iMP Gaming Introduces the Mini Arcade PRO for Nintendo Switch 1 | 2 and OLED Switch

I grew up in the 90s when arcades were still around in my city, and I always missed that experience when playing on modern consoles. Seeing a product like the Mini Arcade PRO feels like someone finally understood that gap. The joystick and button setup looks perfect for fighting games and beat ‘em ups, which I play a lot on the Switch. The fact that it also works with both Switch 1 and Switch 2 shows good foresight. Accessories usually become outdated too fast, so this is nice to see.

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What excites me the most is the ball-top joystick that can switch between D-pad and thumbstick. I play a lot of shmups, and precision is very important in those games. Sometimes a regular controller is too sensitive, or the thumbstick makes me mess up. Having that flexibility could actually improve my performance.

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The Mini Arcade PRO feels like a smart design choice. I like how they made it compatible with both Switch 1 and Switch 2, because a lot of accessories quickly become useless when new models come out. The arcade buttons seem solid, and I am happy it uses eight of them, because many older fight sticks only had six. If this product has good build quality and does not feel cheap, then I see myself using it daily. I enjoy fighting games like Tekken, and I never feel comfortable using the Joy-Con for that.

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I am not impressed. It is just another accessory that tries to sell nostalgia. A joystick and eight buttons are not something new, and many third-party arcade sticks already exist. I do not see how storing twelve game cards is a selling point, when I mostly download my games digitally. Unless iMP Gaming sets a low price, this will be forgotten quickly.

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I can see the value in this, but only for a very specific audience. People who play puzzle games or platformers probably will not care much. The main group that will love it are fighting game fans and people who like arcade shooters. For me, I sometimes play those genres, but not enough to invest in a special controller. It is a nice concept, but not necessary for everyone.

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The turbo function is what made me interested. I play Gradius, Ikaruga, and other shooters where pressing the fire button constantly is tiring. With turbo, I can play longer sessions without hurting my fingers. The card slots are just a bonus. I know some people will say digital games make storage less important, but I prefer physical cartridges. For me, October cannot come soon enough.

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I appreciate how iMP Gaming thought about every Switch generation. Too many companies ignore older versions when they design accessories. By making it adjustable, they give players a reason to keep using it even if they upgrade to Switch 2 later. I like this future-proof approach. The rest of the features seem fine, but the main selling point for me is durability across different models. If more accessory makers followed this path, we would waste less money replacing gear.

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