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8bitdo announces customizable Sn30 Pro+ Bluetooth gamepad

JusDoIt

JusDoIt

▲ Legend ▲
Member
Oct 25, 2017
34,720
South Central Los Angeles
Dreamboum said:
Is there any point in getting a new controller like this one? What are your uses for it?

Sometimes I get seduced by controllers like those but then I have my switch pro controller that i use for switch and pc and I'm satisfied with it so I'm not sure if I should switch out. These designs are alluring though
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The point is having one controller that can reliably play everything. The Switch Pro Controller has an unreliable d-pad. It's almost perfect, but it has a fatal flaw.

All of the Switch controllers that have great d-pads (Pokken pad, the original SN30 Pro, the Hori Joy-Con) are missing major functions like motion control and/or analogue sticks, are not very ergonomic, or are only capable of handheld play.

This can do it all very well. It's 98% what I want: which is a Switch Pro Controller with a great d-pad. Nintendo doesn't make that. The SN30 Pro+ has minor knocks for stick placement and regular rumble instead of HD rumble (which I don't really care about). It has gyros, but I haven't tested the motion controls yet. It's otherwise perfect.

risq_au said:
I'll bite when it gets the superior PAL SNES theme and not a moment sooner.
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I'm partial to the PAL/SFC colors too. More importantly, I'm partial to convex buttons. Which is why I got the sleek black SN30 Pro+. The NA SNES purple is alright, but I'm never going back to concave YX buttons.
 
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samred

samred

Amico fun conversationalist
Member
Nov 4, 2017
2,586
Seattle, WA
The embargo's up, but Ars's review won't be up until later this month. For now, my thoughts are similar to JusDoIt's: solid construction all-around. However! I was given the option of all three, and I chose the Game Boy-styled one, because I wanted to see what that was like. I kinda regret doing so. I freaking love its DMG color scheme, but the d-pad is identical to the one on the OG Game Boy, which means it has little tracked indentations on each of its directions, and that's not as comfortable as the standard smooth-icon placement on most other Nintendo-styled d-pads. Also, my d-pad feels the slightest bit rigid when not in action. Buuuuut the important thing is that it's a far more accurate d-pad than Switch Pro. I like the Dual Shock-styled joystick arrangement, personally, so I'm glad to have this as a Tetris 99 option for Switch.
 
JusDoIt

JusDoIt

▲ Legend ▲
Member
Oct 25, 2017
34,720
South Central Los Angeles
samred said:
The embargo's up, but Ars's review won't be up until later this month. For now, my thoughts are similar to JusDoIt's: solid construction all-around. However! I was given the option of all three, and I chose the Game Boy-styled one, because I wanted to see what that was like. I kinda regret doing so. I freaking love its DMG color scheme, but the d-pad is identical to the one on the OG Game Boy, which means it has little tracked indentations on each of its directions, and that's not as comfortable as the standard smooth-icon placement on most other Nintendo-styled d-pads. Also, my d-pad feels the slightest bit rigid when not in action. Buuuuut the important thing is that it's a far more accurate d-pad than Switch Pro. I like the Dual Shock-styled joystick arrangement, personally, so I'm glad to have this as a Tetris 99 option for Switch.
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Looking forward to your full review. My first impressions are very positive because I've been looking for a great multipurpose Switch controller since the system launched, but I still don't know how the other features like motion control and rumble stack up.
 
Etain

Etain

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,800
I decided to settle for the 8bitdo receiver, which works like a charm with the Wii U Pro Controller and especially the DS4, although I really wish I could swap the screenshot button because I LIKE the consistency of Share = Share regardless of where I use it (have it set that way on Steam), and this being rigidly "no" is frustrating.

Still, these impressions are making it real tempting to be irresponsible and just get the damn control. I'm trying to get finances under control though and splurged enough as it was.
 
Skyfireblaze

Skyfireblaze

Member
Oct 25, 2017
11,257
Eusis said:
I decided to settle for the 8bitdo receiver, which works like a charm with the Wii U Pro Controller and especially the DS4, although I really wish I could swap the screenshot button because I LIKE the consistency of Share = Share regardless of where I use it (have it set that way on Steam), and this being rigidly "no" is frustrating.

Still, these impressions are making it real tempting to be irresponsible and just get the damn control. I'm trying to get finances under control though and splurged enough as it was.
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If it's any solace, while 8bitdo products can be a bit limited, you shouldn't have trouble grabbing one of these one month down the line if that helps.
 
