Amazon.com: Customer reviews: 8Bitdo Ultimate Bluetooth Controller with Charging Dock, Wireless Pro Controller with Hall Effect Sensing Joystick, Compatible with Switch, Windows and Steam Deck (Black)

Top positive review

Excellent Controller

Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2022

I bought this for three reasons: one, the hall effect joysticks due to having 3 pairs of joysticks and an official pro controller become unusable due to drift; two, the two back buttons which are really handy, and three, the motion controls. It absolutely delivers on all these fronts. The sticks are insanely accurate and smooth, the back buttons are super comfortable, and the motion controls are simply incredible. On three fronts this thing destroys the official Switch Pro.
A few extra nice features are that the dock and controller feel very well built; the docks is super easy to use and looks pretty sweet with its light up feature; you can store the 2.4 GH adaptor in the bottom of the dock; you get three separate profiles each with customizable button mapping, stick dead-zones, trigger dead-zones, macros, etcetera; the software is really easy to use; and the unboxing experience is great.
There are a few cons though, number one being comfort. It feels decent, and it's definitely not uncomfortable, but at the same time it's not as conforming as the Switch Pro (which is heaven in the hand) or an Xbox controller. You also cannot use the back buttons, macros, or any other customization without downloading software to your computer and wiring your controller to it.
My final verdict is that it is pretty sweet controller. If you are looking to never deal with joy-con drift again and get some nice bonus features (back buttons and macros) and upgraded essentials (sticks and motion controls) I think the tradeoffs (slightly less comfort) are absolutely worth it. Only people who I would not recommend this to are people who are really looking for comfort due to hours long gaming sessions, although to be fair I have not experimented with this quite yet so I'm not sure if it would really be that bad.

(Update: so actually, I tested the sticks a bit compared to my one non-drifting pro-controller stick and I don't think it's more accurate; it might actually be less accurate. I'm not sure if this is due to the tension being tighter and me not being used to it or the stick itself, but just something to keep in mind. It's still pretty darn good though, way better than a joy con and definitely better than dealing with drift. Plus, it's the Switch so having the most accurate sticks in the world aren't going to do much good on say competitive FPSs that run at 30 fps and 780p. Gyro controls I still think are better than the official pro controller though.)

9 people found this helpful

Top critical review

Critical reviews›

Nerdsmack

Bad ergonomics, amazing features

Reviewed in the United States on July 14, 2023

Written from my perspective of using this on Nintendo Switch and as a replacement for the Nintendo Switch pro controller.

Biggest complaint:
Compared with the Nintendo pro controller, this 8bitdo is actually quite uncomfortable. My hands cramped up the first few days while using this, but I did eventually overcome that and got used to it. I think this comes down to the handles being too vertical, while the pro controller's are more flared out. I fear 8bitdo may have sacrificed comfort for a more compact design and creating a seamless look with the dock.

Biggest praise:
Not to be understated, the features on this thing are amazing. The hall effect sticks will never drift. The d-pad is the best I've ever used in my life; it reminds me of having a brand new SNES d-pad. The macro and turbo functions are very powerful and the ultimate software is easy to use. The back paddles can give you an edge by requiring less finger movement around the face of the controller.

Minor complaints:
Unfortunately there are a lot of them.
- The button spacing and button shape makes it more difficult to press Y and X at the same time compared with the pro controller. However, the back paddles are a better solution for this anyway (I suggest mapping X to the back paddle), because no controller has ever truly solved this problem.
- The triggers should not be analog because the switch doesn't support that anyway. However I do understand you can also use this on PC, so that explains the design choice.
- The ultimate software for iOS seems to disconnect from the controller after about 10 seconds. I need to press "sync to controller" before that 10 second window closes or it will time out. Not that big of a deal, it just means you just need to get your customizations done quickly, which you will become adept at doing.
- You can't program the plus button and a few others into your macros. But you can work around it by mapping those to the d-pad and then programming the d-pad into your macros.
- The L1 button is slightly loose, and it makes an annoying little rattle sound when the L2 button strikes it. There should have been a spacer in between these L1 and L2 buttons.

Despite all of these complaints, the praises that I listed make this a very powerful controller. I still believe this is probably the best 3rd party pro controller for Nintendo Switch, especially if you are concerned about drift, require a better d-pad, or want to take advantage of the macro/turbo functions.

