The 8Bitdo Ultimate 3-Mode Controller looks pretty familiar because it’s officially licensed for Xbox. Not to mention its price has dropped to a much more reasonable $37.09 from the original $69.99. It’s 6.3 inches long, comes with a charging dock, a USB-C cable, and two spares for when you break a joystick cover (because let’s face it, that’s bound to happen at some point).
Plug it into an Xbox Series X /S or Xbox One via USB-C, and it instantly registers – which is quite cool – and it even provides complete impulse trigger feedback, making you feel like you’re actually there. The hall effect triggers behave similarly to the adaptive motors in Microsoft’s own gear, which is astounding. Plus, they appear to survive longer than the ones in the actual gear, so no more worrying about the analogs drifting after a few months of intense use. The bumpers click solidly under your fingers, and the D-pad provides smooth directions, which is especially useful in fights and platformers where every input matters.
- Officially licensed by Xbox. Connect to your Xbox via wired USB, your Windows PC via 2.4G, or your Apple or Android devices via Bluetooth.
- This controller connects to Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One via wired connection only.
- Hall Effect Joysticks and Hall Effect impulse triggers (vibration triggers)
With a single button push, you can switch between playing on PC and Android – the supplied 2.4GHz wireless dongle provides low latency on Windows desktops, while Bluetooth allows you to connect with your phone or tablet. Furthermore, the battery lasts for a whopping 25 hours on a single charge, which can be recharged in only a couple of hours using the magnetic dock that goes in like a jigsaw piece. It also has a 3.5mm headphone connection for plugging in headphones, as well as a mute switch and volume slider on the face to keep the volume at a manageable level during heated matches.
Grab the free 8Bitdo Ultimate software for Windows or Mac and you can set up three onboard profiles – remap those back paddles to whatever button does your thing, tweak the stick dead zones so you’re getting pinpoint accuracy or dial in the vibration strength to six levels. It’s also got hall effect joysticks, which – unlike some other things out there – don’t give up on you after a few months. Instead they just keep on going, registering movements with a accuracy of 0.1 degrees – which helps a lot with sweeping cameras in open world titles.
This controller has ergonomics down to a science; the grips are contoured to fit any size hand, and the matte finish prevents it from becoming sweaty in your palms. Also, the analog sticks are set up in the original Xbox configuration, which is useful if you’re an old hand, and they have textured rubber on top to provide some traction on the joysticks – and the face buttons have a great firm give without being too mushy.
At 250g it’s heavy enough to keep your hands in place during those long gaming marathons but not so heavy you get tired of holding it At least not too tired – anyway the real selling point is that it works as well as an official gamepad and at a fraction of the cost.
