The 8BitDo Ultimate 2.4G Wireless Controller works across multiple platforms with precision and excellent battery endurance, though 8BitDo’s call to produce multiple “Ultimate” models can be confusing.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Comfortable for long term play | There’s a lot of confusing “Ultimate” models of this controller |
| Highly customisable | Lacks some Nintendo Switch features |
| Easy to use charging dock included | Configuration software only runs on Windows |
Score: 3.5/5
 |
Buy the 8BitDo Ultimate 2.4G Wireless Controller! | Buy On Amazon |
In this review
8BitDo Ultimate 2.4G Wireless Controller Specifications
8BitDo Ultimate 2.4G Wireless Controller Design
8BitDo Ultimate 2.4G Wireless Controller Camera
8BitDo Ultimate 2.4G Wireless Controller Performance
8BitDo Ultimate 2.4G Wireless Controller Battery
8BitDo Ultimate 2.4G Wireless Controller Conclusion
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I’ve long had an issue with tech companies making products that they call the “Ultimate”, simply because logically you can’t get any better than Ultimate. Technology evolves and changes over time, and any “Ultimate” product is bound to be improved on in some way eventually.
8BitDo clearly uses a different definition for “Ultimate”, because there’s a whole host of controllers sold as the “8BitDo Ultimate” controller, even though most of them are visually similar.
The 2.4G version as tested is a really nice, precise control with minimal input lag and excellent battery life – but it’s super important that you actually order and get the controller you expect to, because the differences between “Ultimate” models does change their best use cases.
Design
The 8BitDo Ultimate 2.4G Wireless Controller sells variously in purple, pink, black or white finishes, though I’d advise most folks to opt for the black model – it’ll show less wear and tear over time if the history of every coloured controller I’ve owned – and I’ve owned a LOT – is anything to go by.
While it’s intended as a multi-platform controller – more on that shortly – the design of the 8BitDo Ultimate 2.4G Wireless Controller is essentially that of any Xbox controller, right down to the specific patterning of the ABXY front facing buttons.
8BitDo on the left, Xbox Series X on the right. They're like twins... sort of.
They’re joined by dual hall effect joysticks on the model tested – some online research suggests to me that earlier revisions of the 8BitDo Ultimate 2.4G Wireless Controller lacked Hall Effect sticks, so it’s worth checking what’s being sold to you if it’s older stock – and a left hand side D-Pad.
At the top sit dual shoulder buttons and triggers, while the interior rear of each grip houses a customisable rear control button if that’s to your taste.
Also read:
Anko RGB Wireless Controller Review
All of this is very nicely built, with buttons that have a quality feel to them, although you 100% should expect that out of a controller at this price point, especially if it’s going to call itself an “Ultimate” controller.
At 236g it has a decent heft to it without feeling too weighty – by way of comparison an actual Xbox Series X controller runs to around 299g, which means that it is more akin to the 247g weight of a Nintendo Switch Pro controller.
The 8BitDo controller is 9g lighter than the Switch Pro controller. Can you feel 9g in a controller?
I'm not sure I can.
The other “Ultimate” part of the deal is the charging dock in the box, which uses pogo pins to connect to the rear of the controller for easy charging purposes.
Drop the controller into its dock and the base will light up while it’s powering the unit back up, though it should also be able to take in power via the USB-C port at the top. It does take up a chunk of space wherever you place it if you're a desk-bound gamer, though its mostly vertical orientation means it's maybe less than just leaving the controller in situ.
The base is also where 8BitDo houses the included 2.4Ghz receiver for the controller, located in a hatch under the base. It’s a nice touch if you’re thinking about wider portability as it should lessen the odds of the adaptor going missing.
Performance
Connecting the 8BitDo Ultimate 2.4G Wireless Controller will very much depend on what it is you want to hook it up to. Officially you’re looking at PC (Windows 10 or better), MacOS (13.2 or better), Steam Deck, Android (9.0 and above), iOS, iPadOS, tvOS (all 16.3 and above) and Raspberry Pi compatibility across 2.4Ghz and Bluetooth modes. A switch on the back of the 8BitDo Ultimate 2.4G Wireless Controller changes it from D-Input to X-Input modes to accommodate those platforms.
Here’s where the fact that there’s more than one “8BitDo Ultimate Wireless Controller” could become confusing for you, especially with the way that some online sellers advertise it.
