makes our favorite third-party game controllers. Gamepads work with a variety of devices (including now ) and they are well established. Right now, you can buy the 8BitDo Ultimate Controller and charging dock bundle on Amazon for $56. That’s a 20 percent discount and close to a record low. This is the best price we’ve seen this year.
8Bitdo
8Bitdo makes some of the best third-party game controllers around. It’s compatible with PC, Switch, Steam Deck and even Apple Vision Pro.
If you are a Prime member and logged in, you will see that the controller is sold directly by 8BitDo. Otherwise, you’ll see the peripheral at the same price, but instead a third-party vendor is flogging it.
Among other devices, the Ultimate Controller is compatible with the Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck via Bluetooth or a 2.4g adapter. You must use an adapter to connect wirelessly to a Windows computer.
You can use a computer or mobile app to customize the sensitivity of joysticks, triggers and vibrations, as well as remap buttons, add macros and create profiles of settings stored in the controller. Other features include Hall-effect sensing joysticks that are more resistant to wear and slip than many other joysticks, a pair of rear paddle buttons and motion controls.
Although 8BitDo says you’ll get up to 22 hours of use on a single charge, having a dedicated dock to plug in the Ultimate Controller is very convenient. In a neat touch, the controller automatically turns off or on when you position or close it, respectively.
Overall, the Ultimate Controller is a great, flexible gamepad (for one thing, it’s one of the few third-party controllers capable of waking the Switch from sleep mode). Engadget Senior Business Writer Jeff Dunn after using the peripheral for six months “A comfortable and versatile pro-style pad that should survive the long haul” and “my ultimate gaming controller for both Switch and PC”.
Watch it @EngadgetDeals Twitter and Subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying tips.
