A short while back, I looked at the Hautepad X, Cosmox Gaming’s premium arcade controller that boasts modular components for a highly customisable experience – with an equally high price to boot.
For those who might not be on board with such an ambitious product but still want to see why Cosmox has been garnering praise in the fighting game community, the C16 and C16-S might be more up your alley.
Coming in at just under $90 (roughly £67) each, these new wired models are roughly the same price as the 8BitDo Arcade Controller, yet neither skimps on quality or features. Compatible with Switch and Switch 2 after you follow the instructions and set the right profile (PS5 and Xbox owners will need to spend more on a converter like the Brook Wingman), the C16 and C16-S weigh in at 789g. Slim yet sturdy.
You’ve got hot-swappable key caps with Kailh Wind Engine switches, which feel tactile without making too much noise. Just like the Hautepad X, however, you can swap out the switches for something more to your liking with the included switch puller. There’s a function bar at the top, and this is where you’ll find a small OLED screen to display real-time button inputs, lights and tournament toggles, and buttons like ‘start’, ‘select’, ‘capture’, and ‘turbo’. These all come with their own light-up labels, too, provided you have tournament mode turned off.
What’s the difference between the C16 and C16-S? Functionally, the two are identical; they look similar, the function bar remains the same, and the USB slots are in the same positions.
They both have 16 switches on the top, but the key difference is the layout. The C16 is what I’d deem a more ‘traditional’ layout; it’s the same as what you’d see on the Hautepad X, 8BitDo’s Arcade Controller, and many other models making the rounds. The C16-S, meanwhile, boasts a ‘split’ layout that shifts a few of the switches around for something more unique.
So essentially, if you lay your hands on top of the C16-S, all 10 fingers will rest comfortably on the switches, with your pinkies sitting on the pill-shaped buttons on the far sides, and your thumbs on the same buttons located toward the lower middle.
If you’re familiar with a more traditional layout, this can take a bit of getting used to; with Street Fighter 6, for example, the macro for Drive Impact would be on the far right, so you’d whack your pinky down to activate it. On the C16-S, the same macro has moved over to the middle, requiring you to shift your right thumb over to hit it.
Naturally, you can remap the buttons however you like via the web configuration tool, so if you want to simply move the Drive Impact macro back over to the right, you can. It’s worth keeping in mind, however, that if you’re keen to just plug in and play, you’ll need to spend a bit of time getting used to the layout. One key downside is that the OLED screen doesn’t match the layout on the C16-S, so you can’t really use this as an accurate guide.
Ultimately, neither option is ‘better’ than the other here; it really comes down to personal preference. If you’re a complete beginner to the world of leverless arcade sticks, then consider the C16; its tried-and-tested layout is used widely across all arcade stick manufacturers, so moving from one to another is relatively painless. If you’re after something different, then the C16-S is a pretty cool little setup – one that you won’t easily find elsewhere.
Whichever model you opt for, the switches themselves feel great. The spacing is appropriate, so unless you have really tiny hands, you’ll find that all of the buttons are within easy reach, and combos on the likes of Guilty Gear -Strive- and Dragon Ball FighterZ will feel effortlessly natural. Down on the bottom, the surface curves downward slightly, which makes for a lovely space on which to rest your wrists while boasting a pretty sweet pixelated design that shimmers in the light.
On the back, you’ll find two basic non-slip strips on either side to prevent the controller from sliding about on smooth surfaces, while a button labelled ‘push’ is on the right. Pressing this in produces a pin on the other side which pushes the magnetic acrylic cover away from the main body for easy customisation – kind of like how the magnetic Joy-Con 2 work.
As standard, Cosmox includes four design templates for each model, with an additional two blank sheets in case you want to create your own little masterpiece. Aluminium covers have also been released which add a nice bit of extra weight to the controller, but these are sold separately. As for the acrylic cover, the frosted matte design feels lovely and repels nasty fingerprints, but it does slightly blur the artwork underneath.
Finally, both controllers feature some really lovely RGB lighting. All main buttons come with their own light-up rims around the outside which change colour by default. Pressing the buttons results in a white light to indicate the input, but you can also disable this completely via the function bar.
Around the outside of the controller, you’ll also find an RGB strip, and this looks awesome when laid on a flat surface in a dark room. It really helps the controller stand out in the crowd, and this combined with some custom artwork allows for some self-expression. Of course, you can take this a step further by customising the lights to your liking via the configuration tool. You can make it so the buttons and RGB strip present specific colours, or you can simply prevent them from changing on their own.
Conclusion
The C16 and C16-S are both great options if you’re after an affordable arcade controller that punches well above its weight. Which one you opt for ultimately comes down to personal preference: the C16 offers a more traditional layout, while the C16-S goes for something more unique that experienced players might want to try out.
Otherwise, minor quibbles aside, these are feature-rich controllers with remapping available via the web configuration tool, and the ability to easily swap out custom artwork makes for a tempting prospect for those who like to showcase their personalities via their hardware.
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Thanks to Cosmox Gaming for providing the samples used for this review.
