Trust GXT 542 Muta Wireless Controller review
These days, there’s no shortage of wireless controller options for Nintendo Switch or mobile gamers. It has always been a competitive market place, but in 2023 the saturation has reached an all-time high. So how do you know which to go for? When feature sets, appearances and even prices are so similar, which do you choose? The Trust Gaming GXT 542 Muta Wireless Controller is a great example and, while it may not necessarily outperform other options within its price range, it’s still a solid choice.
Like most third party controllers made primarily for the Switch and mobile, the Trust GXT 542 Muta feels very lightweight in your hands. Ergonomically it’s similar to the PS5’s Dualsense 5, but that’s unfortunately where the similarities end. The Trust GXT Muta is actually a fairly basic model, with little to make it really stand out. Which is not to say it’s bad. It feels comfortable to hold, and the grips sit nicely in the palm.
Oddly enough the button configuration apes the standard Xbox controller, not the Switch, which seems to suggest it’s designed more for PC gaming than Switch. In use, the buttons don’t feel as robust as first-party controllers, which is to be expected, and the general lightweight nature of the controller can even feel a little cheap.
There are no extra buttons on the back side, and no turbo mode or other enhanced features besides the pressure-sensitive triggers. These aren’t anyway near the level of those seen on the PS5, for example, but it is a noticeable step over controllers without.
The Trust GXT 542 Muta does feature vibration in the grips and motion controls for Nintendo Switch gaming, while I found it to be responsive and perfectly functional whether playing Switch or PC. The fact that you can customise the controller’s D-Pad and sticks adds a little personalisation to it, too, which is nice.
You can connect it with a USB-C cable (which you also use to charge it) or via bluetooth. You can also connect it via a 2.4GHz reciever if you prefer. I had no issues with connection at all, and the battery life is decent. I played for a couple of hours solid on Nintendo Switch before I needed to charge the battery, and that was a simple case of plugging in the wire and carrying on.
It’s certainly a good-looking controller, if a little plain, but the matte black finish is always pretty popular. It boasts function over form, which is arguably more important, and won’t look out of place nestled among any gaming set-up.
The Trust GXT 542 Muta Wireless Controller retails for around £35 (just over $40) at the time of writing, and so it’s not the cheapest option out there. But for the price you pay it’s a solid controller that will more than serve its purpose if you’re just looking for an option to give your Joy-Cons a rest. It’s not super flashy, but it won’t let you down either.
