8BitDo announces Ultimate Controller (Pro Controller form factor, Hall Effect sticks, paddles, Bluetooth/2.4G toggle, charging dock MSRP $70)

[linkboy]

So do you still prefer your Pro 2 over the Ultimate for dpad-centered games?

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I tried a bunch of the most fast paced d-pad games I could think of and I'm super happy with the d-pad.

(in no particular order, all on my Switch)

• Super Punchout
• Ninja Turtles - Shredder's Revenge
• Celeste

I also have it a test run with AM2R on my phone and was happy with that as well.

The d-pad's position really doesn't bother me.

Until something better comes along, it's going to be my default controller for everything.

 

[Rahkeesh]

I tried a bunch of the most fast paced d-pad games I could think of and I'm super happy with the d-pad.

(in no particular order, all on my Switch)

• Super Punchout
• Ninja Turtles - Shredder's Revenge
• Celeste

I also have it a test run with AM2R on my phone and was happy with that as well.

The d-pad's position really doesn't bother me.

Until something better comes along, it's going to be my default controller for everything.

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Awesome, thanks for the feedback.

Still in the return period for a Pro 2 so thinking hard about this one.

Would help to know if they've improved the gyro, or fixed the very noticable input lag when using bluetooth audio on the pro 2. I think those might even be related.

 

[linkboy]

Awesome, thanks for the feedback.

Still in the return period for a Pro 2 so thinking hard about this one.

Would help to know if they've improved the gyro, or fixed the very noticable input lag when using bluetooth audio on the pro 2. I think those might even be related.

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Those I'm not to sure about, as I don't use my Switch like that (I rarely play in handheld mode), and I don't use gyro that often.

 

[F34R]

If I didn't already have a GuliKit KingKong 2 Pro, I'd definitely give this a chance.

 

[thatJohann]

Is there anything this 8BitDo controller is missing when comparing it to Nintendo's official Pro controller? (e.g. does it have gyro and all the features like turning on the switch when docked, etc etc)?

 

[Rahkeesh]

There's no NFC for Amibos I think. And it does wake the Switch, but you have to shake it rather than press a button. (I'm guessing it is using gyro to wake for some reason?)

 

[Link_enfant]

Is there anything this 8BitDo controller is missing when comparing it to Nintendo's official Pro controller? (e.g. does it have gyro and all the features like turning on the switch when docked, etc etc)?

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It seems to have standard rumble but no HD rumble. Probably negligible for most people but still :)

 

[Tendo]

Got the black super ultimate one yesterday. I love it! Turns on when you pick it up, turns off when you put it down. I have the adapter in my switch and linked bluetooth to my pc and can toggle between them with the switch on the back. Great controller!

 

[Rahkeesh]

Got the black super ultimate one yesterday. I love it! Turns on when you pick it up, turns off when you put it down. I have the adapter in my switch and linked bluetooth to my pc and can toggle between them with the switch on the back. Great controller!

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Do you get Gyro on the Switch using the 2.4 connection?

 

[Burny]

Have been holding out on a second Switch Pro Controller. This "Wireless Ultimate Controller" from 8bitdo may be where I finally take a plunge. I like the Switch Pro Controller and have been spared of Stick drift so far, but the D-Pad registering the wront direction on sporadic input (in Xenoblade 2) is really grating.

 

[Tendo]

Do you get Gyro on the Switch using the 2.4 connection?

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No clue. I don't use gyro. Sorry I can't answer that for ya!

 

[linkboy]

Do you get Gyro on the Switch using the 2.4 connection?

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No, gyro only works in Bluetooth mode.

Is there anything this 8BitDo controller is missing when comparing it to Nintendo's official Pro controller? (e.g. does it have gyro and all the features like turning on the switch when docked, etc etc)?

Click to shrink...

It can wake the Switch up, you just have to shake the controller after pairing it.

It can't scan Amiibos, unfortunately.

OOutside of that, it's a drop in replacement for the Pro controller (and IMO, the superior controller).

 

[Razgriz-Specter]

Edit: wrong thread

 

[nihilence]

The price looks great for including a charging dock too.

 

[CONCHOBAR]

So apparently someone glitched onto the Warzone map and found Shipment(on a container ship) and Afghan without the crashed plane.

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Damn that's crazy, this controller really is a game changer!

 

[Razgriz-Specter]

Damn that's crazy, this controller really is a game changer!

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Oops my bad lol

 

[Galaxea]

Has anyone tried this yet on the steam deck?

 

[UltimateHigh]

is the wired ultimate controller that works with series x basically the same as this, with hall effect sticks and all that?

