5.0 out of 5 stars Cool Update & Collaboration!

n. · October 17, 2025

This controller is a very cool update to the original Ultimate, which is what I was coming from. There are carry-over changes that were introduced from the Ultimate 2C (a more budget-friendly option without a dock and less features), but then there are some new ones.Metal joystick rods are a carry-over from 2C to prevent the actual joystick from being worn down + having a ring insert that is presumably not going to wear as bad as plastic on plastic.... except these rings have LED backlighting options! The LED rings have three modes -- check the full manual, because the quick-start guide only shows you how to cycle the color and brightness. You cannot toggle LEDs off via setting brightness to zero; you have to cycle through the lighting modes (which is simply by pressing the Star button on the face). I saw a complaint about the LEDs being blinding in the dark, and I thought that was just silly. You can lower the brightness, and you can turn it all the way off. When not in use and docked, the LED rings turn off as well.Buttons changes are definitely a mixture of obvious improvements, along with what I'd say is preferential. The face buttons are more tactile and snappy. The placement of +/- are also spread out further than the original Ultimate, which is a welcome improvement because I used to always press the wrong stuff. Right and Left trigger are still linear; however, they have a more muted bottom-out that is more pleasant to the ears and sound like the original LB/RB. Unfortunately, the new LB/RB have become clicky and this is where my preference kicks in for the older controller. It feels out of place. Compared to the regular 2C button layout, this one gains a profile button in the middle between the D-pad and joystick.D-pad changes are also carry-over from the Ultimate 2C design changes, with a more clicky type of tactility. I think the older D-pad sounds better on the Ultimate, but performance wise is really going to depend on the type of game you play. Unlike the Ultimate D-pad where you only hear the "pop" sound once if you were to press down on the cardinal direction and shift to any other direction, the Ultimate 2C will click with every cardinal direction including the diagonals (so 8 full clicks from a 360 degree movement). I need to test this on a fighting game to compare if it's at all changed from the regular 2C design, as it sort of sounds every so slightly different.The dock remains mostly unchanged, with ONE difference that may be of interest. The USB dongle stowed underneath and plugged into the dock for 2.4ghz is now USB-C (was USB-A). Keep that in mind if you were planning to use the USB dongle with a certain device that does not have USB-C. Either way, most users on PC should just keep the usb-c dongle inside of the dock, and then the dock plugged in to the PC (with the provided cable, it's usb-C to dock, usb-A to computer). This works as passthrough to pair 2.4ghz connection so you don't need to mess with taking that dongle out.Last but not least, the joysticks are now TMR. 8bitdo seemed to stay ahead of the curve of OEM console controllers with their hall effects, and now they're on to TMR... I honestly never had a problem with hall effect, but supposedly TMR is a little better on battery life and has better accuracy. Can't say I can tell the difference, but I do not play FPS games with a controller so this isn't a huge selling point for myself... it is the next generation technology though, so if you crave it, this is it.Last but not least, the special edition Wuchang collab is quite pretty to look at. I'm horrible at Wuchang myself and was previously playing it on a PS5 controller. Let me tell you -- while the PS5 controller battery life is so bad that you need to swap in an aftermarket battery, that won't be the issue with this 8bitdo. Anyway, I tried to photograph the controller using settings on my phone that showed its more accurate color -- which is a darker red; more maroon than the pictures seem to show. Samsung seems to like to oversaturate pictures. The dark photo I posted feels quite color accurate for the face; however, obviously the LED is off because it's supposed to be more of a white LED.

5.0 out of 5 stars I wish I had known this thing existed before spending $130 on an Xbox Elite controller.

b. · October 18, 2025

I have a few 8Bitdo controllers that I use for my Nintendo Switch and iPad. I'm really happy with them and they have lasted me a long time.I JUST bought my 3rd Xbox Elite Series 2 Controller 9 days ago. I love how premium they feel with the rubberized grip and hefty feel. Despite how great they feel, I always eventually have issues with them. The rubber starts peeling off, the buttons will double press, or the bumpers will start to stick.I thought my only options for Xbox-style controllers with back buttons were either Microsoft or SCUF--both of which are well over $100. I had no idea 8Bitdo had a competing product until I saw this was available to order.This controller--at a $65 price tag--has 99% of the functionality as the Xbox Elite controller. The only thing it lacks are the swappable thumbsticks and 3rd setting for the trigger stop. It has 2 back buttons that can be programmed to whatever button you want it to be--though you can actually remap every button on the controller. It has 3 slots for profiles and you can change between them with a button press. It also has 2 extra bumper buttons next to the triggers. This is easy to reach, but it is taking me a bit to build the muscle memory. It also has TMR joysticks which should never ever drift.The charging station actually blew my mind. The 2.4G wireless dongle is actually already connected to a USB-C port included INSIDE of the dock. This means you get the wireless function AND charging by only using 1 USB-A port on your computer. This is so smart. I used a wireless receiver with my Xbox controller so I wouldn't have to use Bluetooth. So, I ended up using 2 ports for charging and wireless functionality. If, for some reason, you wanted to connect the dongle directly to a computer, you can just open up the bottom of the dock and grab it!My one complaint is that the back buttons feel a little mushy on the reset. If they could make that feel a little more defined this would be an 11/10 product.This is such an insane value for the money if you like this style on controller. I highly recommend this, and it's one of my favorite things I've ever gotten from Bolo.

