Cosmox Gaming offers up a lot of arcade controllers, including the modular Hautepad X at a more premium price and the remarkably affordable Hautepad C16.

Now, the company has launched the M-Ultra Gen2, an aluminium-built leverless that sits somewhere in-between the two. If the C-16 is primarily aimed at beginners and the X is for the more hardcore enthusiasts, then the M-Ultra Gen2 is, theoretically, for everybody. It’s quite possibly Cosmox’s best controller yet.

Priced at just over £110 (or $149.99 in the US), the Gen2 is more expensive than the aforementioned C-16 and 8BitDo’s Arcade Controller, but still sits comfortably toward the more ‘affordable’ end of the spectrum. You wouldn’t think that after going hands on with it, though. With its aluminium build, the Gen2 is a solid, heavy device that feels a lot more comparable to the Hautepad X.

The surface is slightly textured, meaning it won’t attract any nasty fingerprints when handled over time. With models available in both black and blue, I can’t say for definite whether the black version also repels smudges and grime, but the blue model has remained completely spotless after my time with it.

Like the previous models, the Gen2 is compatible with the Switch and Switch 2 right out of the box – just hold down the relevant button to enable Switch Mode while plugging the device in, and you’re good to go. Naturally, you can use the controller with most modern systems, but just keep in mind that you’ll need an extra authenticator to use it with a PS5 or Xbox.

Speaking of plugs, you get a braided USB-A to USB-C cable, which can either go into the top of the controller or over on the left hand side. If you opt for the top, Cosmox has included a new security clasp to lock the cable in place. You just pull the small switch down to open it up, and the actual port is housed about an inch inside. Once the cable is plugged in and the clasp is locked, there’s no way of accidentally yanking it back out – very handy.

The 16 button layout is pretty standard, with four directional inputs, eight action inputs, and four additional programmable buttons. They utilise Shadow Hunting switches, which are comfortably the lowest-profile yet, and this makes actuation exceedingly quick. In fact, the low profile makes advanced techniques like sliding easier than ever, while they still allow for other methods like double-tapping a single button with two fingers.

So all of this combined with the relatively close spacing between the buttons themselves make general gameplay feel more comfortable than ever. Seriously, if you thought pulling off combos in Street Fighter 6 was easy on the C-16, then you’ve seen nothing yet – I wouldn’t be surprised if the Shadow Hunting switches just become the new standard going forward. It’s incredibly comfortable to use, and I’ve no doubt it’ll give you an edge if you play competitively.

Taking inspiration from the C-16, all switches include customisable RGB rings which you can tinker with on the device itself via several button combinations. If you want to go even further, you can connect the Gen2 to a PC or Mac and follow the URL address displayed on the controller’s screen to reach the web configurator. Here, you can set the RGB rings to whatever colour you wish and remap the inputs, setting several profiles depending on what kind of game you’re playing.

As is the standard now for Cosmox, the Gen2 also features its own OLED screen to display button-presses in real-time along with your input mode and SOCD mode (plus you can upload custom pixel art via the configurator if you want to personalise it even more). It’s larger than ever this time, which is great if you’re after a bit more clarity, though I’d probably prefer it to be situated more in the middle of the device rather than toward the left. Symmetry ‘n’ all that.

And of course, you’ve got a tournament lock switch on the top left alongside one to toggle the RGB lights on and off. Over on the right are your function buttons like start, select, home, etc. Everything’s labelled nicely, including the main face buttons, but keep in mind that when you’re in Switch Mode, the labels won’t match up with the actual in-game inputs. You’re not going to be looking at the buttons much either way, so it probably won’t matter, but if you’re sensitive about this kind of thing, it’s worth keeping in mind. If it really bothers you, then just remap the inputs via the configurator to match the labelling.

Conclusion

I can’t overstate just how nice the M-Ultra Gen2 feels to use. With each new release, it feels like Cosmox Gaming is making more and more small tweaks to achieve eventual perfection. It’s not quite there yet – the 8BitDo Arcade Controller’s ability to dynamically change the button labelling is still a marvel – but the way the buttons feel and the overall build quality of the Gen2 is incredible. Simply put, this is the company’s strongest effort yet, and one of the best leverless arcade controllers available if you’re on a budget.

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Thanks to Cosmox Gaming for providing the sample used in this review.