One person found this helpful

2,690 total ratings, 766 with reviews

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

From the United States

Donnie

Excellent Controller

Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2022

Color: BlackVerified Purchase

9 people found this helpful

Helpful

Scott Winchester

Fantastic Controller -- Preferred over the Switch Pro Controller and KingKong 2 Pro

Reviewed in the United States on January 24, 2024

Color: BlackVerified Purchase

I bought my 8BitDo controller last July, six months ago. In that time period it has become my favorite controller on the Switch.

It's quality. It doesn't feel cheap or overly-light, and the buttons and joysticks feel solid. There is no risk of your joysticks drifting, like with a Switch Pro. It's hardy, as well; I've had a few instances of the controller accidentally falling off a table onto a hard floor, or one of the kids stepping on it, and the controller hasn't malfunctioned at all.

The kinds of games I primarily play are Smash Bros. Ultimate and Hades, though I'll also play games like Mario Kart and Mario Party with the family. This controller works fantastically with all of those games; in particular the controller has been wonderful in Elite Smash, being very responsive with virtually no noticeable latency issues.

On top of all that, it just feels good to hold. I'm told that people with very large hands may struggle with this controller, as it is slightly smaller than a Smash Pro controller, but I'm inclined to think that most people will prefer the size and feel of an 8BitDo controller (unless you just happen to have unusually large hands). And the charging station was a great addition, as well.

All in all, this was what I was looking for in a controller. In my opinion, it is the best controller you can buy for the Switch.

EDIT: My pet rabbit gnawed the joystick off of my controller, so I ordered a new one here. I was stunned to find that the joysticks drifted, right out of the box. This was meant to not be possible with these controllers. I have no idea how this has happened, but I'm pissed.

5 people found this helpful

Helpful

Allan

Well designed and great features.

Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2023

Color: BlackVerified Purchase

Pros:
1. Docking station for charging. I have 2 of these and it would be nice if they could make a multi dock, but still very compact and simple to have on my tv cabinet.

2 integrated 2.4 GHZ receiver. Tried to do 4 controllers over Bluetooth alone and the lag is bananas. Each controller needs its own 2.4GHz receiver and each controller comes with one, so its perfect. No lag.

3. Bluetooth option. I'm primarily PC based but it is nice to have the BT option for Android devices or a Switch. BT connection is required for the motion controls to work so if you get the 'regular' version of the Ultimate you won't have access to BT or motion controls.

4. button profiles. Nice to switch on the fly from the Switch layout to the Xbox/PC layout. Have not found a game that can use the back buttons yet though. For PC it seems like everything is designed around the Xbox controller to games don't even know those buttons exist. Also note the stick technology difference between BT Ultimate Controller and 'regular' Ultimate controller. The BT one uses the Hall version, so less likely to get drift as time goes on.

5. feels great for use. Comfortable for long sessions, great battery life.

Cons:
1. Updating when there is more than one 8bitdo device attached. With 2 controllers and 2 2.4GHz adapters connected at the same time, the update software has a bit of trouble navigating which device you want to work with. Best to connect only one device to the PC at a time for this. Same for button customization, or use the Android app. Button customization is held on the controller, so it does not matter what program does the customization. Window sizing on the app is pain too, does not seem to scale nicely and you have the move the window around to get at all the buttons.

5 people found this helpful

Helpful

Xavier

Almost a year of use, how is it so far?

Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2023

Color: BlackVerified Purchase

I have used this for almost a year, early November, nearly every day I've been playing my Switch. I've had time to experiment with everything it has to offer excluding modifying through the app/application from mobile and pc. I also didn't use the back buttons for alternatives for other buttons, just used them foe good sensory purposes. I will describe my honest thoughts after 11 months of use and what I like and dislike. My controller arrived and works as intended, so no defects of any kind (as should be!)

I love this controller! I find that the shape is comfortable for my hands despite it being different than a pro controller shape. The front of the controller has a smooth, high quality plastic while the back of the grips are rigid and grippy. It isn't uncomfortable thankfully! I find myself easily keeping hold of my controller from how well made the shape and grip was established into the comfort form of this controller!

