That's how we arrived at UGR Tech's 'Wireless Controllers for Nintendo Switch with RGB Lights' (as spotted by Yanko Design). At an initial glance, these controllers look pretty darn funky, boasting all the features of Nintendo's first-party offering (rumble, gyro etc.) but with the added bonus of some jazzy RGB strips and rapid press 'Turbo' buttons.
All that for only $30.99 — which is around half the price of an official Joy-Con pair, let's not forget — it almost seems too good to be true. Well, it probably is.
You see, a closer inspection of URG's light-up controller reveals a lot more AI-generated imagery than you'd typically like to see from something you're about to spend your cold, hard cash on. Button faces look wobbly, control sticks change shape, and all the on-screen games host the characteristic blur that we've seen from many-a scam game by this point. Heck, even a snap of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has been artificially 'expanded' to pack in a new backdrop.
And don't even get us started on the nitty gritty. Looking at the product details, URG claims the controllers come with a "Cable" despite apparently being wireless, and host such wonderful features as "continuous hair function", "Game vibration experienc", and a "six axis somatosensory function" — nope, those aren't typos on our part.
Obviously, we can't outright say that these light-up Joy-Con aren't the real deal until we have a pair in our hands — something we can't see happening any time soon — but the AI-generated images and all-over-the-place accompanying text hardly fill us with hope.
Doing some digging around UGR Tech doesn't help things, either. The company seems to manufacture just about everything from massage devices to glass washing tools, all of which are dominantly sold via the online storefront Stack Social. Adding fuel to the fire, you can find an identical product from a different manufacturer on AliExpress... *gulp*.
And in case you were wondering, yes, many of UGR's other products utilise AI-generated imagery for their marketing. Trust us, we've counted more fingers today than we expected when we woke up this morning.
Look, a light-up Joy-Con is a neat idea (we've certainly liked it in Pro Controller form in the past), but we'd be extremely cautious around these bad boys.
We've looked into contacting the manufacturers for samples but we're struggling to find a contact. Do you think we should take one for the team and buy a pair for research and review purposes, or are these better left online? Let us know in the comments.
