requires strumming.
Of course, besides the gamepad itself being a universal controller on supported platforms, the guitar-fret attachment works with other games as well – including, well…rhythm games. Two of those I played were Clone Hero and YARG (aka Yet Another Rhythm Game). Clone Hero works a lot like Fortnite Festival, right down to its difficulty modes, and YARG isn’t too far off with its approximation to Rock Band – and I had no trouble playing, and more importantly, enjoying, both games on my Windows PC with this controller.
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So the big question is, if you’re really into rhythm games, does the guitar-fret attachment for the Neo S controller make a difference? If you’re coming from a regular gamepad, it absolutely does. But it’s hard to argue against the fact that the buttons on a standard controller are too close together, and it doesn’t gel quite as well with the typical rhythm game. This isn’t as big of a deal on lower difficulty levels, but the more complexity introduced, the more this can become a problem.
If you own a quality keyboard, there’s arguably less of a case for something like the Neo S with the guitar-fret attachment. With that said, at least in my case, with so much activity between my two hands, I’ve sometimes lost my place on higher difficulties even when using my preferred keyboard. Even with the learning curve, the guitar-fret attachment has a much more intuitive button-to-lane placement (as it, of course, mimics the actual instrument), which I think is something worth considering if you’re going to be playing these kinds of games frequently. Expect some fatigue as your hand adapts to the new grip.
Of course, there are also full-size guitar controller options, including from CRKD themselves with the fancy CRKD x Gibson series, complete with a dedicated strum bar. While they seem like great options, I’m not sure I’d count myself amongst those ready to start collecting large gaming instruments again.
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