CesareNorrez

CesareNorrez

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,521
I'm really looking forward to using my GB30 Pro+ with Link's Awakening next month. Really get my nostalgia on.
 
Hybris

Hybris

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,221
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
JusDoIt said:
Got mine today. I think this is the one, y'all. The build quality is excellent and it feels great in the hand. I play mostly on PS4 and I wish the Dualshock had this weight and finish. My only concern is how close the sticks are. There's a slight danger of my thumbs touching if I push the sticks together. Not as bad as the Dualshock 2 and 3, but there's definitely less room than the Dualshock 4 sticks.

I've put the d-pad through its paces with Mario Maker 2, Ultra Street Fighter II, and Tetris 99 (got 22nd...haven't played in like a month). This is hands down the best d-pad to be found on a fully featured Switch controller.

Gonna give the sticks a go tomorrow with MUA3. Pretty confident I've found my daily driver for this console after a year of searching and like $200 spent on controllers and peripherals.
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Mine should arrive tomorrow, but that sounds promising. How does the stick tension compare to the switch pro controller? Is there any noticeable difference or about the same? I can't seem to get used to the other 3rd party controllers I've tried because of this.
 
JusDoIt

JusDoIt

▲ Legend ▲
Member
Oct 25, 2017
34,720
South Central Los Angeles
Hybris said:
Mine should arrive tomorrow, but that sounds promising. How does the stick tension compare to the switch pro controller? Is there any noticeable difference or about the same? I can't seem to get used to the other 3rd party controllers I've tried because of this.
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The sticks feel a lot like the Dualshock 4's sticks. Almost identical actually aside from the narrower placement.
 
fontguy

fontguy

Avenger
Oct 8, 2018
16,154
samred said:
The embargo's up, but Ars's review won't be up until later this month. For now, my thoughts are similar to JusDoIt's: solid construction all-around. However! I was given the option of all three, and I chose the Game Boy-styled one, because I wanted to see what that was like. I kinda regret doing so. I freaking love its DMG color scheme, but the d-pad is identical to the one on the OG Game Boy, which means it has little tracked indentations on each of its directions, and that's not as comfortable as the standard smooth-icon placement on most other Nintendo-styled d-pads. Also, my d-pad feels the slightest bit rigid when not in action. Buuuuut the important thing is that it's a far more accurate d-pad than Switch Pro. I like the Dual Shock-styled joystick arrangement, personally, so I'm glad to have this as a Tetris 99 option for Switch.
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Can you power on the Switch with this controller? That's sometimes a limitation with third party controllers on some systems, and I can't find this info anywhere.
 
daybreak

daybreak

Member
Feb 28, 2018
2,415
I'd jump on one of these in a heartbeat but yeesh that's some expensive shipping to Canada from Amazon.com.
 
GinoFelino

GinoFelino

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,234
samred said:
The embargo's up, but Ars's review won't be up until later this month. For now, my thoughts are similar to JusDoIt's: solid construction all-around. However! I was given the option of all three, and I chose the Game Boy-styled one, because I wanted to see what that was like. I kinda regret doing so. I freaking love its DMG color scheme, but the d-pad is identical to the one on the OG Game Boy, which means it has little tracked indentations on each of its directions, and that's not as comfortable as the standard smooth-icon placement on most other Nintendo-styled d-pads. Also, my d-pad feels the slightest bit rigid when not in action. Buuuuut the important thing is that it's a far more accurate d-pad than Switch Pro. I like the Dual Shock-styled joystick arrangement, personally, so I'm glad to have this as a Tetris 99 option for Switch.
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So the indentations detract from the dpads feel? I'm surprised they're that pronounced.
 
Pancakes R Us

Pancakes R Us

Member
Oct 27, 2017
8,344
For anyone that has the Game Boy colour scheme one, have you play one of the Street Fighter games yet? If so, has is the D-pad?
 
Storminormin

Storminormin

Member
Jan 14, 2018
850
If anyone knows if the D-Pad is an improvement over the regular SN30 Pro, I'm in. That one feels a bit stiff/a bit too shallow for me.
 
formasymphonic

formasymphonic

Member
Oct 27, 2017
4,645
The good news has made me a lot more optimistic about my own preorder. Thanks for the feedback from those who've got theirs already!