The buttons stick out a bit, but it's at such a perfect position that you can easily find which face buttons you want to press without looking. It presses very nicely and has a satisfying click to it. The imprinted button labels (A/B/X/Y) have no signs of fading, so you'll always see the letters as clear as when you got them brand new.

The control sticks are fantastic, but not perfect. The hall effect sticks are wonderful! Not ever worrying about drift is a dream come true! They're precise and extremely accurate from my experience! My only issue is the friction I feel when moving them around, specifically the friction between the neck of the stick and the far edges that stop you from moving out further. There isn't anything to prevent rough friction, so after some time you may notice it become less smooth. Thankfully it will take a long time to happen as I can sorta notice a subtle roughness sometimes when moving it around in a circle.

The D-pad is good for what it it. In most instances, you will be satisfied with how it feels to use, but for certain games, such as fighting or shmup games, moving it around van feel stiff and awkward. If you have anything like a normal pro controller, you can get an idea of what I mean by doing a quarter circle or half circle motion on your D-pad. It may feel like it clicks into the direction you're trying to finish at instead of smoothly clicking in the 3 or more you're rolling your thumb into. It could be better, but those are specific examples, otherwise you will enjoy this D-pad for what you might expect to use one for.

First off, the triggers are both great and unfortunate. They are built like analog triggers and have sensors built inside for use with other consoles or pc/mobile. Works great for those, but the controller feels like it was made for use on Switch primarily, so the triggers fall short. They are treated as digital triggers, but you can't feel when they're activating. This means you either need to be pulling down all the way to guarantee you know they're activating, or find the spot where the sensors activate and hope you're hitting the right spot in the heat of the moment. It's fine, but could've been built better for Switch instead of feeling like one of the only things they prioritized for pc/mobile use first. Shoulder buttons are a bit stiff and small. If games let me use the shoulder buttons and triggers for the same action, I tend to use the triggers more.

My biggest gripe with this controller is actually waking up my Switch. I don't know where they got the idea for this, but you must shake your controller after pushing the home button to wake up your system. You can't just wake it up with only a button press. Sometimes it takes some extra time for my controller and system to even find each other, even when both are on. It's usually at this point that I turn my Switch on my picking it up and using my joycons instead. It takes time for your controller to even turn it on and to connect afterwards, it's a bit odd.

Turbo amuses me sometimes. You use it by holding the button to active and pushing the share button. It works great, just be ready to delete any excess photos and videos afterward. Speaking of, the - and + buttons are close beside the capture button while the home button is the 8bitdo logo with a white ring light. Took time to adjust to it, but it works!

All in all, I believe it's still a fantastic controller! I'd only fix the friction sticks, rough D-pad inputs and making the home button wake my Switch up alone. No shaking like a madman, just push a button. I will still be using this controller, it still works as advertised and the product has proven to be quite durable! I highly recommend a controller such as this one!

9 people found this helpful

Helpful

8bitdo ultimate bluetooth & kingkong pro 2

Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2023

Color: BlackVerified Purchase

If you are like me and are looking for a controller for your Nintendo Switch then you probably are deciding between the 8bitdo ultimate Bluetooth and Kingkong pro 2. After some research, I decided to go with the 8bitdo. Here’s everything I liked and disliked about the controller.

PROS

-Comes with a charging dock.
Having a charging dock is a very nice inclusion as you can just leave the controller on the dock to charge your controller without having to connect a USB cable to the controller. The dock has a white led at the bottom that turns on while charging and turns off when the controller is fully charged. The Kingkong pro 2 on the other hand does not come with a charging dock.

-Has Hall effect joysticks.
The real selling point of this controller is the Hall effect sticks. If you don’t know what that means then all you need to know is that this controller will not develop stick drift at all. So you can have peace of mind without having to worry about replacing this controller because of stick drift. The kingkong pro 2 also uses the same hall effect sticks, so they are virtually the same when comparing their hall effect sticks.

- Can connect with Bluetooth + 2.4ghz
Being able to connect this controller with 2.4ghz and Bluetooth means that you are easily able to connect to your pc and Nintendo Switch and also switch between them seamlessly. There is a switch in the back of the controller that switches between the 2.4ghz and Bluetooth and is really useful if you use this controller between your pc and Nintendo Switch. The connection process was also very easy and I had no disconnects while using Bluetooth or 2.4ghz.