4.0 out of 5 stars Almost great (I don't like that there's two versions of this controller)

M. · October 19, 2025

I really dislike that there's two versions of this controller and this one doesn't work with the Switch 2 (the standard editions of these controllers go for 59.99 and 69.99 with the $10 more expensive one being Switch 2 compatible). I did double-check this by trying to connect via BT and with the dongle and the Switch 2 wouldn't register either. This is why I still prefer the Pro 2/3 controllers since they are more universally compatible and also have the proper symmetrical layout.But that aside; This is a very nice controller. 8BitDo is top-notch when it comes to controller build quality and design and this is no different. The base is convenient and should be set up connected to one device while Bluetooth is left for connecting to another. I currently have this connected to my Steam Deck dock for the 2.4GHz adapter connection method and it's been working great.Not to mention the design, which is really pretty (even though I have no love for the game). The rings around the analogue sticks as well as the LED lighting is really nice and it's just a fun controller overall. Which is why I wish it also worked with the Switch 2 so I could use it for both, especially when playing games together with my wife (she doesn't care which controller she gets or layout preference).Since it is only $5 more than the standard Ultimate 2 Wireless, I think this is easily worth the extra cash if you like the design, even if you never played (or want to play) Wuchang.

Looks Amazing, Feels Amazing, Great Quality and Value!

J. · September 6, 2025

I was using the PS5 DualSense controllers for my PC gaming needs. Until the EXTREMELY prevalent stick drift issues started kicking in and I wasn't able to repair it. It was at this time that I studied the difference between thumbsticks and realized how necessary Hall Effect or (even better) TMR joysticks were. No wear, no tear and no stick drift. Ever!!!Now I also had purchased a Razer charging dock for my PS5 DualSense controllers which itself was around $50. $80 for the controller itself. So $130 for controller and dock. This 8BitDo controller was $60 for both controller and dock and in my opinion: almost everything is superior to the PS5 DualSense. So amazing deal here at half the price!This is actually my second 8BitDo Ultimate 2 controller. I bought a regular black edition for $80 and when I saw this beautiful limited edition selling for $60, I had to get it!The sticks themselves... no more worry about wear, tear or drift! I can be as rough and tough with these sticks as I want to be! The light ring around the sticks is actually very pleasing to me. Yes it's just for looks but there are many color options and even rotating and breathing effects! Really just makes me happy. The triggers, the buttons, the pad... it all just feels great and premium! The controller turns itself off when you set it on the charger and turns on when you lift it up from the charger.It connects to everything effortlessly and super quickly! Pro tip though: If you're connecting it to PC: Switch the controller to 2.4G mode (there's a switch on the back) and check the Controller settings in Steam to see if it registers the controller correctly. If not: Update the firmware with the official app and you MAY need to hold the Home and X buttons down simultaneously to switch to X-Input mode. This allows Steam to recognize the controller as it should be and will be compatible with all games. You may have to turn on some controller settings in Steam such as "XBox Controller Support" or whatever to make this work. I just have every option enabled.Only downside would be if you have huge hands. I have an average in-between hand size and this controller feels perfect for me but it is a smaller controller compared to the XBox controller and some other 3rd party controllers.

Works well with my Nintendo Switch (with red brick) but LIGHT POLLUTION

M. · September 23, 2025

With my switch (and the universal 8bitdo red brick), I get the haptic and gyros working.It is an incredible controller, the only problem being light pollution.One of the best D-Pad ever.You can dim down the annoying lights, but you cannot turn them off.Even at the lowest, they will blind you if you play in the dark.

Does it work on the switch 2?

A. · August 31, 2025

super cool controller but does it work on the switch 2? Having a hard time connecting and people are telling me it does but after doing all the firmware updates and stuff it still wont connect.