Meanwhile in Europe though... nothing till the end of next month.
 
Mauricio_Magus

Mauricio_Magus

Member
Oct 25, 2017
13,016
samred said:
The embargo's up, but Ars's review won't be up until later this month. For now, my thoughts are similar to JusDoIt's: solid construction all-around. However! I was given the option of all three, and I chose the Game Boy-styled one, because I wanted to see what that was like. I kinda regret doing so. I freaking love its DMG color scheme, but the d-pad is identical to the one on the OG Game Boy, which means it has little tracked indentations on each of its directions, and that's not as comfortable as the standard smooth-icon placement on most other Nintendo-styled d-pads. Also, my d-pad feels the slightest bit rigid when not in action. Buuuuut the important thing is that it's a far more accurate d-pad than Switch Pro. I like the Dual Shock-styled joystick arrangement, personally, so I'm glad to have this as a Tetris 99 option for Switch.
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I ordered the GB one... I hope I don't mind the indentations. The reason I'm getting this is pretty much exclusively for D-pad use for 2D games like Mega Man and Hollow Knight.
 
JustinH

JustinH

Member
Oct 27, 2017
10,398
E_i said:
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Glad he tested out the left/right (unwanted diagonal check), that's kinda reassuring and makes me want to get one and try it out. Thing that makes me want to get one the most though, is that you have the option to use AAs, lol. That's something I didn't know and really appealing to me.

Only thing that gives me pause is I'd really only use this for the Super NT to play Super Nintendo games and I generally like using "flat" controllers for NES and SNES games if I have a choice.

Thanks for posting that video.
 
CesareNorrez

CesareNorrez

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,521
Mauricio_Magus said:
I ordered the GB one... I hope I don't mind the indentations. The reason I'm getting this is pretty much exclusively for D-pad use for 2D games like Mega Man and Hollow Knight.
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Well they aren't indentations as they aren't recessed, they are raised. I find it a noticeable texture, but fairly smooth to move my fingers over. I've had absolutely no unwanted directional presses. and I went as close to the center as possible and rocked the left and right arms up and down as best I could. I had to be in the center divot to rock the pad up or down to go in that direction. Did the same test for the up and down arms and tried left and right. And as far as depth of the press, it feels very close to the SNES Classic Controller, maybe slightly less deep, but pretty much the same. It's a little more springy I think. With all that said, it's a very precise d-pad. Legit might be the best d-pad I've ever used.
 
Nif

Nif

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
1,716
I got mine tonight. I've only played an hour or so of Steamworld Dig 2, but this is probably my favorite controller.
 
panama chief

panama chief

Member
Oct 27, 2017
4,054
my GB classic edition (best version!!) comes in tomorrow and I wont be home to get it. guess ill give it a go on Monday.
 
Sober

Sober

Member
Oct 25, 2017
951
Hybris said:
I did look into this at some point, but my problem is actually on the pro controller and iirc you need to solder to replace those. I was hesitant to invest in a soldering kit just for one fix/mod, and I've never done it before.
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Late post but I hope you get the reply. I saw this guide that popped up 2 months ago. It's similar but requires no soldering.


Basically you still buy replacement analog stick parts but you essentially replace just one part in the whole assembly instead. Cheaper and maybe worth a try since apparently the guide's claim is that the parts used by Nintendo are just lower quality than what you'll be replacing it with.
 
Sorbete

Sorbete

Member
Oct 30, 2017
634
Is it possible to invert the X axis at controller level?

Probably no but I'd love to have that option since there are games like Hellblade and Skyrim that do not offer that option
 
Khaos Prime

Khaos Prime

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
1,857
Just ordered a black edition.

Looking forward to play SMM2 and all other 2-D Switch/PC games with a good D-pad.
 
CesareNorrez

CesareNorrez

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,521
Sorbete said:
Is it possible to invert the X axis at controller level?

Probably no but I'd love to have that option since there are games like Hellblade and Skyrim that do not offer that option
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The software does allow for Axis inversion. The video shared above goes through the software and the analog sticks page shows all the options.
 
Naked Snake

Naked Snake

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,105
CesareNorrez said:
The software does allow for Axis inversion. The video shared above goes through the software and the analog sticks page shows all the options.
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Amazing customization options. This really looking like an awesome controller to get.