-Build quality
The build quality is very nice and doesn’t feel cheap at all and feels sturdy. Triggers, d-pad, buttons, and joystick feels nice. If you take care of this controller then this controller will last for a very long time.

- Back paddles
The 8-bitdo controller has back paddles that you can remap with any button that is on the controller or it can be used to make a macro if you want through the 8bitdo software either through the app on your pc or phone. To be honest I don’t use the back paddles too much but it is nice to have and might be useful in some games where you need to do repetitive string button presses. Something to keep in mind is that if you play any competitive games in a tournament like Smash Bros, this controller may be banned because of the use of macros. But this applies to a small portion of people, so don’t worry about it too much.

- Software
The 8bitdo software is pretty well designed and you can adjust the dead zones for the sticks and triggers, remap the buttons, add up to three different profiles for different games, adjust vibrations, calibrate the controller, and as mentioned previously make macros. Keep in mind that it’s important to update your controller to the latest software as this fixes a lot of bugs and allows you to calibrate the controller.

CONS

-Controller grip
The way the controller is shipped makes it a little uncomfortable to hold but I was able to adjust to it fine. But this could be a deal breaker for some people as having an uncomfortable grip can make playing with the controller unbearable after long sessions. But this varies from person to person, for me, it’s no longer an issue.

-No NFC support
If you have a bunch of amiibos and scan them then sorry to say but this controller does not support that. I don’t use amiibos at all so this is hardly an issue plus you can just use a joycon to scan an amiibo but this is something that would’ve been nice to have.

-No hd rumble
The controller does not have hd rumble, so if you play a game that uses it like Splatoon 3 then the Rumble won’t be as good as a controller that has hd rumble.

-No gyro support
Similarly, this controller does not support gyro, so if you use gyro a lot then that's something else to keep in mind.

- No easily customizable buttons
What I mean by no easily customizable buttons is that this controller does not allow you to easily switch the bayx layout to a traditional abxy layout. But it isn’t impossible to do either. In order to do it you need to partially disassemble the controller and reassemble the buttons in the order you want it. It would’ve been nice to have an easier way to remove the buttons.

Despite the cons of the controller none of them were a real deal breaker to me as it's mostly features that I don’t care about or would hardly use. Although. the kingkong pro 2 does fix a few of these issues like the controller grip, NFC support, gyro support, and easily customizable buttons. But it’s important to do your own research on that and see if the Pro 2 is the controller for you. I don’t have experience with the Pro 2 so I can only tell you some of the features that it has by looking at the product page and other reviewers. The best advice I can give is that if you like what you see about the Kingkong pro 2 and you're looking for a controller to use only for the Nintendo Switch then go for the Kingkong pro 2 but if you plan on using the controller on pc as well on the Nintendo Switch then definitely go for the 8bitdo.

19 people found this helpful

Helpful

Marcus S. Morris

This is a must have controller

Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2024

Color: BlackVerified Purchase

I love 8bitdo. I have a few different controllers from them, but this is a whole new level of wow.

The best part of this company is the care and attention to every little aspect of their products. But why is this the best controller out of any on the market?

The quality. The feel. The joysticks are Hall Effect joysticks (meaning the chances of getting joystick drift are drastically reduced). The features packed in are plentiful.

You can connect this model (Bluetooth) using 3 different connection options.
- First of course is Bluetooth 5.0. Perfect for the Nintendo Switch (cannot power on the system from sleep) or Steam Deck (may require firmware update). It does NOT support HD rumble or amiibo functionality with the Switch.
- Then you have 2.4 GHz (with the included USB adapter that hides safely away until needed in the charging base). 2.4 GHz is ideal for PC gaming.
- Last, you have a USB connection.
Side note: Raspberry Pi users, don't purchase this for your Retropie builds. Currently there are issues with the drivers getting confused and it doesn't work right.

The control has different programable modes that can be switched to on the fly. There is an app on Windows 10+, iOS and Android that you can use to program the modes. It takes some experimenting and learning but that's a fun side project of endless possibilities. Use YouTube. It helps.

The cherry on top of this sweetness, is the charging base. A flourish for those who take pride in their gaming setup's look. It easily rests in and starts charging, with a breathing LED light on the base.

