Manba One ver. 2 review: A sleek, customisable wireless controller

As controllers go, the Manba One certainly stands out. That’s not just because of its silver and white shell (it’s also available in black) or its eye-catching RGB lights. Instead, this controller’s defining feature is its full-colour screen, perched where the touchpad is on a PS4 and PS5 controller.

That’s not to say you can use the Manba One on the PlayStation, or the Xbox for that matter. Instead, it works with PC, iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch and whatever other devices accept a Bluetooth connection. And, having put it through its paces (this is the second version of the controller), I’ve come away impressed.

It took me a while to get used to the start and home buttons being at the bottom edge of the controller. But once I’d got to grips with that, the Manba One did well with most of the games I threw at it. Not only does it boast drift-resistant Hall-effect sticks, you can swap the stalks for taller ones, included in the box.

Lag is a non-issue with the Manba One. I particularly appreciate that while it isn’t compulsory, you can use the included dongle with the Nintendo Switch. You just plug it in and save yourself some pairing time. I tip my hat to Manba for letting you tuck the dongle away into the charging base, preventing the need to rummage through drawer after drawer.

Want to meddle with the Manba further? You don’t even need to reach for your phone; the screen is designed to let you tweak your joypad on the go. You can flip the switches on the back to go from digital to analogue triggers, but the display allows for even more precise control. It’s not a touchscreen, which threw me at first, but I suspect that’d push the controller well past its $69.99 RRP.

It boasts four rear buttons, which are comfortably placed, though I found having the on-off button on the bottom of the controller a bit awkward. Speaking of comfort, one issue with the controller is that the D-pad’s circle and cross are one piece. Compared to the regular Xbox controller or the GameSir Tarantula Pro, I felt more pressure on my finger when pulling off fireballs in Street Fighter 2.

The Manba One doesn’t let you assign a Dragon Punch to one button, but you can program in multiple button pushes over multiple configurations. That’s a boon for fighting game players and FPS fans alike. You can also swap the faceplate out but there aren’t any others available to buy, so that’s maybe a feature for the future.

I’m also hoping that, going forward, Manba can add more functionality to the display. “Will it play Doom” jokes aside, I feel like the screen has untapped potential. For example, I’d love to be able to have it display the special moves for my current character, or switch up the logo. Just letting me display custom text would be a bonus. Heck, I’d even sacrifice some of the Manba One’s 10+ hour battery life.

The Manba One is well-built, eye-catching, easy to use and its app-free customisation is hard to beat. Its D-pad has room for improvement but at this price you’re getting plenty of controller for your money. Unless you’re buying it for fighting games alone, it’s hard to go wrong with the Manba One.

A Manba One controller was supplied by the manufacturer for the purposes of this review. It can be purchased from Amazon or directly from the manufacturer.