Mobapad Huben 2 Review

Mobapad has been on my radar because of their controllers that mix premium features with good pricing, and the unique colourways that their controllers come in. Their latest, the Huben 2, is one of the first controller that I’ve seen featuring capacitive analog sticks instead of Hall Effect or TMR, while also packing a bunch of other impressive premium features. At around $79.99, it’s positioned above typical budget gamepads, but what you’re getting here is… ambitious. Let’s see if that price point is justified by this controller

Disclaimer – This controller was sent to me by mobapad to review. This doesn’t affect my review of it and all thoughts presented here are honest, unbiased and my own. Mobapad has not seen this review before it’s posted.

The Huben 2 comes in a relatively large box. In the box, we see a hard-shell carrying case. The case is solid, lined with cutouts for the sticks and buttons, and has a chamber in the middle for the 2.4 GHz wireless dongle and the detachable D-pad module.

Inside the box you also get:

• The controller itself (sitting inside the case).
• A 3 metre long braided USB-C to USB-A cable.
• User manual and other paperwork

The inclusion of a protective case feels premium compared to most controllers in this range. But it would have been nice to see a version available for a lower price, sans the case.

SPECIFICATIONS

Specs list (from mobapad website)

• Layout: Xbox style
• Connectivity: Wired USB-C, 2.4 GHz wireless, Bluetooth 5.3
• Compatibility: PC, Switch, Linux, Android, iOS
• Analogs: Capacitive sticks (~4,096 levels, near-zero deadzone, 1000 Hz polling)
• Triggers: Hall Effect analog (256 steps) ; with Trigger stops that use Omron microswitch (digital, 2 mm)
• Main switches: Omron mechanical ABXY, mechanical D-pad modules (swappable circular and cross style)
• Additional switches: 4 programmable back buttons
• Vibration: ALPS linear HD rumble motors
• Battery: 1000 mAh
• Weight: ~290 g
• Extras: Turbo, macros, deadzone/curve customization, magnetic swappable faceplate (only one included)
• Colors: Black, White, Pink
• Price: $79.99

The Huben 2 feels premium in hand. At a weight of about 290 g, it has a solid, substantial weight without being too heavy. It’s a little heavier than other controllers but because of it’s size and density, it ends up feeling more premium.

The grips are rubberized and textured, which feels better than the plain plastic you often get on cheaper pads. The rubber used is quite hard, so it looks like it will last a long time.

The front shell is magnetic and can be swapped out if you want to change colors. Build tolerances are tight — no creaks or rattles.

It comes in three finishes: white, black, and pink. I’m a fan of the bold colour they went with for the pink, so I had to get it. It has been a show stopper, and my peers have been like “whoa what is THAT” even amongst 4-5 other controllers. The black accents add a nice contrast to the hot pink. Me likey.

The glossy finish of the faceplate is unique as well. It’s one hell of a fingerprint magnet but it’s not very apparent on the pink colourway. I think it’s safe to say that the black variant will be very smudgy after using it for a bit.

This is where Mobapad sets itself apart. Instead of Hall effect or TMR sticks, the Huben 2 uses capacitive analog sticks. These track with extremely high resolution (about 4096 steps) and virtually no deadzone.

In my testing, the centering was excellent, and the sticks feel smooth without any scratchiness. I used the controller with a slew of games from several genres and the sticks were a joy to use everywhere. Circularity test results below.

Capacitive joysticks don’t use magnets or current sensors like Hall effect and TMR. Instead, they rely on changes in electrical capacitance – the same principle behind capacitive touchscreens (like your phone).

Marketing claims are that there’s less jitter, they have great stick drift resistance and great precision. We’ll know this for sure after using this tech for some more time.

The ABXY buttons use Omron mechanical switches, and they feel fantastic — clicky, responsive, and consistent. Much better than rubber domes IMO. The buttons need a little too much force to press for my liking though. It hasn’t been an issue or anything, but I prefer the lighter switches of controllers like the Flydigi Apex 4 or Vader 4 Pro.

The D-pad is modular: you can swap between a disc style and a traditional cross style. Both are mechanical and pivoted. Personally, I liked them both, but there’s a little too much pre travel on them. It’s not a hindrance nor does it cause any misinputs, but if a budget controller like the Nova 2 Lite can nail the feel of the dpad, then there’s no excuse for an $80 controller.

The shoulder bumpers are tactile and clicky, with a little bit of pretravel and a little bit of post travel. No complaints here.

The triggers are quite nice. They can switch between Hall effect analog triggers (smooth, full range) and digital Omron microswitch triggers (just 2 mm travel, like a mouse click) with a trigger lock toggle at the back of the controller. This is great for games where you want quick activation like shooters, whereas the full motion analog mode is good for games where you need fine throttle control like racing games.

There’s a significant dead zone at the start of the travel in analog mode which I wasn’t able to resolve with the software or callibration. Mobapad has acknowledged this and says that they are working on firmware fixes. Personally, I did notice the trigger not engaging until pressed slightly, which could be frustrating in games like forza or asetto corsa.

There are no trigger vibrations.

There are 4 rear buttons, more than most pads in this class. They’re mechanical, well-placed, and programmable through the app. I didn’t hit them accidentally during play, and they added a lot of versatility while playing.

The Huben 2 uses ALPS linear HD rumble motors. These sync vibration to in-game audio, which makes them feel more natural than old-school rumble packs. They’re not as refined as the DualSense or Switch HD Rumble, but definitely better than other controllers.

But there’s the catch. It’s quite weak for PC games. The HD rumble is great for switch games but other platforms aren’t compatible with HD rumble and leave you with an unimpressive vibration.

It looks like there’s connections on the circuit board for more traditional rumble motors, but I can’t say for sure. Here, have a look yourself.

The Mobapad Connect app is available on both PC and mobile. Through it, you can:

• Update firmware (fast and seamless in my test).
• Remap buttons.
• Program macros/turbo.
• Adjust stick sensitivity curves and deadzones for the sticks and triggers.
• Customize RGB lighting.

The UI is clean and responsive, and I had no issues connecting over cable or wireless.

The Huben 2 supports wired, Bluetooth, and 2.4 GHz dongle modes.

• On PC via dongle, I experienced no noticeable latency issues.
• Bluetooth worked fine with Android and Switch.
• No interference issues even with multiple 2.4 GHz devices nearby.

The 1000 mAh battery gave me around 15 hours with rumble on max. Lower vibration levels or Bluetooth mode stretched this closer to 20 hours. It charges via USB-C, and a supposed charging dock. Which mobapad is “still working on”. Well, it remains to be seen what the dock is like. For now, USB-C shall suffice.

The Mobapad Huben 2 is one of the most ambitious third-party controllers I’ve used. Between the capacitive sticks, modular D-pad, dual-mode triggers, and solid software, it’s quite a nice controller.

But it’s difficult to recommend at $80. I think a more appropriate price for this would be $60 or $65. There are other great controllers at $80 like the GameSir G7 Pro and Flydigi Vader 4 Pro. They don’t have the capacitive sticks or the HD rumble that the Huben 2 has, but they’re still better in my opinion.