NYXI Flexi Wireless Game Controller Review

I have previously reviewed NXYI brand controllers for the Nintendo Switch. They both worked well and have been a staple of my Switch gaming sessions. Their new model, aptly named the ‘Flexi’, was recently released and is different in the best way. The Flexi is compatible with more devices, adjustable, and sports many additional features.

The Flexi caught my eye while looking at another website; the immediate items that caught my eye included the swappable directional pad and joystick, and the cool RGB settings. Looking deeper, I noticed that the features kept piling up, with a range of compatibility and connectivity using a 2.4 GHz receiver, Bluetooth, and wired. Swappable ABXY buttons to match the Nintendo or Xbox Layout, hall effect analog triggers, turbo functions, four rear buttons with programmable functions, vibration feedback and gyro motion for the Switch.

This controller can do it all, and I was keen to test these functions. Once the package arrived, I unboxed it and gave it a once over. In the box, I found the controller, the receiver, a user manual including a QR link to a more detailed online manual, a USB-A to USB-C Charge cable and an additional one of each of the ABXY buttons. With the controller unboxed, I plugged it in to charge for a few hours, ensuring that the battery was good to go. My first test was to plug the receiver into my primary PC, clicking the sync and the home and B buttons on the controller. I was immediately notified that the controller was connected and ready. With this, I played some games to get a feel for the controller.

I went through a variety of games, including shooters, side scrollers, fighting, and more. The games all recognised the controller as an Xbox controller, and once I programmed the rear buttons, they also accepted those inputs with no issues. While I was playing, I also tried the joysticks in both asymmetrical and symmetrical configurations and enjoyed that the controller was smart enough to adjust to the reversed configurations on the fly. The next test was to try the Bluetooth functionality; pressing the home and A buttons placed it into Bluetooth mode; my PC quickly detected it, and soon, I was up and going with the controller, retaining the memory of the rear button assignments. I did this test again to connect with the Steam Deck with similarly pleasing results.

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My biggest takeaway was how the device felt in my hands; the controller was lightweight, and the texture was pleasing; even after a few hours of play, I didn’t feel my hands becoming sweaty. The pleasant lighting on the controller is easy to match to my mood, and with eight different colours, as well as solid, breathing and a rainbow mode, there were more than enough choices to play with. The vibration is subtle and worked in all the games I was playing, as well as giving the acknowledging jiggle when changing settings and modes on the controller. All this, as well as being able to adjust the buttons and switch the D-Pad/joystick, made this a worthy controller of my time.

The controller does have a few downsides. The first is that the manual in the box is approximately three pages long for the English section, and there is also a QR link for the online manual. The online manual is extensive and covers the controller in much broader detail. Not always having internet when I travel meant there was some restrictiveness to it. In the end, I copied and made a Word document to print out when I was travelling. It would also be a bonus if the controller would work on Xbox or PlayStation systems, but it is fantastic that it works on the multiple systems it does. I also will note that when reversing the joystick and DPad, the intuition is to pull the mechanism out with the joystick; through reading, it was shown that this is incorrect. The manual states that lifting from the sides of the mechanism is possible but difficult. The ABXY buttons are also similarly difficult to remove without nails. The last few items I had issues with are that only when connected to the switch is Gyro supported, and when connecting to the Steam Deck, it wouldn’t allow me to connect if I had swapped devices or shut down the console between sessions.

I have enjoyed having this controller with me; it has been a good companion and travels well in an old Xbox Elite case I have. The case means I can easily carry its accessories and protect the controller from being impacted while in my bag. Even if the controller is lightweight and connects to all my portable devices, it means I can pull it out and have a session with ease. While having the retention of memory for the rear buttons means I can set and forget. However, the rear memory buttons are also super easy to program on the fly. If you have a combo in mind, just press the T and the rear button simultaneously, then press the combination, and press the T button again, and you are done. The memory can hold up to twenty-one different key combinations on each or just one, depending on your needs. I set a couple of combos while in fighting games, and having it set for one button press in shooters meant I was able to keep my thumb on the joystick while having the rear buttons set for the ABXY buttons.

Setting up the turbo function was as simple as programming the rear buttons. Press and hold the T button on the face of the controller, and then press the button you want to use to work in turbo mode. There were two modes for the turbo function, one was set in turbo, the other was an automated turbo mode. The selection was easy for both, one press for turbo, and a second for auto, a third press turned off the mode for that button. The controller also features a handy reset mode to reset all programmed buttons, macros, and turbo modes. I used the turbo mode for firing in shooters and for quick attack buttons in some fighting games; it worked particularly well for Chun-Li and E. Honda.

Overall, the NXYI Flexi is a full-featured and adaptable controller that has quickly become a favourite in my home and portable gaming lineup. Its broad compatibility, comfort and customisable lights and buttons deliver a smooth and versatile experience across many devices. Swapping the parts and functions is mostly intuitive and takes some patience, but the online manual covers this quite well, even if I would like the offline one to be more expansive. The controller has a great in-hand feel, even over longer sessions, and the ability to retain the rear button assignments makes the switch between games and devices nice and seamless. The RGB lighting adds a fun flair without being over the top, while the turbo and macro functions are easy to use and set up on the fly. While not without its quirks, the Flexi more than makes up for them with its impressive feature set and solid performance.

(A review unit was supplied for the purposes of this article.)