8BitDo makes some of our favorite third-party game controllers. The gamepads work with a variety of devices (now including the Apple Vision Pro) and they’re well-built. Right now, you can pick up a bundle of an 8BitDo Ultimate Controller and charging dock for $56 on Amazon. That's 20 percent off and close to a record low. It’s the best price we’ve seen so far this year.
8Bitdo
8Bitdo makes some of the best third-party game controllers around. This one is compatible with PC, Switch, Steam Deck and even Apple Vision Pro.
If you're a Prime member and you're signed in, you'll see that the controller is sold by 8BitDo directly. Otherwise, you'll see the peripheral for the same price, but a third-party seller is flogging it instead.
Along with other devices, the Ultimate Controller is compatible with Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck over Bluetooth or a 2.4g adapter. To connect wirelessly to a Windows PC, you'll need to use the adapter.
You can use a PC or mobile app to customize the sensitivity of the joysticks, triggers and vibrations, as well as to remap the buttons, add macros and create settings profiles that are saved to the controller. Other features include Hall effect sensing joysticks that will likely be more resistant to wear and drift than many other joysticks, a pair of back paddle buttons and motion controls.
While 8BitDo says that you'll get up to 22 hours of use out of a single charge, having a dedicated dock to plunk the Ultimate Controller into is handy. In a neat touch, the controller automatically turns off or on when you dock or undock it, respectively.
Overall, the Ultimate Controller is a great, flexible gamepad (for one thing, it's one of the few third-party controllers that can wake a Switch from sleep mode). After six months of using the peripheral, Engadget Senior Commerce Writer Jeff Dunn called it a "comfortable and versatile pro-style pad that should stay alive over the long haul" and "my endgame controller for both Switch and PC."
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