8Bitdo Controller and Arcade Stick Review
Last weekend, my buddies and I equipped ourselves with swords and mace and fought our way through the hordes of monsters as we ascended the tower to face the final boss. The 8Bitdo N30 Pro controllers and 8Bitdo N30 Arcade Stick allowed us to game wirelessly from the sofa. These controllers look great and performs up to expectations too.
The 8Bitdo Controllers
I am using 8Bitdo Bluetooth controllers and arcade stick. They look great (due to their retro looks) and 8Bitdo periodically releases firmware updates to iron out a few kinks here and there.
I have the following controllers:
- 8Bitdo N30 Pro Bluetooth Controller;
- 8Bitdo F30 Pro Bluetooth Controller; and
- 8Bitdo N30 Arcade Stick.
They have been upgraded to firmware version 4.10 which (supposedly) addresses the issue of lag over Bluetooth when used with other controllers. Yes, 8Bitdo releases firmware periodically to improve the performance of their controllers.
The 8Bitdo N30 Pro Bluetooth Controller
The 8Bitdo N30 Pro Bluetooth Controller is made of plastic and doesn’t feel too light at 290g. It’s weight doesn’t cause strains to your arms after a long game. Built-wise, it doesn’t feels cheap either.
Aside from the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) controller theme, it has been upgraded with additional buttons for you to game effectively with most consoles (and games).
The D-pad and buttons (A, B, X, Y) are comfortably sized and spaced out without causing your hands to bend at a weird angle.
There are also two (2) analog inputs which makes side-scrolling, fighting or driving games a lot easier. Well, D-pad works but analog is better for some games.
The plastic buttons are nice and soft to press. They should be using the usual silicon contact pads. I used to think that buttons are pressure sensitive, that is the character will jump higher or spam spells faster if I press them with more force.
On the top edge of the controller are the trigger and shoulder buttons. They are clicky compared to those on PSP controllers. Hence, it isn’t really suitable for games that requires you to spam L1, L2, R1 and R2 consecutively. If you map them for the missing punches and kicks in some games, it is actually quite a challenge to do “Light Punch, Light Kick, Mid Punch x 2, Heavy Punch, Heavy Kick” (hint: Wolverine).
I noticed that the rubber/ silicon Select and Start buttons have the tendency to get stuck when pressed near their edge. The type of stuck where half of the button is depressed and caught by the controller body.
Look ma, no wires!
The best part of the controller? It is wireless! Gone are the days that you accidentally pull the game console off the table during an intense game.
These 8Bitdo controllers are using Bluetooth and not some funky proprietary wireless technology that requires you to use proprietary USB dongle. With Bluetooth, it should be compatible with most modern devices. There are people who got these 8Bitdo N30 Pro controllers and 8Bitdo N30 Arcade Stick for Nintendo Switch and they work great!
Using Bluetooth is good but the congestion on the 2.4GHz spectrum seems to contribute (slightly) to input lags. Unless you are connecting your punches and kicks for 99-hit combos in a competition, the input lag shouldn’t bother you much.
If you like it to be wired, you can also hook it up using a suitable length micro USB cable.
Charging it
The 8Bitdo N30 Pro Bluetooth Controller’s 480 mAh battery can be charged from any standard USB outlet via its micro USB port.
It takes one to two hours to charge it and it should last you through 18 hours of gaming. While charging, the controller blinks green. It stops blinking when it is fully charged.
Do remember to force the controller to power off by holding the power button for eight (8) seconds, otherwise it will just remain in a sleeping state and continue draining power and you end up with a dead controller when you want to game.
The controller actually blinks red when it is low on power. The controller actually becomes unresponsive at this point.
The 8Bitdo F30 Pro Bluetooth Controller
The 8Bitdo F30 Pro Controller is themed like the Nintendo Famicom. Other than that, it actually has the same built and works identical to the 8Bitdo N30 Pro Bluetooth Controller.
In fact, they share the same firmware file. Price-wise, they are the same too.
The 8Bitdo N30 Arcade Stick
The 8Bitdo N30 Arcade Stick has a plastic body with the exception of a metal base. The top surface has got a little flex to it but it doesn’t affect game play in anyway.
The base has got non-slip feet so it stays in its place during frantic gaming moments.
The 8Bitdo N30 Arcade Stick features eight (8) standard 30mm buttons in a staggered layout for quick and convenient combo chaining. Being a casual gamer, the stock buttons work fine for me. However, it is possible to swap them for feather-sensitive, competition ready Sanwa 30mm buttons.
There is a smaller button near the top for the Start button. On the left of it are where the Select, Pair and Turbo buttons are located along with toggle switches for selecting xinput or dinput and x/y or dpad.
The joystick gives off a click sound (from the microswitches) as you push the stick around. It can be disturbing when you are gaming in the middle of the night with your wife trying to coax two kiddos to sleep. From what I gathered, there are people who swapped the joystick with HAPP/iL or Sanwa JLF with either cherry microswitches or optical-based for more silent game play.
Honestly, the clicks from the joystick and buttons are actually sounds nice and satisfying to the ears. It does bring back memories of gamers tapping rhythmically at the arcades.
Wireless connectivity
Similar to the 8Bitdo N30 Pro Bluetooth Controller, it also uses Bluetooth as one of its connectivity means. 8Bitdo have also included a three (3) meter USB cable if you wish to game the wired way.
The 8Bitdo N30 Arcade Stick is actually quite popular with players of “Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers” on Nintendo Switch. Yes, the 8Bitdo N30 Arcade Stick works with the Nintendo Switch. Now, go own the game.
Charging it
The 8Bitdo N30 Arcade Stick comes with a rechargeable 480 mAh battery that should allow 18 hours playtime after charging for a couple of hours (one to two hours). The led blinks green while charging and stops when it is full. It can be charged via a standard USB outlet.
The 8Bitdo N30 Arcade Stick has a USB Type A port for charging and wired connectivity.
Where to get ’em?
I actually got mine off Lazada Singapore. If you are getting the 8Bitdo controllers from there, remember to get cash back for Lazada Singapore via ShopBack.
Otherwise, you can actually get these fabulous 8Bitdo controllers from Amazon:
