Peripheral Vision: Nuby NB-700 aka “The Rock”

It seems to me that during the lifetime of the original Playstation many third-party brands were born simply to cash in on the console’s success. Companies like Interact, MadCatz and Nuby were all at the forefront pushing out cheaper alternatives to Sony’s masterpiece of a controller. Today we’ll be taking a look at the Nuby NB-700, aka The Rock, controller to see if it’s worth the plastic it’s molded in.

Immediately I noticed the controller is thinner than the OEM Sony controller and the edges of the Nuby are far more boxy, although rounded off they’re still boxy. The concave areas where the D-pad and action buttons sit on either side of the convex area where the logo, Select and Start buttons sit make the controller look more like a rotting corpse than a controller, but the buttons are comfortable to use. The L and R buttons are much, MUCH thinner than that of the Sony but are spaced apart so that you know exactly which one you’re pressing, which is good.

While using the Nuby for this review I was well aware I wasn’t using a Sony controller. The more boxed edges didn’t cause any discomfort, but they’re just not as nice as the roundness the Sony controller provides. The only reason I can see for this controller to be called “The Rock” is that is feels like you’re holding a rock. The NB-700 is an absolutely usable controller, but this is 110% a controller you would pawn off to a sibling or friend while hoarding the Sony controller for yourself.

Posted June 1st, 2020