8BitDo arguably makes some of the best third-party controllers out there, from modern versions of retro classics and ultra-portable tiny gamepads to professional-grade controllers with tunable components. The new 8BitDo Ultimate 2C is the outfit’s new budget controller and it’s amazingly capable for something with such an affordable price.
The sequel to the outfit’s Ultimate C from last year, the gamepad delivers some impressive features you don’t typically find on controllers at this price point. Heck, they even come with some stuff you don’t even get with some more expensive controllers, making for arguably the best value deal around as far as gamepads are concerned.
The 8BitDo Ultimate 2C is a controller with that Xbox-style asymmetric layout, complete with extended grips on the left and right sides that should make this pretty comfortable to keep in hand during gameplay. It has the usual controls you’d expect, such as the dual analog sticks, D-pad, four action buttons, shoulder triggers, and shoulder bumpers, along with the requisite system buttons. However, to really set it apart from your typical budget gamepads, they even threw in Hall Effect sticks triggers for longevity, as well as a second set of shoulder bumpers (L4 and R4).
It features wear-resistant metal rings on the analog sticks, which, they claim, enable an enhanced hold on the control, as well as refined bumper buttons and directional pad, all of which have been recalibrated for a smooth but tactile feel with a satisfying click. The device has onboard rumble vibration effects, too, so you can get tactile feedback based on events that happen in the game.
The 8BitDo Ultimate 2C can connect to your PC in one of three ways: USB-C, Bluetooth, or a 2.4GHz dongle. With the USB-C and dongle, it claims a 1000Hz polling rate, which should eliminate even the smallest amount of latency. Sadly, it doesn’t support 8BitDo’s customization software, so you won’t be able to remap or tune any of the controls, other than the additional L4 and R4 buttons, which you should be able to set up directly on the settings menu of whatever game you’re playing. It houses a 480mAh battery, by the way, which can provide up to 19 hours of gameplay with the 2.4GHz connection and up to 32 hours over Bluetooth. The battery can be fully recharged in two hours.
The biggest downside to this affordable controller looks to be the platform support. As of now, it’s only compatible with Windows and Android, so players on Macs, Linux, iOS, and even consoles won’t be able to draw any use out of it. Still, considering the number of people who like to use controllers on PCs and Android phones for games, there’s probably still quite the big market out there.
The 8BitDo Ultimate 2C is available in what seems to be female-friendly colors, such as green, mint, peach, and purple, making it quite the nice break from the usual black and white colorways of most gamepads. It’s currently on preorder with a July 15 release date.