 

[seady]

I just bought the Pro 2, did I make the wrong purchase instead of getting this?

 

[Dr PeterVenkman]

I really like the pro 2 so I may buy one of these. it's too bad you can't use these on xbox or PS (especially xbox since I frequently do 4 player couch gaming on xbox)

 

[engine]

Thanks for the impressions! I ordered one last week that won't arrive until next week. I'm not a fan of Nintendo's Pro controller but that's still what I primarily use for Switch. I'm hoping I like this controller more.

 

[Aeana]

I just bought the Pro 2, did I make the wrong purchase instead of getting this?

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The Pro 2 is an excellent controller, and it can do some things the ultimate controller can't. Switch between 4 different device types, for one. And it has a symmetrical stick layout if you care about that. The only obvious clear upgrade the ultimate controller has is the hall effect sticks.

 

[Barrakketh]

is the wired ultimate controller that works with series x basically the same as this, with hall effect sticks and all that?

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Only the Bluetooth version has hall effect sticks.

 

[UltimateHigh]

Only the Bluetooth version has hall effect sticks.

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dang. alright.

 

[Tendo]

Oh something I didn't mention. on switch it uses the switch button layout but when you connect to pc it uses the normal xbox layout. So you don't have to bother using the ultimate software to remap it if you don't want to.

 

[canonj]

Now that I looked into this some more, it seems like a good controller with a pretty big flaw. The Hall Effect sticks increase the controller's life expectancy but the battery pack is apparently not user-replaceable so that's the real point of failure.

I already own a Pro 2 and I love that you can choose between AA batteries and a rechargeable pack. Hell, the company even sells replacement rechargeable batteries. Dropping that feature for this new controller seems like a misstep.

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This is a big deal to me as well. Especially since one of my earlier 8bitdo controller's battery life is pretty bad these days. If they could've stayed with the same battery solution as the Pro + and Pro 2, I would've bought one of these new controllers.

 

[linkboy]

I just bought the Pro 2, did I make the wrong purchase instead of getting this?

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No, it's a great controller in its own right and mine has been my go-to Switch controller since I got it (I actually have two).

 

[Tendo]

I just bought the Pro 2, did I make the wrong purchase instead of getting this?

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Not at all. I own like... 3 of them. 4? I use them on all kinds of devices. Great controllers. This is just more if you want asymmetrical sticks. I'll continue to use my pro 2 for 2d games because of the d-pad placement.

 

[Canklestank]

I've scrolled through the thread, so apologies if I've missed this.

Could someone give impressions on using the Bluetooth version wired on PC? Input lag? Gyro? Paddles? Steam Input?

This is how I use the Series X controller. But those Hall effect sticks and paddles are calling to me.

Bonus points if you test it in Rocket League without Steam Input and see what shows up in controller config.

Thanks!

 

[Unicorn]

I've scrolled through the thread, so apologies if I've missed this.

Could someone give impressions on using the Bluetooth version wired on PC? Input lag? Gyro? Paddles? Steam Input?

This is how I use the Series X controller. But those Hall effect sticks and paddles are calling to me.

Bonus points if you test it in Rocket League without Steam Input and see what shows up in controller config.

Thanks!

Click to shrink...

Shows up as Xbox controller

 

[Rahkeesh]

It *should* show up as a switch pro controller in steam if you connect via bluetooth? otherwise x-input with the 2.4 dongle.

 

[Atom]

Haven't plugged it in yet but first impressions from just how it feels:

This is the best controller I've ever held. It combines the best parts of all the others into something truly exceptionally pleasant in the hand.

DS4 feeling triggers and membrane shoulder buttons. Perfect tension on the triggers.
Classic Nintendo esque dpad with a good pivot and travel.
Sticks feel great. Higher tension than on the KK2. No metal on metal rings but feel very smooth, more than maybe an xbox or ds4.
Great menu buttons.
Grip buttons are nice and clicky.
Less of a flare out suits my hands better for comfort.
Lovely textured plastic on the back, no soft touch bullshit.

Its unbelievable how they've made this. Straight up better than many first party offerings.

Edit: connected to windows. Can't seem to get it to recognize in windows via bluetooth for gyro stuff (just shows up as unknown controller in steam), usb connection seems to force xinput. It seems some have had success with this and some haven't which kinda sucks.

In xinput or 2.4g mode on windows though everything is perfect. Mapped l3r3 to the back buttons and I'm all set. Works for my purposes.

