Gaming

The Manba One Wireless Controller Offers Elite Features at a Standard Price (And Has a Screen, Too?) (Review)

The Manba One Wireless Controller was genuinely good, even if the screen wasn’t utilized as much as I originally thought it might be.

A detailed screenshot showing all of the different features that the Manba One controller has to offer
Screenshot: Manba

The first time I ever saw the Manba One wireless controller, I was scrolling through my TikTok feed. Suddenly, I came across an interesting-looking controller, with one particular benefit: a 2-inch screen adorned within its normal-sized chassis. I needed to see what this was all about. It touted Hall-Effect Joysticks, ALPS bumpers, and adjustments that could be made on the fly. All of these adjustments could be done via the unique display on the controller. After spending many hours with this controller, I think I may have finally found a 3rd-party alternative that can beat 8BitDo for my favorite controller on the market.

Removeable faceplate on the Manba One controller
Screenshot: Manba

Wait, Why Are Other Controllers Charging Almost Three Times as Much for These Features?

Seeing as the Manba One has a suggested MSRP of $69.99 and it comes with a screen in the controller itself, I was halfway expecting the build quality to be subpar at best. After removing the controller from the box, I was genuinely surprised to find out that it felt solid. Great plastic on both the front and back makes it easy to hold. It’s also shaped well to fit into hands of any size. Roughly the same size as a standard Xbox Series controller, it’s much lighter in the hand while still feeling just as solid. It does take a bit to get used to how light this is, however. Especially compared to first-party offerings.

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One thing to note, however, is that the transparent plastic does have a slightly slippery feel to it. Since it doesn’t have the same type of texture as a typical controller does, it does take a few moments to establish a general “feel” of the device. If I did grow tired of this slippery feeling, however, I could always just lift the faceplate off and replace it with another. Unfortunately, I did not have an alternate faceplate to swap to. Much like the SCUF brand, swapping these out feels secure, yet easy.

Everything I expected to be here was here. 2.4ghz connection, Bluetooth, vibration, the whole nine yards. The face buttons seemingly do contain microswitches, making each press tactile and clicky. Just like my $250 Razer Wolverine V3 that I use on my Xbox. Back paddles are also present here, giving me even more buttons to experiment with and see what I could make happen. It’s also surprisingly versatile, as I could use the Manba One on Switch, PC, iOS, and Android.

The Manba One being placed onto a charging dock
Screenshot: Manba

Light in the Hand but Heavy on the Action, the Manba One Stood up to Every Game I Threw at It

Right out of the box, I had the controller, a few additional thumbsticks that I could swap out for my gaming needs, alongside a 2.4ghz dongle for PC and Switch, and a charging dock. For the same price as a typical controller from Microsoft or Sony. That’s wild to me, especially considering that this thing has a screen in it, too. Speaking of the screen, it’s small, kind of dorky, but incredibly useful. As someone who has been obsessed with the idea of a screen in a controller since the Asus Raikiri Pro, I was glad to see how good this turned out to be.

Swapping between dead zones on the fly with the menu system. Changing how buttons would work. Selecting which type of device I wanted to connect to. These were all things I could do here. While I do wish that there were some VMU-like aspects, maybe even a small display of what game I was currently playing, it made it nice to know that I could swap between all of these different features without the need to download any additional software onto my PC.

Playing on the Switch after playing on PC always gets my head in a whirl. I wish that developers and controller companies could just agree on a default layout, instead of having to mirror everything. That’s where the Manba One comes to the rescue, as I could swap buttons without even needing to enter the menu of the Switch to do it from there. It’s intuitive, and I could see this type of feature becoming the new normal. However, it does take me a moment to remember that the Start and Select buttons are on the bottom of the controller, rather than near the top.

The Manba One hanging out above the controller charging dock
Screenshot: Shaun Cichacki/Manba

For the Price, the Manba One Is a Clear Winner in My Books

I’ve messed with a lot of different controllers in my life, especially in the past few years. The Nacon Revolution 5 Pro. The Victrix BFG Pro. The Razer Wolverine V3. And it was genuinely shocking to see that the Manba One could easily go toe to toe with these big-name giants any day of the week. For the price, it’s hard to recommend anything else. It’s got all of the bells and whistles that most players are looking for, and then some. The screen is a nifty gimmick, as well. It’ll get people talking without a doubt.

Add in the fact that you get a charging dock, programmable back buttons, trigger stops, ALPS bumpers, and Hall Effect sticks, and you’ve got a winning package. As someone who has defaulted to 8BitDo for their secondary controller needs over the years, I think that I may have found my new favorite third-party brand. Especially when it comes to the sheer amount of uses that this particular controller has. Even when compared to just about any other one that I’ve encountered.

While I do wish that I could also use this on either my Xbox Series X or PS5, I’ll settle for Mobile Gaming, PC gaming, and my Switch. And it had a solid connection, regardless of which platform I was playing on. Add in solid battery life, swappable lights on the side, and additional joysticks? I think I’ve found a winner in the battle for the 3rd party.


The Manba One wireless controller is available now in either Clear/White or Black. A sample was provided for the sake of review. Reviewed on PC, Switch, and Android.