If you are torn between getting the 2.4 G version or the Bluetooth version, spring for the Bluetooth. It's a step up and gives you more versatility with where you can use the controller. Well worth the extra money. In for a penny, in for a pound.

The button faces mimic a Nintendo Switch Controller. If you want Xbox button faces, you have to get the 2.4 G model.

I prefer this over my Nintendo Pro Controller now. It just feels better to me. Bravo 8bitdo!

Helpful

Nick

Almost perfect, but certainly one of the best

Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2023

Color: BlackVerified Purchase

Before getting this, I had the wired Xbox version. My particular model had somewhat sticky shoulder buttons, though I was able to fix that with some plastic lube, and that model generally doesn't have the hall effect joysticks. Otherwise, it is a fantastic controller. I thought it would be nice to have the hall effect sticks and wireless functionality, so I bought this.

There's not much to be said about this that wasn't already said about that, so I'll start with what's different. Obviously this one is wireless, both 2.4G and bluetooth. When in 2.4G mode, it reads as an x-input controller, so the buttons, by default, will be swapped around. That is, your PC will read the B button as A and so on, just like an Xbox controller. You can change the buttons using the Ultimate Software if you want, but you get used to it (or you can buy replacement buttons from 8bitdo if you really care). You also get around a 250 Hz polling rate. In bluetooth mode, it will read as a Switch controller, so the buttons will actually match up and you can use the gyro functionality. However, you'll be limited to 125 Hz polling rate (or thereabouts).

It has hall effect joysticks, which feel identical to regular sticks, really. But they shouldn't develop drift over time, so it's more of a future-proofing thing than anything else. I've seen where someone stated that in 2.5G/x-input mode, the sticks were not properly calibrated, but in Bluetooth mode, they are. They based this on a circularity test. The thing is, 8bitdo controllers intentionally read as non-circular because it makes certain games with axial deadzones work better. You can lower the outer deadzone to 99% if you'd rather it have perfect circularity and it's possible they did that with the Switch mode for better compatibility or something. At any rate, every 8bitdo controller I have does this, so it is intentional and should actually be beneficial in some games (while not hindering others).

The buttons and triggers all feel great. Unlike the Xbox version, the shoulder buttons do not have any issues on this controller. If that changes over time, at least I know how to fix it now. The left trigger is slightly stiffer than the right for some reason, but it's not a huge deal. The face buttons are neither overly stiff nor mushy, providing a good amount of tactile feedback without making my fingers hurt after awhile. Also, unlike official Xbox controllers, these face buttons actually work 100% of the time. The d-pad feels basically the same (sorry, clicky d-pad enjoyers) and I am happy to report that it does a pretty good job of not triggering diagonals when I don't want it to. This was a big problem on their earlier controllers, but any that I have gotten more recently, including this one, have been much better. Not perfect, but close enough that it hasn't been a problem.

The dock is a nice accessory. I just leave it plugged into my PC with the 2.4G dongle plugged into the bottom and that's that. There's a light on the bottom to indicate when it's charging; thankfully, it turns off when it is done. I haven't had any connectivity issues with the 2.5G mode, but I haven't messed around with bluetooth to see how that fares.

There are a few small things I don't like, though. First, although it reads as an x-input controller in 2.4G mode, whether it is plugged in or wireless, it is not detected by Gamepad Tester. I'm not sure if that's an issue with the web site or with the controller, but it makes it harder to properly verify that it is working correctly. It still works fine with Steam, the Xbox PC app, and random fan games I've tested, though, so whatever. Second, I wish they would put some sort of anti-friction rings around the thumbsticks. The plastic is a bit rough there and while it may break in over time, it will never feel as premium as other controllers. Even the standard DualSense has those these days. Third, there doesn't seem to be any way to get it to work on Xbox. It isn't advertised as working with Xbox and I didn't really expect it to, but I've had some luck getting other controllers to work using my Brook 360-XB1 adapter, so I was hoping I might luck out. Nope. I can't dock them any points for that, but it's still a bummer. And finally, the cable it comes with is too short, IMO, for a PC setup. An extra couple feet would've been nice.

All in all, a really excellent controller that I highly recommend. It works well and should continue to do so for a long time.