Looking at the sticks in gamepad tester, they really gave no fucks with calibration though. They'll work fine but don't expect perfect circularity or anything. Depending on the game this could present issues for very precise movement. Maybe this is tweakable in the software.

 

[tolman]

It can wake the Switch up, you just have to shake the controller after pairing it.

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I wonder why do you have to shake the controller. Why complicate things? They get around Nintendo patents this way or is it just a bug which will be patched with firmware update?

 

[Grain Silo]

So this is the first I'm learning of 2.4ghz wireless connections somehow? 😳 what's the deal? Is there less input lag than Bluetooth?

I'm also curious about the quality of the gyro, one of the frustrations of the pro 2 for me was that gyro only worked in that controller's switch mode, which turned the triggers digital.

 

[Barrakketh]

Looking at the sticks in gamepad tester, they really gave no fucks with calibration though. They'll work fine but don't expect perfect circularity or anything.

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One screencap I saw looked like they were giving some extra "weight" for diagonals. Was yours showing the same thing?

 

[Janus]

One screencap I saw looked like they were giving some extra "weight" for diagonals. Was yours showing the same thing?

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Did you see this picture regarding the circularity?

Found this picture on an impression post on reddit.

 

[Atom]

So for PC bluetooth connection:

Hold power for 3 seconds for light to turn off, then keep holding for another 5s (manual says 8s, I held for longer). This resets the controller.
Then connect to bluetooth via the first category in windows. I kept clicking on the controller category and getting nothing.
It will show up as a switch controller in steam and everything looks like it works as expected there, but nothing shows up in gamepad tester so you're probably at the whim of steam input working in a game, which is generally good but maybe on occasion will need to futz around with it. Wonder if this is connected to the Dinput issue. Honestly there is no reason why we shouldn't have an xinput switch pro mode over 2.4g/usb on windows.

One screencap I saw looked like they were giving some extra "weight" for diagonals. Was yours showing the same thing?

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Yeah that's the issue. Its preferable to the alternative of being constrained within the circle (as some games are built to expect diagonal readings at least a bit outside of the circle) but it might mean that in others max tilt is achieved with less displacement on a diagonal than a cardinal. Not really an issue for most but I can imagine some very precise use case where it might be a bit irritating.

In the software it shows a larger sort of coverage area for the stick and in there the stick displacement lines up perfectly with their designed circles. I'm guessing that this is maybe just a design choice. The older Gulikit controller had modes you could switch between that would constrain to a circle or basically force diagonals into corners, so it would be nice to see something similar idk.

My %error was generally a bit higher than the above screenshot though. Maybe like 12% or so. It seems it's a bit different depending on wireless/wired so that might be a factor.

 

[Janus]

So for PC bluetooth connection:

Hold power for 3 seconds for light to turn off, then keep holding for another 5s (manual says 8s, I held for longer). This resets the controller.
Then connect to bluetooth via the first category in windows. I kept clicking on the controller category and getting nothing.
It will show up as a switch controller in steam and everything looks like it works as expected there, but nothing shows up in gamepad tester so you're probably at the whim of steam input working in a game, which is generally good but maybe on occasion will need to futz around with it. Wonder if this is connected to the Dinput issue. Honestly there is no reason why we shouldn't have an xinput switch pro mode over 2.4g/usb on windows.

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IIRC Xinput does not support gyro. Maybe that's why they don't allow switch mode in Xinput.

 

[Atom]

IIRC Xinput does not support gyro. Maybe that's why they don't allow switch mode in Xinput.

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Ah that sucks. I bet they could do a workaround or something in the software where gyro readings are sent as additional displacements to an analog stick on the controller's side or something (I think the KK2 offers this but it kinda sucks). But yeah I can see why that might be a headache.

 

[Jamesac68]

Don't know what the holdup was but mine is finally arriving today. Can't wait to have a new drift-free gamepad. It's what's killed every controller I've had in the last several years.

 

[linkboy]

I wonder why do you have to shake the controller. Why complicate things? They get around Nintendo patents this way or is it just a bug which will be patched with firmware update?

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I honestly have no idea why they did it this way.

So this is the first I'm learning of 2.4ghz wireless connections somehow? 😳 what's the deal? Is there less input lag than Bluetooth?

I'm also curious about the quality of the gyro, one of the frustrations of the pro 2 for me was that gyro only worked in that controller's switch mode, which turned the triggers digital.

Click to shrink...

2.4ghz does have less input lag then Bluetooth, however, it comes with it's own limitations.

It's not as universally compatible as Bluetooth is. 2.4ghz devices require a separate receiver to connect a single device to a receiver.

