It was only last year when we were just playing Steam games on a 5-year old wired controller and just decided, on a whim, to get a new controller. The first controller that caught our eye was the 8BitDo Ultimate 2.4G Controller, which can be bought in retailers for around PHP 1,435.00 – 2,050. With a sleek design, rechargeable base, and a plethora of extra features, is the 8BitDo Ultimate 2.4G Controller a worthy upgrade for everyone?
When we were researching controllers we were matching it to the kinds of games we play on it. As a fan of old retro games, fast-paced character action games, and pick-up and play arcade games, we needed a controller that was durable enough to handle all the button mashing, but also easy enough to store without much difficulty. We could’ve picked the Xbox elite controllers and the 8bitdo retro controller but for one reason or another, ruled it out. After a while we just asked the store clerk to hand us the first controller we saw and just holding 8BitDo Ultimate 2.4G Controller for a while, I knew it was just what we needed.
Out of the box, you’ll get one 8BitDo Ultimate 2.4G Controller and its charging station. Hall Effect joysticks that use magnets that prevent stick drift, 2 Pro back paddle buttons, a Custom Profile switch button with up to 3 profiles that you can switch on the fly, a Mode switch button (X-input, D-input), and a very generous rumble. The controller is spec’d to 15 play hours with 2-3 hours charging time, though with the amount of time it spends on the charging dock, battery life wasn’t an issue.
Actually playing games on the controller was a blast, giving us more precision that we never thought possible. The buttons are on the softer side, but for relaxed play it was like a feather in our hands. The 2.4 Bluetooth connection, which is rated to last until 100 meters, really does live up to the hype as controller disconnects hadn’t happened in our time testing out and was powerful enough to have no input lag. The build quality has a great feel, light and grippy but not cheap-feeling. The layout was similar to the Xbox, but now with two back buttons that was perfectly suited to the high speed action of games such as Devil May Cry 5. If you’d like more control over your controller, 8BitDo Ultimate Software, is available to download, letting you set up every aspect of your controller, from the rumble strength to the controller profiles. You can store up to three profiles for different consoles. Unfortunately you need to use the software to program the back buttons.
Over time we did see problems with the controller. After long time use, the textured grips have a problem accumulating dust and dirt. Cleaning it well is quite the challenge if you don’t know how to do it.
What we liked was that the whole controller was simple to set up. Even without all the customization, the controller was already playing at a more than suitable level for us and we didn’t even feel the need to do so.
At the end of the day, the 8BitDo Ultimate 2.4G Controller was worth much more than what the price tag said. If you’re looking for a modern, elite-feeling controller, this is a great place to start.
We give it 3.5 stars out of 4.
Pros:
- Affordable Price point
- Excellent feature quality
Cons:
- Cleaning the controller was difficult.
- Mapping the back buttons needs the 8BitDo Ultimate Software software.
