8bitdo has been a popular address for a long time when it comes to controllers with good workmanship and a friendly retro awareness. The SN30 Pro, which is based on the Super Nintendo joypad, was my first contact with this company and I actually quite liked it, apart from the much too hard control pad. With the Ultimate Bluetooth Controller, the manufacturer is already mouthing things off with the name.
Fortunately, the test on the Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck, both of which live next to the television in their respective docks, and a Windows PC confirm that 8bitdo has actually succeeded in creating a shapely, versatile controller that only has a few in my special application scenario leaves nothing to be desired.
Two things immediately made the controller interesting for me: On the one hand, it does not do without often omitted features such as a gyro for motion control elements, which I really appreciate on the Steam Deck, on the other hand, it can be easily switched between two wireless connection variants with a toggle switch . If it’s not charging in the supplied base station, it effortlessly and without fiddling with two different devices (provided one of them isn’t a PlayStation or Xbox, which isn’t supported), without complicated fiddling. So on paper it really is a perfectly happy controller for my purposes. Unfortunately, this is still not entirely true in reality. But one after anonther.
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Scope of delivery and processing – What’s in the box?
First of all, caution is advised: This controller is available in two different versions with similar names. If you use the “8bitdo Ultimate”, you get a cheaper controller (RRP: 49.99 euros) for Windows and Android, which not only comes without Bluetooth, but also without a gyroscope and with conventional sticks. You should know that so that you don’t go for the wrong device when hunting for bargains. In both variants, however, the controller falls out of the box in black or white, while I almost like white better in the pictures, even if I have nothing to complain about the plain black. Then comes the base station with a USB-A port integrated into the base, in which the 2.4GHz dongle is already plugged in, and a USB-C cable to connect the pretty stand. The packaging is quite environmentally friendly and is kept nice and compact. That’s nice.
When you touch it, you notice that it looks smaller than it actually is. Check out the comparison images below. I like the compact feel in the hand and it doesn’t feel too light either, which the scale confirms. At 246 grams, it’s just one gram lighter than the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller and six grams lighter than its Xbox Series counterpart. What I particularly like is the plastic on the top, which, in my opinion, looks subtly more valuable with a slightly coarser “grain”. I also like that the grip horns are slightly roughened. There aren’t any screws to be seen, which is nice but not entirely practical either. I’m sure hobbyists will still find a way.
It’s great how satisfactorily the controller sits in its base. It also clicks nicely and you can’t get enough of it. When taking it out, you have to be careful not to grab the slightly high backrest of this “joypad chair”, but you’ll figure that out quickly. Overall, the 8bitdo Ultimate Bluetooth feels like it could be a console manufacturer’s first-party product, and that was one of the biggest compliments you could give a third-party manufacturer. It probably still is, if you don’t think of an Amiga CD32.
Features, operation and performance
This good impression is also supported by the range of functions, which leaves out nothing that belongs in a switch controller. When I lunch over to Razer, which is just rolling out a PS5 joypad beyond the 300 euro mark, which apparently comes without the gyro, which, for example, really brings Astro’s Playroom to life, and then omits the gyro , both of my eyebrows go up. Mind you, in full recognition that Razer currently has no competition when it comes to the control pad and buttons. In short: the Ultimate Bluetooth Controller actually contains everything you need (as long as there is no headphone input underneath, because it actually leaves that out). Thanks to analog triggers and the practical charging base, even a bit more – and for less than 70 euros. A really good price, especially if you want to play more than one device with this controller.
The buttons, which are here in a switch arrangement, are likely to be conventional rubber domes, so they don’t click like it is the case in many more expensive premium controllers. But they have impeccably accentuated pressure points and don’t look “squishy” in the slightest. On the back are two easily accessible and fully triggering special keys that you can freely assign, which will certainly be welcomed by fans of the practice of never letting go of the analog sticks. In my opinion, another big plus is the nicely tight analog triggers, which are based on their PS5 counterparts in terms of shape, but require a little more power. Fine dosing of gas and brake is better possible, I think. The bumpers are quite narrow and rest on impeccable rubber domes.
Another advantage of the Bluetooth variant are the sticks, which are based on Hall effect sensors and therefore do not have to fear signs of wear and tear or cable drift. These are not installed in the basic version for 50 euros. In my opinion, the sticks themselves have just the right amount of tautness and are not too easy to move. In Steam’s controller software, they steer slightly beyond the calibration range, but in practice I didn’t find any problems in any of the tested games.