That's a huge reason why Bluetooth is supported on more controllers.

 

[dkeane]

Does anyone hear a whine sound from the vibrators?
This might be normal but it's a different sounds than I'm used to in the Switch Pro controller.

 

[Rahkeesh]

The Switch has pretty awful USB polling (once per frame) making the 2.4ghz dongle probably slower than a direct bluetooth connection. Hopefully your Windows PC will fare better.

 

[RGB]

Shake to wake the Switch seems completely unreliable to me so far to the point I'll end up not using it. That's ignoring the fact it's a vague input if it were working. Not checked if there's a f/w update yet, may try that see if it helps at all.

On a positive note. I love that the + and - buttons are not recessed and fiddly to hit.

 

[Casper]

This controller is fast become the biggest headache for me. Starting even before I got it and the reports started coming in about the two versions. That admittedly is on me for not reading more. I had just assumed the difference in price on Amazon was... down to Amazon sellers. Thought no more of it.

I had pre-ordered the 2.4g as it turned out, with my sole use-case being to be my main controller when docked on Steam Deck. So at first I was a little disheartened when I realized I did not get the BT version. Then I saw this video:


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ug2J2DHLk3g
and that video alone made me keep my pre-order as it was seamless for him on the Steam Deck and he even went so far as to say of the two versions the 2.4g is the better version. Well for me, I am having nothing but issues today.

• Controller was recognizable at first by Steam Deck but once in game the 'Home' button no longer functioned as the Steam button. It had worked just fine as one in the Steam menu.
• Right stick doesn't register at all in game. It does practically nothing. Pressing it to the hard left zooms camera out, but otherwise nothing. It doesn't even show up in Layout. Just Dpad, Left Stick, Buttons....
• That said it does show up in the Ultimate Software, once I realized that the USB cable I got with the controller didn't work. I thought the software wasn't seeing the controller at all, tried various USB ports on PC, iPad and even mobile versions. Nothing. Switched USB cables to one I had already instantly popped up and told me that... Right Stick is just fine.

So I really am not sure what else to do here to get this working with the Deck. I likely will just return it. Russ' video clearly shows it works for him in D Input, but I am wondering if it has something to do with him using it via an emulator? For me Right stick does nothing at all except act as a Trigger (right stick left is LT, right is RT).

So yeah, anyone looking to go with the 2.4g version on Deck, maybe don't.

EDIT to make this long post longer...

For anyone that did get swayed by Russ' video showing this work quite nicely with the Deck, he added a bit of an update 30 minutes ago:

EDIT to make this long post longer...

For anyone that did get swayed by Russ' video showing this work quite nicely with the Deck, he added a bit of an update 30 minutes ago:

UPDATE: it turns out the 2.4GHz version of the 8BitDo Ultimate controller is not as compatible with the Steam Deck as I initially thought. Someone pointed out that it has compatibility issues with many recent games, where the right analog stick doesn't register and the triggers aren't detecting an analog input. For example, this morning I tested more games and God of War and LEGO Star Wars Skywalker Saga don't register the right analog stick or triggers. I got lucky in that all the games I tested for my review video worked fine with this setup. At this point we can either hope for 8BitDo to upgrade their firmware (unlikely), or Valve to improve x-input compatibility (more likely but not guaranteed). However, if you pre-ordered this controller specifically for playing with a docked Steam Deck (like I did), then you may want to cancel the order and wait to see if a fix is incoming. I apologize for the confusion, this is frustrating that 8BitDo's implementation of this otherwise exceptional controller is so haphazard.

Click to shrink...

Wish I had waited.

 

[No Depth]

This controller is fast become the biggest headache for me. Starting even before I got it and the reports started coming in about the two versions. That admittedly is on me for not reading more. I had just assumed the difference in price on Amazon was... down to Amazon sellers. Thought no more of it.

I had pre-ordered the 2.4g as it turned out, with my sole use-case being to be my main controller when docked on Steam Deck. So at first I was a little disheartened when I realized I did not get the BT version. Then I saw this video:


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ug2J2DHLk3g
and that video alone made me keep my pre-order as it was seamless for him on the Steam Deck and he even went so far as to say of the two versions the 2.4g is the better version. Well for me, I am having nothing but issues today.

