Controllers are always finding more inventive ways to separate themselves from the pack: Thrustmaster’s eSwap Pro 2 and its hot-swap modules; the Victrix Pro BFG and its amateur engineer’s kit; the simple flamboyance of the light-up PowerA Fusion Pro Wireless. PB Tails’s Crush Defender is much more route one.
Designed for PC, Switch, and mobile, the Metal Crush Defender is made of metal and hand-finished with chisels and files to make every single controller different, with a curvy shape inspired by the ergonomics of the Porsche 550 Spyder. This combination of zinc alloy, old-school aesthetics, and battle-worn finish makes it look like it’s been in a long-forgotten war and wouldn’t look out of place in a Fallout or Borderlands game.
However, visual appeal can only go so far, but while PB Tails’s signature offering may not stand toe-to-toe with $150+ elite pads with extra buttons, trigger stops, and other bells and whistles, it’s still state-of-the-art, thanks to technology that makes it a truly one-of-a-kind controller.
PB Tails Metal Crush Defender: What’s in the package?
- A PB Tails Crush Defender controller, including:
- TMR analog sticks
- An 860mAh battery for up to ten hours of gaming
- Removable and interchangeable plates and stick caps
- Turbo mode button
- RGB customization
- 1,000Hz polling rate
- Support for Switch, Windows, SteamOS, iOS, Android, and Raspberry Pi
- 1.5m USB to USB-C charging cable
- USB dongle
- Moulded hard-shell carry case
The TMR tech of tomorrow
The Metal Crush Defender has one major trick up its sleeve: it markets itself as the first controller to use tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) technology in its joysticks, which it developed in a “two-year intensive collaboration” with Chinese component manufacturer K-Silver.
PB Tails claims that TMR is the “new standard” for analog sticks — above and beyond Hall-effect parts, which conventional console pads still don’t adopt. By adopting this, it claims benefits including:
- 98% lower power consumption for better energy efficiency and extended battery life in wireless controllers;
- Enhanced resolution — up to 3,000 points per axis — for smoother and more precise control; and
- Better durability that maintains consistent performance over long-term use.
In real terms, these strengths will only be felt in the months and years to come, and the Metal Crush Defender’s surprisingly small 860mAh battery doesn’t exactly maximize energy savings (see the Victrix Pro BFG’s 20-hour 2,000mAh battery). Still, it proves itself to be a controller you’ll want to keep for a long time, because it’s a lovely bit of kit.
A quirky start
Online-only retailers don’t have to worry too much about packaging, but given the sheer time and effort that PB Tails has put into its flagship controller, it’s still a little jarring that its box design looks like it was designed between coffees.
It channels the pad’s burnt-yellow finish with rust speckle effects, with an outline of the controller presented as some kind of gaping black hole that descends into the package. I don’t know if it’s because the brand has Tails in its name, along with its color, but the words scattered across the box — “emotional experience”, “undefined and curious”, “purity”, “exceptionally unique” and, my personal fave, “interesting soul” — are reminiscent of the iconic and charming “do it when you can” spiel from the Japanese cover of Sonic the Hedgehog 2.
When you get it out of the box, you’re first greeted by a smooth, hard-shell leather-esque case. Inexplicably, my package’s zipper tag has a Nürburgring logo with the PB Tails logo etched on the reverse. Once you unzip it, the controller, its USB dongle, and charging cable are housed nicely, save for a couple of flimsy foam collars around the analog sticks.
So far, so bizarre. But then you get the controller in your hands, and a big, dopey grin appears on your face.
Feeling good
The Metal Crush Defender might be the most comfortable controller I’ve ever held. It feels exquisite in your hands — you’d think it would be cold, but it warms up almost immediately, and those Porsche lines pay off; its purposefully damaged edges are barely felt.
Its button spacing is perfect. For Xbox primaries like me, the asymmetrical stick layout is a godsend, and their finish is delightfully smooth without affecting grip. The same can be said for the casing; I’m a big fan of rubberized coats, but the Crush Defender doesn’t slip or slide in your hands, even during more hectic experiences.
It’s a little heavier than standard pads — it clocks in at just over 350g, compared to your classic 300g Xbox controller — so it’s surprisingly light, all things considered. Popping the front cover off isn’t easy, at least for nail-biters like me, but it’s held with deep-set magnets like the superb Victrix Gambit Prime, and you can buy new fascias from PB Tails for just a few dollars.
The triggers offer lighter resistance than you’d expect, but not at the expense of control. The LB and RB buttons are precise, if a little loud. The D-pad is dependable: well-dampened without losing the exactness of directional inputs. The ABXY buttons are more or less identically sized when compared to an Xbox controller, though they sit a little shallower. Personally, I prefer that; they feel slightly mechanical.
TMR is the future
The TMR analog sticks are genuinely brilliant, accurate, and responsive, even compared to the best Hall-effect alternatives. It really comes into its own during games that thrive on accuracy, specifically Mario Kart 8 and Super Smash Bros Ultimate on the Switch. Responsiveness is immediate and precise, even for microadjustments to power slides or jumps.
This is despite the fact that the Crush Defender’s thumbsticks are heavy and wobble slightly if you let go of them, but this doesn’t appear to affect inputs — impressive, considering they seem to have a zero deadzone policy.
Crush Defender tech issues
PB Tails’s Metal Crush Defender is undoubtedly geared toward the Nintendo Switch. Pairing it with the console was a breeze, but connectivity to a PC proved a real sticking point. It seemed impossible to get a wireless connection on the PC, either via Bluetooth or the supplied dongle, which feels a bit flimsy.
The biggest issue seems to be the controller’s unwavering desire to switch itself off within seconds if it doesn’t find a connection, coupled with a temperamental pairing button that just doesn’t seem to kick in. Ultimately, I had no luck connecting it to my PC’s Bluetooth 5.4 receiver, but the dongle eventually worked — but only after I flipped its pairing mode between the Switch and PC buttons. Naturally, a wired connection was immediate, but that’s not why you buy this.
Most frustratingly, PB Tails hasn’t developed an app to fine-tune its controllers, and it feels like the difference between greatness and indispensability. Given the limitations of the poorly translated Chinese in its supported pamphlet, an app would overcome much more than just tech adjustments.
Hang it in the Louvre
The Crush Defender doesn’t deliver an elite experience, but it’s still built for highly competitive play, depending on your game of choice. It probably won’t satisfy FPS fans, but its performance on Mario Kart, Super Smash Bros, and other multiplayer Switch games is unparalleled. Still, I find myself using it on PC as my go-to pad, replacing the wired Gambit Prime simply for comfort and freedom.
One thing’s for sure: while it might not be the most technically impressive controller — aside, of course, from that TMR technology — the PB Tails Crush Defender has drawn more compliments, raised eyebrows, and fascination from everyone who’s seen it, to the point that it’s now the controller that everyone wants to use.
Sure, you could save more than half your cash by opting for the $64 plastic version of the controller ($46 if you limit yourself to PC or Switch-only options), which has all the same bells and whistles, but the Crush Defender is a work of art — more so than the flashy PowerA Fusion Pro, and it doesn’t need a light show or stand to prove it. While it’s a shame it doesn’t work with the Xbox — and I was so convinced it was a hidden feature, I tried it — this is one of the most uniquely strange and wonderful pads you can get right now.
