Smaller, cheaper, rubber: Nyko's gift to the Wii

Nyko didn’t show us many things at CES that we would consider sexy, and certainly nothing that matches the OMGWTF styling of the R.A.T. mice from Mad Catz. What the company had on display was simply a better solution to the Wiimote and Motion Plus monstrosity Nintendo has created. The Wand+ from Nyko takes the company’s existing Wand design and adds Motion Plus support. Simple.

The kicker is that both peripherals are now contained in one controller and are smaller than Nintendo’s offering. At $39.99 you can pick up a Wand+ for $20 less than it would cost to get a name-brand Nintendo Wiimote and a MotionPlus module. After playing with the controller for a good session of Wii Sports Resort it felt just as good as the original, with comfortable rubber grips and a good heft. It’s cheaper, works just as well, and may even feel a little better in some hands. Where’s the downside?

The Wand+ also supports what Nyko calls its “Trans-Port” technology, allowing you to remap the buttons on the controller if you plug it into another Nyko accessory. For instance, the Perfect Shot Pro is a gun controller that now has rumble support, so the gun has a more powerful shake than you’d get with a standard Wiimote plugged in. When you use it with the Wand+ you’ll be able to map either the “A” or “B” button to be the trigger, allowing the accessory to work on any game, even if the title doesn’t support different key configurations.

We’ll be taking a closer look at these products when they launch in the coming months, but I’ve personally always felt the Wiimote, with the MotionPlus, with the big rubber condom attached… it’s kind of a bulky thing. The Wand+ brings all that tech into one tiny package and then cuts the price. It’s a good thing.

Update: As it was pointed out in comments, you can find the Black Wiimote and Motion Plus combo for $50, making this product only $10 cheaper.