• Controller was recognizable at first by Steam Deck but once in game the 'Home' button no longer functioned as the Steam button. It had worked just fine as one in the Steam menu.
• Right stick doesn't register at all in game. It does practically nothing. Pressing it to the hard left zooms camera out, but otherwise nothing. It doesn't even show up in Layout. Just Dpad, Left Stick, Buttons....
• That said it does show up in the Ultimate Software, once I realized that the USB cable I got with the controller didn't work. I thought the software wasn't seeing the controller at all, tried various USB ports on PC, iPad and even mobile versions. Nothing. Switched USB cables to one I had already instantly popped up and told me that... Right Stick is just fine.

So I really am not sure what else to do here to get this working with the Deck. I likely will just return it. Russ' video clearly shows it works for him in D Input, but I am wondering if it has something to do with him using it via an emulator? For me Right stick does nothing at all except act as a Trigger (right stick left is LT, right is RT).

So yeah, anyone looking to go with the 2.4g version on Deck, maybe don't.

EDIT to make this long post longer...

For anyone that did get swayed by Russ' video showing this work quite nicely with the Deck, he added a bit of an update 30 minutes ago:

EDIT to make this long post longer...

For anyone that did get swayed by Russ' video showing this work quite nicely with the Deck, he added a bit of an update 30 minutes ago:



Wish I had waited.

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YEP...just crossposting my impressions/issues post from the Steamdeck OT below.

TL;DR This controller should be avoided for Steamdeck use. I am super disappointed and returning mine ASAP.

SIGH.....

Ignore the 8bitdo Ultimate controller I think for Steamdeck entirely. Both models.

Can confirm on the 2.4ghz model(cheaper non-BT) that x-input DOES NOT work and may never be updating to do so(8bitdo recently made a statement that it is only meant for Windows use).

Then there is this video...which led me to buying this cheaper $49.99 model which seems to work over d-input:


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ug2J2DHLk3g

Well...seems not enough testing was done by RGK. Problem myself and many are discovering is that even though d-input works and connects, the home button has a bug of glitch where it will initially act as a "Steam" button, but very quickly revert to being mapped as start(at least for me). Meaning there is zero way to get Steam button functionality. Dealbreaker right there.

Other issue is that while the d-pad, left stick, bumpers, and face buttons work regardless in various testing...the right stick and triggers are completely non-functional.

RGK may not have tested those if using only on emulation, but load up any first-person game and its unplayable.

Apparently some reddit users have hacked together a fix that forces it to be recognized as an Xbox controller by doing a lot of edits on the backend, but meh...I need a turnkey solution here. This controller was close, but for now its a hard pass for anyone interested for Steamdeck use.*

*Note the pricier BT version does seem to work -only- via BT mode, but with caveats of its own. Check big reddit threads about that version for guidance.

Shame as I love the feel and the docking station. It was almost perfect, but perhaps 8bitdo will develop a version designed around the Steamdeck in the future. This ain't it though...

Click to shrink...

 

[I Must Not Tell Lies]

I don't understand why people are buying this for Steam Deck. Nowhere do they advertise compatibility with Steam Deck. How is this 8bitdo's fault?

I know Amazon makes it really easy to buy stuff and return it, but it's so wasteful. All that plastic is probably going straight in the garbage. And I would imagine it must be frustrating for 8bitdo to take the loss on those returns since they didn't do anything wrong. I wish people would be more thoughtful about their actions.

 

[dreamfall]

Yo so if I'm buying it for PC, I should go the Switch route? Works fine? Is it a wired USB-C connection if I choose to go that route? Looks super nice!

 

[Atom]

Yo so if I'm buying it for PC, I should go the Switch route? Works fine? Is it a wired USB-C connection if I choose to go that route? Looks super nice!

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The more expensive bluetooth controller gives you:

Wired USB xinput xbox 360 style with no gyro
2.4g wireless with USB dongle xinput 360 with no gyro
Bluetooth wireless as switch pro controller, direct input, afaik gyro via steam input (haven't tested, assume so) (might need to hard reset controller to get this to show up). As long as steaminput works in your game this is probably fine.

As far as I can tell a wired connection forces xinput mode/xbox 360 pad emulation, so no gyro etc. over usb.

 

[404Ender]

I don't understand why people are buying this for Steam Deck. Nowhere do they advertise compatibility with Steam Deck. How is this 8bitdo's fault?

I know Amazon makes it really easy to buy stuff and return it, but it's so wasteful. All that plastic is probably going straight in the garbage. And I would imagine it must be frustrating for 8bitdo to take the loss on those returns since they didn't do anything wrong. I wish people would be more thoughtful about their actions.

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A Steam Deck is just a Linux computer. It shouldn't really need any special compatibility, it's not like 8BitDo is using obscure connection protocols. It's not weird at all to expect these to work on it, especially when many of 8BitDo's other products do.