There are few good controllers with clicky D-Pads, and there are even fewer with GOOD clicky D-Pads.
This is the diamond in the rough. Do not make the mistake of getting any other impression. If you like clicky D-Pads, here's your controller. If you don't, then that's not the fault of the controller.
Straight up, if you want a good way to play NES/SNES classics, or any game that requires precise digital controls on Switch or PC, this is it. Just buy it. But if you want a few more details, here you go...
The controller fits comfortably in my medium to large sized hands. It should feel fine whatever your hand size, I think. The shoulder buttons line up well with my fingers, with the tips of them landing on the L2 and R2 buttons and the lower part resting on the primary L and R buttons. The D-Pad and buttons all rest is comfortable places, and the (+) and (-) buttons are in good spots that you won't hit by accident. This also goes for the home and record buttons (which visually appear as heart and star buttons, respectively).
While you can press down all directions at once, it's really hard unless you actually try, which you're NEVER going to do by accident. Using it normally, the game will just go in the direction you push without any shenanigans. No, "I swear I didn't push up!" Just good functionality.
The downside is, there's a reason you can press all four directions at once at all. When you do that, the game counts that as an L3 or R3 press. The problem is that it's not easy to push all the directions down at once, which is good for all cases except when you actually want to use L3 or R3. But lets face it; you aren't getting this controller to play any games that make frequent, mandatory use of the L3 or R3 buttons. Any game that requires you to do that is a game this controller wasn't meant to be used for, anyway. But if you NEED to pres L3 or R3 occasionally, the functionality is there.
This controller is an excellent accessory to your joy-cons and/or pro controller. It will never replace either of those things for what those are good for, but for other things this will do it. Make no mistake; if there's a game where you NEED the analog functionality of a right and left analog stick, this won't do the job. But that's not what it's for. The D-Pad on the pro controller sucks, and the directional buttons on the joycons aren't great for some types of games, like shooters or fighting games. This gives you the option to use both a great D-Pad as well as directional buttons at the same time. And some games actually benefit from having digital controls for the Right Stick as well.
EDIT: Previously, the Left D-Pad could only fuction as the Left Analog Stick, but a recent firmware update now allows you to switch the functions of the Left D-Pad and the directional buttons around. Now, you can make the DPad work as the directional buttons instead of the Left Analog stick! So for games games like Tetris 99, where you can't use the Left Analog stick to move the pieces, you can simply press and hold (-) and the left directional button (<) for a few seconds, and it will map the Left Stick to the directional buttons instead! Now you can move pieces with the D-Pad and change targets with the directional buttons! And you can easily change it back by pressing the same button combination again! This gets rid of the only real downside this controller had, so hats off to 8bitdo. If your controller did't come with the firmware update preinstalled, you can easily download the update for 8bitdo's support page. Just Google "8bitdo support" and you'll find the page, which will have all the latest firmware updates for their controllers ready to install quickly and painlessly.
Also, on top of all the other cool features it has, it also has turbo functionality. While in PC mode, instead of using the star button to take screenshots, you can hold a button and press star to activate turbo for that button. It's a nice way of giving functionality to a button that would otherwise be useless on PC.
All in all, this is a very nice controller. Even far beyond the appeal of the Switch, this controller offers great functionality for any PC or phone, and should serve you for years. I'm definitely hanging onto this this for the foreseeable future as my controller of choice for any game that doesn't require an analog stock to play properly.
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- 8Bitdo Lite SE Bluetooth Gamepad for Switch, Android, iPhone, iPad, macOS and Apple TV, for Gamers with Limited Mobility8BitdoMac, iOS, Nintendo Switch, Android
Product information
| ASIN | B07Y6NM21Z |
|---|---|
| Release date | October 30, 2019 |
| Customer Reviews |
4.4 out of 5 stars |
| Best Sellers Rank |
|
| Product Dimensions | 6.18 x 1.57 x 4.8 inches; 0.04 ounces |
| Type of item | Video Game |
| Language | English |
| Item model number | 6922621501084 |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Item Weight | 0.035 ounces |
| Manufacturer | 8Bitdo |
| Batteries | Lithium Polymer batteries required. (included) |
| Date First Available | September 27, 2019 |
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From the manufacturer
My NEW favorite Switch Controller!
I originally bought this as an alternative to my pro controller when traveling. I was always afraid of one of the sticks breaking off while my laptop was in the bag. Now that I’ve had some playtime with this controller in a few games, I can say that this is my new favorite switch controller! It is my new go to for classic games, racing games and even...SMASH?! __________________________________________________ Pros: • PORTABLE (this thing is tiny, but not too small) • Nice Clicky Buttons and DPads • Wireless • Lightweight and Comfortable • PRICE As someone with bigger hands, I was afraid I would crush the thing trying to play some games. Nope, it is extremely sturdy for being such a thin controller. It is roughly the size of both joycons put right up against each other. Not to mention the controllers rounded edges and smooth back just allow your fingers to wrap around the frame, somewhat like an original SNES controller. Cons: - No NFC, Rumble or Motion Controls - Not good for 3D Platformers or FPS titles I don’t personally use NFC or Motion, but I know for some people that is a dealbreaker. In that case, I say go for the SN30 Pro or just the Pro Controller 3D platformers require an extra level of accuracy that his controller just doesn’t fully deliver on when picking it up for the first time. I’m sure you can learn it, but these are my first impressions. __________________________________________________ Here are some of my first impressions for the games I’ve played using the 8bitdo Lite controller: NFS Most Wanted: Very responsive and fun to play! Drifting is a phenomenal with this controller. I’m sure Mario Kart would feel the same, if not better! Mario Tennis: Running around the court took some getting used to with the dpad, but after a while it started to feel natural. Kind of reminded me of the GameBoy Mario Tennis games. The lack of motion controls makes the ACE shots lack impact however. Link’s Awakening: YES! This is the perfect controller for this game! Super Mario World (SNES NSO): This controller made the SNES games play like a DREAM! I was able to play with accuracy unlike any other controller I’ve used to play SNES games on my Switch. This is a must buy for classic game fans! Smash Ultimate: Going in, I had very low expectations using this controller. Smash being a 2D game, I thought the game would feel right at home on a dpad...I was sorta right. Smash veterans play extremely well on this controller. I felt like I was able to execute moves more confidently on this controller as opposed to an analog stick. Kazuya on the other hand was a different story. I could pull off some of his move just fine, but it took some time for me to adapt to the dpad. I’m sure Street Fighter 2 vets will feel right at home with the dpad though, just not me personally (yet). __________________________________________________ All in all, I recommend this controller to those who enjoy classic games or want to try some a little more unconventional for more modern titles. For $25 you really can’t go wrong. I am very happy with the gamble I took on this controller and I’m hoping this review (albeit long) helped you pull the trigger on this controller! TLDR: Controller good, but not perfect. Fit my needs just fine though :)
Top reviews from the United States
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