52 people found this helpful

Helpful

IronBrandon

A bit difficult to figure out, but it's the best controller I've ever had!

Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2023

Color: BlackVerified Purchase

[Months Used: 1 Month, 13 Days]

So far, it's been fantastic. The controller looks and feels good, it's very responsive, and although it was a bit difficult to get functioning "correctly" on PC, it works perfectly!
What do I mean by functioning "correctly"? At first, I had no idea it even came with the 2.4gzh dongle, so I connected to my Windows PC via Bluetooth, which meant that it acted like a Nintendo Switch Pro Controller. But, when I discovered the dongle inside the charging dock (which is terrible placement), I finally connected via 2.4ghz and recognized it as Xinput, which causes games to display the incorrect layouts (e.g instead of displaying “B A Y X” it displays “A B X Y”), which you can probably fix with the button remapping tool, but definitely confused me at first.
I've also used it on Nintendo Switch and it works well. Overall, it’s a great controller that I’ll be using for a while for testing and developing games.

Finally, in my original review I mentioned that I couldn’t get it to work on Xbox, but I later realized that it simply did not support it. You see, when I searched up on google “Does 8BitDo Ultimate Wireless Controller support Xbox” it came up with something like “8BitDo Ultimate Controller supports Xbox One” and I trusted that. But it turns out it was mentioning the “8BitDo Ultimate WIRED Controller” and on the Amazon page it doesn’t mention working with Xbox at all. So, really, this is all Google’s fault… Seriously tho, it took me way too long to figure that out.

Helpful

Ryan

Not quite "Ultimate", but still pretty good

Reviewed in the United States on November 4, 2022

Color: BlackVerified Purchase

If you're looking a single controller to share between PC and Switch, this is one to look at. This controller is essentially a hybrid of an Xbox Series controller and a Switch Pro controller - built much like the former but with features that allow it to used as the latter. While it does work very well as a hybrid controller for both platforms, there are some limitations that could leave some people wanting in terms of using it on other platforms, or using features of one platform on the other.

Pros:

Build quality and button feel is good - very similar to the Xbox Series controller. It features all your standard buttons and sticks, plus two extra buttons on the back that can be mapped via 8BitDo's software. This also applies to all other buttons on the controller, and the controller allows setting three separate mapping profiles. There are a whole plethora of other things that can be configured to the profiles via the software, such as stick and trigger sensitivity, vibration intensity, and button macros.

The controller also features Hall effect magnetic sticks, which are theoretically immune to the drift issues that plague so many controllers nowadays, however I cannot personally confirm or deny this.

The D-pad is very solid and is a MASSIVE improvement over the terrible one on the Switch Pro controller.

Gyro controls seem to work well on Switch, though I haven't done any extensive 1:1 comparison with the Pro controller or Joy-Cons.

Pairing on PC and Switch was mostly painless and switching between the two after pairing is more or less seamless. The only issue was that when I initially paired it to my PC, it was recognized as a Pro controller and didn't work at all, however after completely rebooting the controller it properly registered as an XInput controller.

The controller comes with a charging dock, which is a very nice bonus inclusion. Typically an accessory like that would be a separate purchase. Another very nice thing about it is that is actually acts as a hub for the 2.4g receiver, so instead of plugging the receiver into your PC, you simply plug the dock into the PC instead and the receiver works through the dock. The controller is also smart enough to sleep when placed in the dock, which is very convenient.

Cons:

Probably the biggest con here is the big lack of flexibility this controller provides compared to other 8BitDo controllers. The Bluetooth and 2.4g modes may has well have been called Switch and PC modes, because that's essentially what they are. The controller appears to only work as a Pro controller over Bluetooth, and only as an XInput controller over 2.4g. No (at least explicit) DInput or Mac modes here. No gyro on PC over 2.4g, either. However this doesn't necessarily mean that the controller doesn't work on other platforms. I've seen reports that it does work on Steam Deck over Bluetooth, though getting it to may be a bit fiddly. I'm not sure whether or not it acts as a Pro controller in that scenario, however if it does then it's likely that the analog triggers will only work as digital triggers on Steam Deck. This it just a guess, however. You can also connect it to an Android phone over Bluetooth, but I've heard that whether or not it actually works depends on the game you're playing. Can't speak to how well it works on Mac, if at all.

