There ’s still not a perfect controller for the Switch ( even Nintendo ’s own Pro controller has its flaw ) but8BitDo ’s new Pro 2 , an acclivity to itsSN30 Pro+ , come about as near as you ’re move to get . By addressing some of the more glaring shortcomings of its predecessor , 8BitDo has made the Pro 2 a must - have ascent for the Switch if you ’re tired of battling with those dreaded Joy - Cons .
In its defense , the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller is a solid choice for the portable console table , admit motility control that are almost as sound as what the Joy - Cons offering — playing game using physical motions just feels easier with those tiny controllers in helping hand — and unquestionably well than what 8BitDo ’s Pro 2 offer . It also features a built - in Amiibo digital scanner and the power to wake the Switch remotely , which are two very convenient features you wo n’t rule on the new 8BitDo Pro 2 . However , with so many retro titles now available on the Switch , the critical D - pad on Nintendo ’s own Pro accountant under - delivers , and customizability and button re - mapping is nonexistent .
8BitDo Pro 2 restrainer
Photo: Andrew Liszewski/Gizmodo
WHAT IS IT ?
An update to the 8BitDo SN30 Pro+ controller that adds extra programmable button , three swappable profiles stored on the accountant itself , and programmability through an iOS and Android mobile app .
PRICE
Screenshot: Andrew Liszewski/Gizmodo (In-House Art)
$ 50
LIKE
Customizing the controller through a smartphone is wondrous commodious , and the D - tablet feel much improved with a matte finish and contrive that more closely matches the Super Nintendo ’s perfect gamepad .
Screenshot: Andrew Liszewski/Gizmodo (In-House Art)
DISLIKE
Ca n’t be used to wake the Switch like Nintendo ’s own Pro Controller can . Still ca n’t be used as an iOS gamepad .
That ’s where the 8BitDo SN30 Pro+ really excel as an alternative . For whatever reasonableness , when Star Wars : Jedi Knight II : Jedi Outcast was first put out for the Switch , it did n’t take into account gamers to invert the joystick ’s Y - axis for aiming in its configurations . It was only by customizing the SN30 Pro+ restrainer that the game was finally playable for me . But mybiggest charge with that controllerwas that its customizability , including switching between multiple conformation for unlike games , all had to be done through an app that was only available for Windows or macOS . If you were bringing your controller to a friend ’s family to play and wanted to make any changes to its form while there , you ’d have to drag along your laptop too .
Screenshot: Andrew Liszewski/Gizmodo (In-House Art)
With the Pro 2 , 8BitDo has made the contour and remapping procedure far more convenient and mobile with an app translation of its Ultimate Software available for iOS and Android . From my testing it appears to extend the exact same functionality as the screen background version , allowing gamers to tweak the sensitivity of the comptroller ’s parallel joystick , invert various axis of rotation , adjust the intensity of the rumble force feedback ( it ’s already pretty insidious at maximal power ) , and remap what almost every single button does .
The Pro 2 controller itself can also salt away three tradition profile which can be toggled between by press a unexampled button on the front with an accompanying set of three light-emitting diode to indicate which one is participating . With no visibility choose , the Pro apply its default out - of - the - loge preferences , which is a immense melioration over the SN30 Pro+ , which could stack away just one configuration at a time , which would be the only one it could use .
The stored profiles can be create and edit on either the background or mobile version of the Ultimate Software apps , and while the mobile version allows the various profiles to be renamed so they ’re easier to distinguish , those names are n’t displayed on the screen background app , which feels like a minor oversight that will in all probability be turn to in a future computer software update .
Screenshot: Andrew Liszewski/Gizmodo (In-House Art)
There are three versions of the 8BitDo Pro 2 usable ( Black Edition , G Classic Edition , and Gray Edition ) . I test the Gray option , which is the only version to move the action button recording label ( Y , X , B , A ) onto the buttons themselves . It ’s a pocket-size update , but one that I ’ve get along to really appreciate , even if it ’s just a small-scale design choice meant to pit the aesthetics of the older PlayStation control .
The Black Edition and Gray Edition versions of the 8BitDo Pro 2 controller also feature five hundred - pad designs that rival the one used on the original Super Nintendo gamepad , with a matte stopping point and indented triangles that just feel more grippy on my thumb than the D - Pad plan included on the G Classic Edition of the SN30 Pro+ and the Pro 2 . tenacious story short , if you ’re have a hard time deciding which color to get , functionally the Gray Edition of the Pro 2 is the dear pick .
Other very welcome improvements on the 8BitDo Pro 2 include the addition of two fresh programmable buttons on the back , which is especially nice for customs macro instruction that no longer require you to give one of the controller ’s existing buttons to trigger them during swordplay . They have very minimal change of location and are gentle to press , but I ’ve also find they ’re from time to time a trivial too loose to accidentally press , so you ’ll want to be aware of what function gets assigned to them .
If you can’t decide which of the three colorways to get, the Gray Edition features action button labels on the actual buttons in a large, easy to read font.Photo: Andrew Liszewski/Gizmodo
The Pro 2 also introduce a new four - way on-off switch switch on the back for easily switching between the controller ’s different compatibility modes : Switch , macOS , D - stimulation ( for Android devices ) , and X - input signal ( for Windows machines and the Xbox 360 ) . As much as I love being able to reprogram this controller on my iPhone , the plus of this Modern toggle switch might be a close tie for the best raw feature on the Pro 2 restrainer , because it save you from take in to memorize four different button combos that previously needed to be pressed at power - up to choose which compatibility mode you want to use . This on/off switch switch feel like something 8BitDo should have been using since day one for all of its comptroller .
Unfortunately , while the newfangled 8BitDo Pro 2 can get in touch to an iOS gimmick to be reprogrammed , it still ca n’t be used as an actual iOS gamepad , which continues to be one of the big downsides of 8BitDo ’s controller lineup . It ’s a ill the company is well aware of , and hopefully one that can be eventually settle without a compromise in functionality or price . But even without iOS support or compatibility with the latest and greatest versions of the Xbox and PlayStation , the $ 50 8BitDo Pro 2 accountant still outshines the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller — and just about every third - party accountant out there .
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The Gray Edition and Black Edition versions of the Pro 2 controller also feature an improved directional pad with a grippy matte finish and a design that copies the D-pad on the original SNES’ gamepad.Photo: Andrew Liszewski/Gizmodo
A new four-way toggle switch makes switching compatibility modes much easier on the Pro 2, while a pair of additional trigger buttons on the back let you activate custom macro shortcuts without having to sacrifice other gameplay buttons.Photo: Andrew Liszewski/Gizmodo
At $50, the new 8BitDo Pro 2 is priced exactly the same as its predecessor. But even if you find the SN30 Pro+ discounted as a result, don’t buy it—the upgraded functionality of the Pro 2 is worth the extra cost.Photo: Andrew Liszewski/Gizmodo
