8BitDo started as a company whose business was almost entirely focused on nostalgia – and it still is – but it also makes great conventional gaming products at great prices. Take its first-ever controller in the popular “mobile grip” category, the new Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller. Um, maybe go easy on the hyperbolic names, guys.
Like many similar models (e.g. the Razer Kishi or various versions of Backbone), it essentially cuts a standard Bluetooth controller in half and places a sliding phone grip in the middle. But there are a few things that might catch your eye. First, it uses the same layout and general shape as previous “ultimate” console and PC controllers, which were very well received. This makes it larger – and hopefully more comfortable – than usual gripper controllers.
8BitDo
Second, it uses Hall effect sensors for the triggers and analog sticks. The technology behind this is complicated, but basically it means they last a long time, long time and should not suffer from stick drift, an infamous problem for gamers. I also hollow out these metal rings around the sticks for a little extra durability.
8BitDo’s design offers several other upgrades over similar budget designs. You can program the button layout (including two extra back buttons!) with the 8BitDo PC app and customize the stick and trigger sensitivity settings. I also like the device’s independent slider, which can accommodate most of my foldable phone thanks to a wide-open top and bottom. The specifications state that it should be able to handle devices up to 170mm width/height. (That’s pretty big for a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, even in a big case.)
8BitDo
You get all this for just $50. It’s only $10 more than the GameSir X2s I used to go through Skies of Arcadia on a recent vacation, and it’s half the price of the Razer Kishi V2, Backbone One, or SCUF Nomad. The 8BitDo Ultimate mobile game controller is up for pre-order now and will ship on November 29.