The 8BitDo Ultimate 2.4G Wireless Controller is also compatible with the Nintendo Switch, but only via 2.4Ghz with the receiver plugged into the Switch dock or USB-C port on the base of the Switch itself in portable mode.
8BitDo also produces a “8BitDo Ultimate Bluetooth Wireless Controller” – and yes, the 8BitDo Ultimate 2.4G Wireless Controller also includes Bluetooth, which is confusing – and that model is more closely styled after the Nintendo Pro controller, including direct Bluetooth compatibility as well as support for gyroscopic control in compatible Switch games.
In essence, the 8BitDo Ultimate 2.4G Wireless Controller will work with a Switch, but if that’s one of your core platforms, you’d be better off with the Bluetooth model – and I do wish that 8BitDo had consolidated all of its hardware into just one controller. Wouldn’t that be, well… Ultimate?
It passes the important "What does this look like with Googly Eyes on it" test.
So cute.
Connection grumbles aside, if you’re hooking up to a PC (but not a Mac), you also get access to 8BitDo’s controller configuration, which is also (apparently) “Ultimate” software. This gives you access to a nicely broad range of configuration options for PC or Android gaming, as well as the creation of three different controller profiles that should suit most game styles.
Oddly, the “Ultimate” 8BitDo software package doesn’t include firmware updating software – and for that, you’ll need to connect the 8BitDo Ultimate 2.4G Wireless Controller via USB only, though that makes sense given you wouldn’t want power outages during a firmware update.
If you’re the lag-sensitive type (or you’re playing games where input lag means the difference between glorious victory and a visit to the dentist because all your teeth have just been kicked out), then 2.4Ghz connectivity is going to be preferable here; while Bluetooth connectivity is reasonable in this respect, there’s a definite edge in speed over 2.4Ghz. Theoretically if you’re super needy here then a direct wired USB connection would be even more precise, but I’d wonder why you were spending this much on a wireless controller in that case.
Does the 8BitDo Ultimate 2.4G Wireless Controller live up to its price point in terms of comfort and general game responsiveness? Yes, I think it does, though at this price you do have plenty of other choices, including the official ones for Xbox and PlayStation platforms.
Battery
The 480mAh battery on the 8BitDo Ultimate 2.4G Wireless Controller is rated by 8BitDo as good for up to 15 hours of play time between charges, though I suspect most gamers won’t see it flat all that often.
I’m honestly not quite up to a straight 15 hour gaming session to check, but over a week gaming I never had issues with it going flat, even when deliberately keeping it off the charging dock. Over a few weeks with the dock in use it never went flat, and that's very much the point. If you simply drop it on the charging dock between games sessions, it stay charged up all the time and never go flat… or at least never go flat until its internal batteries give up the ghost.
That is one downside of the 8BitDo Ultimate 2.4G Wireless Controller compared to, say, a standard Xbox controller.
The 8BitDo Ultimate 2.4G Wireless Controller has an entirely sealed battery, so when the battery does fail, you’d either have to get handy (and a little brave) with spudgers and soldering irons – as well as finding a compatible shaped battery – or buy an entirely new controller.
8BitDo Ultimate 2.4G Wireless Controller:
Alex’s Verdict
Does the 8BitDo Ultimate 2.4G Wireless Controller live up to that “Ultimate” suffix?
Mostly. It’s genuinely a good and comfortable controller across its supported platforms, and especially if you’re gaming on a PC via 2.4Ghz, with minimal lag, good battery life and a lot of flexibility when it comes to configuration options. I’ve tested it across PC, Mac, Android and iOS with few issues relating to the hardware, as well as on the Switch.
That’s the one area where I’m less enthused about its suitability. It does work, but it irks me that 8BitDo has two different platforms that are very openly being sold almost as the same thing – and especially so depending on where you’re shopping, because I’ve seen some listings that don’t make the Bluetooth model (with actual wireless Switch support) and the 2.4G model – with more limited support – all that clear at all.
Which ultimately… isn’t very ultimate at all.
8BitDo Ultimate 2.4G Wireless Controller:
Pricing and availability
The 8BitDo Ultimate 2.4G Wireless Controller typically retails at between $70-$99 depending on retailer, with most listing at an RRP of $99 AUD.
|
Buy the 8BitDo Ultimate 2.4G Wireless Controller! | Buy On Amazon |
After the Bluetooth ultimate model? That typically retails at around the same price, $99 or thereabouts:
 |
Buy the 8BitDo Ultimate Bluetooth Wireless Controller! | Buy On Amazon |
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