Got my Twin Lumina(s?) and been playing with them for about two days now, particularly taking more time today to test them out in different stuff and focus on little things here and there. For anyone wondering about shipping time, mine came in about a week. tl;dr version: good but some quirks

I love the look of them, I like that they're essentially like fatter joycons rather than the other wider/flared full controller style ones out there. Ergonomics probably suffer a bit for this (mainly the right stick positioning) but after using them for a while, I still find them a comfort improvement over the stock joycons. And they fit in my Tomtoc Switch 2 bag, a bit tighter but totally doable.

One thing I don't think I've seen mentioned in any other reviews is single joycon use. For split use they're...ok. They took a little getting used to for me cause the added bulk, vs the original joycons just kinda sinking into my grip easily. For single joycon sideways use, I think the extra bulk makes them more comfortable than the originals. Course the dpad on the left one is a bit weird but can still be ok in a pinch if whatever game's controls are simple enough. (1/4)

Functionality wise overall positive, but a mixed bag on the details. The sticks feel great. Not sure they're as smooth as the Pro Controller 2 sticks, but they're pretty close. Main reason I wanted alternative joycons was bigger and better sticks, and these deliver. Random side note, my box included two little thumb stick covers that I put on the original joycons...and that made those feel better too. So if you just want some better feeling sticks and don't want to spend a lot, maybe try those out.

I really like the dpad. It's clicky so maybe not for everyone and/or might require some getting used to, but once you do I think it's pretty good. Might require more pressure to use but I liked the accuracy and physical and audible feedback once I got used to it. To test it out I played Street Fighter 6, Capcom vs SNK 2, Windjammers, Celeste, DoDonPachi SDOJ (a shmup), and probably some other stuff beyond my home screen recent game list I'm forgetting. (2/4)

The buttons are where I'm mixed on. The face buttons are also clicky, but also have some sort of dampening, to try to be silent I guess? ...they're not silent though. But anyway the button action has a good amount of squish before you get to the click. For the most part I'm used to it, but I think it has thrown me off slightly in rhythm games, like that little squish before activation is delaying my press. In Rhythm Heaven there's a drumming mini game where I have to press the dpad and face button at the same time for something, and the face button is delayed slightly (and shown in a visual indicator). If they felt like the dpad I think they'd be great. Not sure there's a way to mod them (not sure they're even the same type of switches) but I'd be tempted to try if it'd reduce or eliminate the squish.

The shoulder buttons are different. L/R are similar to the original joycons, can be pressed from any angle like top or side, but a heavier click, which is good cause I think the originals are too light and easy to accidentally press. ZL/ZR feel like membrane buttons maybe? They're the quietest buttons and relatively light or soft in activation feel, which was pretty disorienting at first. When I first started playing games with them I wasn't even totally sure when I was pressing them.

Almost forgot GL/GR. Main thing to note is that these are not system level buttons like the Pro Controller 2's. I just mapped them to L3/R3 in the app since that's all I do with them anyways, but if you regularly mess with them and change mapping it could be annoying. (3/4)

Rumble is old style and noisy. I tried turning them down to the minimum and still wasn't a great experience. Left one seemed noisier and maybe rougher than the right. Just leaving the right rumble on alone was better, but ultimately I just turned it off entirely.

Gyro works, not sure what else to say there. Only thing I had to test it out was aiming in Pragmata. Oh I do have Trombone Champ, I'll test that out later just to make sure the right one works.

For future versions/revisions I'd tweak the feel of the face buttons and ZL/ZR, and get HD rumble working. Or at least motors (linear actuators?) that can be set to a lower/subtle level and be quieter. Official GL/GR would be nice but not a huge deal, particularly if it might mean missing out on some other customization stuff.

