Update:The 8BitDo Ultimate Bluetooth controller is on sale for a great price at Amazon.
Both variants come with a charging dock that doubles as a display stand.
It’s also a nice choice for Steam Deck owners.
The8BitDo Ultimate Bluetooth Switch controlleris a different beast.
The robust feature set makes the 8BitDo Ultimate the priciest traditional gamepad from the manufacturer yet at $70.
If you’re looking for a new Switch controller, the 8BitDo Ultimate is the one to buy.
The Ultimate has the same general layout with offset sticks and ergonomic handles.
The face buttons have a dome design that make them feel almost exactly like Xbox controller inputs.
The Ultimate also has two rear buttons that are located across the curves of the handles on the back.
My middle fingers rest perfectly on the buttons without having to alter my grip at all.
Instead, it uses a magnetic signal to register inputs.
The Hall Effect sticks on the Ultimate have a tighter feel than the sticks on the Pro controller.
It’s also important to note that Hall Effect technology eliminates the possibility for dreaded stick drift.
But where the Ultimate truly excels is with customization.
The app syncs up with the controller via Bluetooth and allows you to adjust controls on the fly.
you could also adjust stick tension, trigger sensitivity, rumble intensity, and set up macros.
The controller charging stand feels like an added bonus to an already wonderful controller.
It matches the controller–either white or black–and has a USB-C port on the back.
It connects to the USB port on your Switch or PC via the included cable.
On the bottom of the stand, there’s a compartment that stows the 2.4GHz adapter.
You have the option to connect the controller via Bluetooth or 2.4GHz wireless.
Yes, but only a couple of small things.
The Ultimate has rumble, but it doesn’t have Nintendo’s “HD rumble.”
That said, you might adjust the vibration intensity, so it’s good on this front.
What it doesn’t have, however, is NFC support for Amiibo figures.
That’s probably not a dealbreaker, but no third-party Switch controllers have this feature.
On that note, it’s worth mentioning that 8BitDo created two versions of the new Ultimate controller.
The$70 editionis compatible with Switch and PC.
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