I was initially critical of the control pad. Although it was stolen directly from the SNES, it seemed an idea too heavy-handed, typical of 8bitdo. Not like the SN30 once did, but you have to play this one properly before it becomes comfortable… I thought and then got an old SNES pad from the basement. With the ending I think I’m just spoiled by Razer’s amazing Wolverine v2 by now. After careful testing, the Ultimate also wins the direct comparison with the original Switch Pro Controller, because it is similarly stubborn, but its “arms” are narrower. It’s okay and way better than what Xbox and PC gamers used to be used to.
Also, after about two weeks of use, I found how wonderful it is that the controller automatically turns off when you put it in the base and turns on and connects again when you take it out. Switching between Bluetooth and 2.4 GHz is quick and easy thanks to the toggle switch on the back. Unfortunately, the Ultimate Bluetooth can’t wake the switch from sleep mode either, but we’re used to that. 8bitdo promises 22 hours of runtime on one battery charge, which I’m happy to believe, but thanks to the dock you don’t have to exhaust it.
The software of the 8bitdo Ultimate Bluetooth
The positive surprise: the software is a slim .exe file that you don’t need to install and for which you don’t have to create an account with the manufacturer. Alternatively, you can get it as an app on your smartphone. The program is surprisingly powerful and nicely tidy. Here you can assign the back (or all other) keys as you like, with easily programmable macros. You set dead zones for sticks and triggers and can even do it separately for Switch and PC. Beautiful!
You can create three different profiles, which you can switch through using the dedicated button at the bottom center. An LED then tells you which one is active. In times when you have to have various bundles of hub programs including registration and frequent mandatory updates on the computer for devices from different manufacturers, this is downright refreshing.
The problem with the 8bitdo Ultimate Bluetooth
Which brings us to my problem, and that has been keeping me busy these days: Basically, the reason is that the switch doesn’t care whether I find a connection via Bluetooth or 2.4GHz, but Steam Deck and Windows PC depend on the type of connection identify a Switch Pro controller (Bluetooth) or an Xbox controller (dongle). And they come with different feature sets. A Switch controller has a gyro and digital triggers, an Xbox pad has analog shoulder buttons but no gyro and you have to choose what you want instead of having full functionality at all times on Steam Deck and PC. And so the Ultimate is not quite the ultimate, for example if you want to play racing games with analog triggers on Valve’s handheld or on Steam on the PC, but also want to use the gyro every now and then for third-person shooters, for example.
Interestingly, the Steam Deck’s powerful configuration software recognizes analog triggers even in Bluetooth or switch mode, for which the trigger points can even be specified. In the tested racing games – Horizon Chase Turbo, Lonely Mountains Downhill, Wreckfest – but only one digital keystroke arrives. It’s quite possible that this will be improved on the software side, but for the moment it remains to be noted that with the Ultimate you “only” buy a switch and an Xbox controller in one device and you always have to choose one of the two. Not a pad that combines the qualities of both in one. That’s a bit of a shame, as good as the controller is otherwise.
Looking good for you? Then get it 8bitdo Ultimate Bluetooth Controller for currently only 62.32 euros at amazon.de
8bitdo Ultimate Bluetooth Controller Test – Conclusion:
At the same time, I don’t want to make the mistake of inferring others from myself: If you’re looking for a guaranteed stick-drift-free replacement for Nintendo’s Pro Controller for use on the Switch, you’ll be well served here and get a good PC controller on top. But the name, together with the list of features, somewhere also suggests a multi-talented jack of all trades without ifs and buts. And the Ultimate Bluetooth Controller isn’t that until 8bitdo thinks about how to combine the features more smoothly in one device. Steam (deck) users would thank them. I’m not giving up hope that this can be done with the firmware. All in all, a rather small offense.
For average users, this piece of hardware leaves little to be desired in terms of functionality, equipment and workmanship. On the contrary: the hall effect sticks and the bold, firm shoulder button should set a precedent just as much as the good choice of materials and the beautiful dock, which other manufacturers are happy to charge themselves or their customers a little extra for. Good package, 8bitdo!
8bitdo Ultimate Bluetooth Controller Pros and Cons
Per:
- Great range of features including gyro
- Beautiful, cleverly implemented charging station
- Hall effect sticks with no stick drift
- Nice solid triggers
- Powerful, simple software
- Good workmanship, compact design…
Cons:
- …which could be tight for big hands
- No headphone output
- Gyro and analog triggers are not supported simultaneously on Steam Deck and PC
- Recognized as an Xbox controller on PC but not on Xbox
Manufacturer: 8bitdo – Compatible with: Windows, Switch, Steam Deck – release: available – Price (RRP): 69.99 euros