Accessory wise the bridge thing is eh ok. Charging would be useful but I get the cost considerations there. An alternative useful thing would be a compact case just for the controller squished together. (4/4)

I’ve only had the Twin Lumina for about a week now, so here are some thoughts on my experience with it so far…

What I Liked

• Compact ergonomics. The Switch 2 is already a big device as it is, yet third-party makers tend to produce equally big Joy-Con alternatives, resulting in a more unwieldy handheld. I appreciate the restraint that went into designing the Twin Lumina; it’s only a tiny bit wider than the Joy-Con 2, and adds just enough back grip for much-improved ergonomics.
• A familiar design. Other third-party alternatives lean into more stylized shapes (flared sides, sharp edges, etc.), breaking the familiar silhouette of the Switch 2. But the Twin Lumina stays remarkably close to the standard Joy-Con outline, resulting in a more cohesive look. That, plus almost all of the buttons are where you’d expect them to be, so it’s easy to switch over to this one if you’re coming from the Joy-Con 2 layout.
• Silent sticks. They’re full-sized, concave-shaped, and promise drift-free operations. But more importantly, they’re silent: no knocking on the shell everytime you full-tilt them.
• Tuned button switches. You get the crisp, tactile feel of micro-switch buttons, but with the sound dampening and bounce of a membrane layer. I still prefer an all-membrane setup, but this works surprisingly for me.

What Could Be Improved

• Grip bridge. The controllers can be “bent” (but not necessarily dislodged) when connected to the grip bridge (when you’re using it as a standalone controller). It can be distracting if you’re not used to it, as it feels like your controller is going to separate. Also, the grip bridge itself feels uninspired, like it doesn’t visually belong with the controller.
• Rumble. I’m very particular about the vibration quality, especially on the Switch and Switch 2 where HD Rumble has become the standard. Yes, the motors on the Twin Lumina are tuned so they don’t feel like they’re violently shaking your controller, but I feel like with it being primarily designed for the Switch 2, HD Rumble should be standard. I’m hoping the protocol is fully cracked soon, and a Gen2 of this controller can include it.

Where This Controller Stands

If you play mainly handheld, this controller is as good as it gets in the third-party space right now. By replacing your standard Joy-Cons with this, you gain a more comfortable grip on the device, while keeping the whole setup relatively compact. And that’s really what matters most in handheld mode. Everything else in the spec sheet and feature list are just the cherry on top.

I’m trying to connect the Ananke to Stardew Valley for like 30 minutes. Stardew’s control requires me to swipe, drag and hold (Stardew control called: Joystick). And on the IINE app there’s only swipe in 4 directions, which only inches the character in like 1 pixel. Adding a swipe and hold would be amazing.

In Stardew there’s another control called tap on screen. I tried that by placing arrows right next to the character to move 1 tile. But the game auto-paths, causing the character to misalign. So I can’t really hit a rock next to me or interact with structures. Also, if we can see/control the swipe distance, that would be amazing—to show the trail/tail.

This is what I mean by tail. The user can control where the swipe ends and how long the swipe is. And a swipe into hold feature for Stardew’s joystick in order to play the game.

Cool mini controller nevertheless. I can probably find other games to play on, and I used the Ananke for applications like my iPhone sound board setup for cosplay SFX.

Just recently discovered this brand and had the opportunity to pick up the IINE Gamebrick Mini. Now it’s not a very complex device but its compact simplicity is what really makes it stand out. First of all, the appearance. The printing and colouring is high quality and properly evokes that distinct vintage game console look I’ve been after. I recently have been trying to shift my tech aesthetic in this direct and purchased a case for my iPhone that resembles an old crt monitor and have been over the moon with it. From there I have been looking for vintage tech inspired accessories for both it and my computer setup and when I saw this controller it was a must have and works wonderfully with my phone. Functionality is another thing. While it did take a minute for me to actually get it set up properly, the IINE team were amazing and assisted me promptly and sorted my confusion out. Now it works like a charm. After developing some carpal tunnel from home renovations, using my phone has actually agitated my injury. I’ve found that using the Gamebrick Mini has greatly alleviated the stress being put on my fingers and wrist from the repetitive motions and it’s helped to reduce my injury. The size makes it easy to have on my person and it fits nicely in the hand. The buttons are satisfying and feel like they should! I’m excited to continue to explore the functionality of this small but useful device and it has made me curious about the other retro game console inspired controllers from IINE. Keep up the great work!