Too bad about the additional input lag on Switch via bluetooth. I wish he tested it via USB on Switch... Any word on that compared to using Pro Controller wired?
 
Rotobit

Rotobit

Editor at Nintendo Wire
Verified
Oct 27, 2017
10,196
Getting one of these for my PC since I despise the Xbox One controller, glad it's reviewing well!

Bit of a shame that the variants all have little flaws for me, though. The D-Pad indentation on the GB one might not bother me but the gamble is rough, it looks like the US SNES one has the concave X and Y which ain't doing it for me, and I have more than enough black controllers (probably the most superficial issue haha).
 
Hybris

Hybris

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,221
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Sober said:
Late post but I hope you get the reply. I saw this guide that popped up 2 months ago. It's similar but requires no soldering.


Basically you still buy replacement analog stick parts but you essentially replace just one part in the whole assembly instead. Cheaper and maybe worth a try since apparently the guide's claim is that the parts used by Nintendo are just lower quality than what you'll be replacing it with.
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Nice find, I think I'll try that regardless of if I like this SN30 Pro+ or not. It's good to have a functioning backup sometimes.
 
LuigiMario

LuigiMario

Member
Oct 28, 2017
3,937
I get that the thing is this is a cute controller that looks like the SNES, but now they're getting so far away from that with the grips and triggers I wish they'd just make a version with the following.
  • M30 style dpad
  • SNES diamond face buttons, but maybe 2 extra mappable for fighting games.
  • More ergonomic/modern shape.
The SNES style 8bitdo dpads have always kind of fallen flat compared to the real deal, so i think this would help them make a product that really delivers something awesome.
 
CesareNorrez

CesareNorrez

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,521
LuigiMario said:
I get that the thing is this is a cute controller that looks like the SNES, but now they're getting so far away from that with the grips and triggers I wish they'd just make a version with the following.
  • M30 style dpad
  • SNES diamond face buttons, but maybe 2 extra mappable for fighting games.
  • More ergonomic/modern shape.
The SNES style 8bitdo dpads have always kind of fallen flat compared to the real deal, so i think this would help them make a product that really delivers something awesome.
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The controller is very comfortable. It's not quite Switch pro controller comfort levels for me, but it sits very well in my hands. My right thumb naturally rests across the Y and B buttons. And my left thumb is comfortable on the D-Pad. It's important to note that since the addition of the sticks, this forced the D-Pad and face buttons higher in the controller than an SNES pad. The grips are somewhere between the GC and Switch Pro but lean more GC. And while the sticks are close together than the PS4 I haven't bumped my thumbs together. The triggers are also very PS4. The shoulder Shoulder buttons are straight SNES. This latest controller is truly a meld of Nintendo and Playstation's Modern controllers with an aesthetic of classic Nintendo. Unless it holds up poorly, it might be my favorite controller to date.
 
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truncated_pachyderm

truncated_pachyderm

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,367
Got my Gameboy version today and surprised that the face of the controller has a slightly pink/purple tint, like the dye from the buttons discolored it. Not a dealbreaker or issue, but curious if anyone else had the same issue.

5pFSf47.jpg
 
YolkFolk

YolkFolk

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
5,212
The North, England
CesareNorrez said:
The controller is very comfortable. It's not quite Switch pro controller comfort levels for me, but it sits very well in my hands. My right thumb naturally rests across the Y and B buttons. And my left thumb is comfortable on the D-Pad. It's important to note that since the addition of the sticks, this forced the D-Pad and face buttons higher in the controller than an SNES pad. The grips are somewhere between the GC and Switch Pro but lean more GC. And while the sticks are close together than the PS4 I haven't bumped my thumbs together. The triggers are also very PS4. The shoulder Shoulder buttons are straight SNES. This latest controller is truly a meld of Nintendo and Playstation's Modern controllers with an aesthetic of classic Nintendo. Unless it holds up poorly, it might be my favorite controller to date.
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The N64 controller should have been this.
 
Nif

Nif

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
1,716
truncated_pachyderm said:
Got my Gameboy version today and surprised that the face of the controller has a slightly pink/purple tint, like the dye from the buttons discolored it. Not a dealbreaker or issue, but curious if anyone else had the same issue.

5pFSf47.jpg
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I noticed that in some promo pictures, which drove me to the SNES variant. (I love my concave buttons anyway)
 
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