A/B/X/Y buttons are in Switch layout instead of Xbox layout, and cannot be physically changed around. Note that this doesn't affect their functionality at all - when in 2.4g mode on PC the B button will still work as the A button, and so on. It's just that the layout may be visually confusing for some but there's not much that can be done about that as long as the platforms continue to have different button layouts.

No HD Rumble on Switch. As far as I know this doesn't exist in any third party controller for Switch at all, but I don't know if it would have been impossible for them to include. Regardless, it is a bit of a letdown, as games that utilize its capabilities produce a not-so-great feeling on the standard vibration motors this controller has.

Rumble interferes with gyro. I can't fathom how they overlooked this but if the controller is rumbling while using gyro aiming it will mess with the gyroscope and throw off your aim. However, severity depends on the intensity and pattern of the rumble. Aiming a bow in Monster Hunter Rise is affected pretty badly whereas aiming while riding an inkrail in Splatoon 3 is still noticeably affected but more manageable.

No NFC support, so no using Amiibo with this controller. Not really a con for me since I don't use them, but for those who do, be aware.

So-so:

The analog triggers are a bit of a double-edged sword. They're good to have for PC games, but the Switch has digital triggers, so some games that are designed with them in mind may not feel as good on analog triggers. One example would be Splatoon 3, where a certain weapon type attacks by rapidly pressing the right trigger, which feels much better on a digital trigger. They don't feature any sort of adjustable locking mechanism like the Xbox Elite controller either, so they can't really be "converted" to digital triggers. The best you can do is adjust the sensitivity via the configuration software so that they activate earlier or later in the press.

Oddities:

The sticks behave a bit oddly in PC calibration tools, but I'm not sure whether or not it's really an issue. Spinning them in a circle along the edge of the stick doesn't produce a perfect circle, with the stick moving outside of the circle in the calibration monitor at some points. However in practice the sticks seem to work fine, so I'm unsure if there's any issue here.

The controller can wake the Switch, but it's not detailed in any documentation and it's a bit odd. Basically you have to wake the controller and then shake it a bit. After that the Switch should wake, but even after that the controller takes a second or two to fully connect.

159 people found this helpful

Helpful

Prefer this over Nintendo Pro Crontroller

Reviewed in the United States on April 18, 2024

Color: BlackVerified Purchase

I sometimes game on my PC & Switch and bought this to play Hollow Knight (iykyk). I already had the Nintendo Pro Controller but I was looking to get another controller for multiplayer games & I also found that the Pro Controller would hurt my hands after using it for too long, so I got the 8bitdo ultimate. There are several features that are notably improved: 1. The d-pad inputs are much better 2. The ultimate is lighter than the pro, meaning I can use it for longer without fatigued hands/wrists 3. There is a textured back to the handles so it gives a more stable grip, esp if it's hot or you tend to get sweaty hands 4. I have small hands and I found it easier to reach all the buttons 5. It comes with a nice charging stand so I can nicely display the controller on my desk.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Questions? Get fast answers from reviewers

Need customer service?

‹ See all details for 8Bitdo Ultimate Bluetooth Controller with Charging Dock, Wireless Pro...

5 star
4 star
3 star
2 star
1 star

8Bitdo Ultimate Bluetooth Controller with Charging Dock, Wireless Pro...

›

Customer reviews

Customer reviews

8Bitdo Ultimate Bluetooth Controller with Charging Dock, Wireless Pro Controller with Hall Effect Sensing Joystick, Compatible with Switch, Windows and Steam Deck (Black)

Top positive review

Top critical review

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

From the United States

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

Questions? Get fast answers from reviewers

8Bitdo Ultimate Bluetooth Controller with Charging Dock, Wireless Pro... › Customer reviews

Customer reviews

8Bitdo Ultimate Bluetooth Controller with Charging Dock, Wireless Pro Controller with Hall Effect Sensing Joystick, Compatible with Switch, Windows and Steam Deck (Black)

Top positive review

Top critical review

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

From the United States

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

Questions? Get fast answers from reviewers

8Bitdo Ultimate Bluetooth Controller with Charging Dock, Wireless Pro...

›

Customer reviews