8BitDo Ultimate 2C wireless controller review

I do love me some 8BitDo. I've found myself returning to the Pro 2 for years now, thanks to its stellar build quality. Given this, I was pretty sure I wouldn't be massively disappointed by its recent Ultimate 2C controller, and in this regard I was thankfully correct.

No, I haven't been massively disappointed by the 8BitDo. But I have been a little disappointed due to one particular thing, which sucks to say about such an all-round fantastic controller. That thing is the shape, which has remained the same as the original Ultimate controller and opts for a slimmer Switch Pro-like design rather than a more splayed-out PlayStation or Xbox one.

Admittedly, my reaction to this is almost entirely subjective, but tell that to my God-given hands. They feel what they feel when holding the controller, and now they must write what they must write.

These somewhat subjective assessments aside, though, the 8BitDo Ultimate 2C is a controller that kind of stumps me, because I cannot for the life of me see how 8BitDo is listing this thing for a mere $30. Apart from looking far from budget thanks to the variety of lovely pastel colours on offer, it also feels far from a cheap controller, nor does it perform like one.

That's because it not only has Hall effect joysticks, but also Hall effect triggers, and 1,000 Hz polling on its 2.4 GHz wireless connection. That's faster polling than you get with most budget controllers and even some mainstream ones (the standard Xbox controller has 124 Hz polling, of course, because it's designed for consoles which hit lower framerates).

I found this polling rate to bear bountiful tasty fruits in my testing. Loading up Crab Champions, my little crustacean ducked and dived in what felt like the instant I commanded it to via the firm clicks of the 8BitDo's buttons. Ditto in other, less serious games, of course. And it's rated for 19 hours of gameplay on one charge over 2.4G, and 32 hours over Bluetooth.

Unfortunately, I didn't get to test the Bluetooth, because—and here's one downside to the Ultimate 2C—that connection's reserved for Android devices. Don't ask me why, it seems silly to me, too. That's quite a big caveat, since I imagine a lot of people will be considering a budget controller like this as a travel companion, where Bluetooth reigns supreme.

Provided you're connected via USB-C (Windows) or Bluetooth (Android), though, you're getting a lovely, clicky experience. One thing I've always loved about my 8BitDo Pro 2 is its satisfying button clicks—I've genuinely never felt anything better on a controller. The Ultimate 2C follows suit, albeit slightly trailing behind the Pro 2 on the ABXY buttons front.

"Slightly trailing behind the Pro 2" on this front, however, still means beating most other controllers. The Ultimate 2C's ABXY buttons feel substantially better than the ones on an Xbox controller, at least to my fingertips. Ditto the shoulder buttons, in this case even compared to the Pro 2. They're just. So. Clicky. You get extra buttons near the shoulders, too, which I found surprisingly easy to avoid accidentally hitting—although I would definitely have preferred underside paddles like on the Pro 2.

Unfortunately, there has to be some give, and in the case of the 8BitDo Ultimate 2C it's the d-pad. It's not bad, it's just not great. It's the standard rolly-polly, slightly mushy-wushy affair, and presumably there's some membrane mechanism warbling about underneath the surface. Again, though, not awful, just standard.

The reach on the thumbsticks is much more in-line with what I'm used to than it is with some other budget controllers such as the GameSir Nova Lite, which I found to roll a little too widely. The Ultimate 2C's sticks also have that characteristically smooth Hall effect feeling, love it or hate it (I've come around to it, now), and feature anti-friction rings around the edges.

The triggers are great, too, though I couldn't decide between them and the ones on the standard Xbox controller. Apparently the Ultimate 2C's triggers are lighter than on the original Ultimate, which was a great move by 8BitDo if true, because I found the lightness to be a definite boon.

I was craving for opportunities to shoot in-game just so I could feel that springy action again, and that's a sign of a good trigger.

And the colour schemes look absolutely gorgeous, don't you think? It's one controller that I've been genuinely proud to display on my pegboard, and I'm not usually one for all that colourful nonsense—it's usually blacks, whites, browns, and beiges for me. But pastel colours I can gel with, as they're not too in-your face and can add a nice accent to a setup.

Anyway, that's unfortunately where the fun ends—because when the rubber met the road, for some of my longer gaming sessions, my hands weren't as pleased as my eyes were. That's because the 8BitDo Ultimate 2C has a Switch Pro-esque slimline design that belies its seeming Xbox layout.

Compare the 8BitDo to the admittedly more expensive Xbox Wireless Controller (or another budget controller such as the Nova Lite) and you'll notice it's far less splayed. What this means in practice is that your wrists have to be pushed in more, or your elbows tucked in more, to keep things comfy. That might be fine for some—and clearly it is, because lots of people love the Switch Pro controller—but gaming like that is uncomfortable for me.

Given the Xbox-style layout that lured me in, I'd have liked an Xbox-style design, too, splayed grips and all. But 8BitDo has kept those grips tucked in, and for gaming sessions longer than an hour my hands did start to complain. Not much, mind, but more than with an Xbox controller, for sure. It felt comfortable if I kept my elbows tucked in, but screw that when I'm sitting back and exploring the rocky expanses of Firewatch.

If you're fine with Switch Pro-style grips and are happy with Android-only Bluetooth, I can give this controller a very firm recommendation—top marks, across the board. But given non-Android Bluetooth is pretty common for peripherals these days, and given pretty much everyone finds Xbox controller designs comfortable but not everyone finds Switch Pro controller designs comfortable, I can't help but think of these two things as detracting from an otherwise perfect and incredibly value-friendly product.