After years of development, we are so excited to finally launch the Kickstarter campaign for the Panda Controller. Designed from the ground up by our team at PGhardware with competitive platform fighting game players in mind, the Panda Controller is the next evolution of controller. With over four utility patents filed, and many more design patents, along with the highest quality parts, there has never been a controller like this before for players at all levels. Our Kickstarter campaign will run until December 30th with the base controller available for $90 USD. In addition to the controller, we will also offer a variety of accessories including shells to customize both the shape and color, a wireless pack, a travel case, and more.
PGhardware was founded to solve problems in the competitive gaming communities that we serve. Our flagship product, the Ultimate GameCube Adapter, was funded on Kickstarter in under 24 hours back in 2019, raising over $150k by the end of the campaign. After the success of the UGA, we knew exactly what issue we wanted to tackle next: the GameCube controller.
The Panda Controller intends to solve a major issue facing the competitive Smash Bros. community: The reliance on the 20-year-old GameCube controller. While the majority of players swear by its superiority for competitive play, the GameCube controller has a number of drawbacks caused by relying on hardware that is no longer produced and a dwindling supply of parts that will never be restocked.
Instead of simply recreating the same controller, the PGhardware team opted to develop the Panda Controller from scratch; with all circuit boards and plastic parts being made by Panda. Development took over 2.5 years and the team is confident that the individual parts created, that are patent pending, are the highest quality that the controller industry as a whole has ever seen.
But the Panda Controller offers much more than a basic replacement for a current controller. With a focus on customization, the Panda Controller is specifically designed to address the needs of all segments of the competitive platform fighting game community. Beginners and top pros, artists and modders, and even controller enthusiasts have plenty to be excited about in the Panda Controller. Additionally, through firmware updates and an expansion pack concept, updated features and new capabilities can be added to the controller post-launch, so you can be confident that this controller will stand the test of time.
We are looking to revolutionize the design of the original GameCube controller with removable magnetic shells to customize color and shape, ZL and ZR buttons, a custom stickbox built for longevity and accuracy, two brand new back buttons to allow players to comfortably grip the controller, easily replaceable smooth buttons for faster finger movement, and triggers with a unique dial mechanism to adjust the height for a perfect fit. The Panda Controller also offers highly advanced features such as custom snapback dampening/reductions buttons for the X and Y axes, removable gates, and a calibration button that enables the user to reset their stick directions and allows for 1.0 cardinals.
For more information on the Panda Controller’s features, head to the Kickstarter campaign at panda.gg/ctrl.