8Bitdo Arcade Stick for Switch & Windows, Arcade Fight Stick Support Wireless Bluetooth, 2.4G Receiver and Wired Connection

This is a good choice for a first arcade stick. The construction is sturdy and presentation immaculate, harking to the old NES Advantage. I mostly use this stick for Shmups on the Switch and my computer. I can’t speak for how it does in fighting games, because they don’t interest me. This is the first arcade stick I’ve owned.It took a few minutes to get used to it, but going from a controller is very intuitive. The joysticks and buttons are much more ergonomic. If you find that using a controller for extended periods causes wrist strain, this controller is worth trying out. Don’t assume that it’ll make you suddenly play much better, but the experience of using it is a lot of fun. The switches also going to be much more durable than the contacts on a modern console controller, as well as being easier to replace. It does make a fair bit of noise, but that’s part of what makes it fun.Pros:+ The stick has a large metal plate inside the plastic shell, which gives it a decent enough heft to keep it from sliding around on a tabletop. The wide rubber feet on the bottom also help in this regard.+ Switch and X-input modes. With Brook adapters, this stick could in theory work with any console in X-input mode.+ Backlit button labels look really slick, and even swap between input modes.+ Balltop joystick has decent micro switches, and a light feel, making it easy to use.+ Wired functionality in addition to wireless use is very nice. The stick comes with what can only be described as a shockingly high quality USB-A to C cable. It’s also long enough for pretty much anyone’s living room.+ There is a dedicated compartment for the 2.4G dongle behind a flap on the back of the stick, which is an absolute godsend.+ The stick is designed around standard JP arcade parts, so it’s reasonably easy to customize or repair. (Do note that it can only use snap-in buttons due to tight internal clearance, which limits some of your options.)+ 8bitdo did a good job on the packaging for this product. If you see yourself moving it around a lot, I recommend holding onto the box, which has a convenient carry handle.Cons:- The knockoff Sanwa buttons are a bit loose and rough, but they still get the job done. Returning spring force is a bit on the weak side.- The stick comes with a square gate, which can make diagonal inputs difficult. I’d strongly recommend picking up an octagonal gate (JLF Type) for around 10 bucks. It only takes a crosspoint screwdriver and a few minutes to swap it out.- The plastic shell can be a bit creaky sometimes if you get a bit rough. Not a deal breaker for me, but some people may find this bothersome.- This isn’t 8bitdo’s fault, but you will also need to get their wireless adapter if you want to use the stick on a macOS machine. If you wanna use it on Mac, don’t forget to budget the extra $20 for that. It took a bit of fiddling around to get it to work, but I eventually got it going.Overall, I think that 8bitdo did a phenomenal job on this product. The form factor is great, it looks quite stylish and the versatility makes it suitable for a lot of use cases. It’s clear that some of the design choices are intended to manage the cost, but the underlying unit is a well thought out piece of hardware. Considering that it’s not all that much more expensive than an official Switch Pro controller, the Arcade Stick is a great value. With this much versatility and upgradability, I’d say it’s worth spending the extra dosh over more budget sticks like the HORI mini. It’s head and shoulders above its peers in the $90 range from what I’ve seen.Do get this if:You want a solution that works easy right out of the box. The 8bitdo is an excellent choice for a first arcade stick, with virtually no hassle for Switch and PC use and can be used on a wide variety of platforms with a bit more setup.You want an arcade stick to use for a variety of devices. Switchable input modes make this stick exceptionally versatile.You want to dip your toes in the waters of customizing arcade controls. The unit accepts a variety of different options from the likes of Sanwa and Seimitsu. The shell opens with six recessed screws on the back, and there’s a fair bit of tinkering that you can do without ever having to touch a soldering iron.Don’t buy this if:You expect to play better as a result of using this stick. There’s no substitute for practice, and some folks will find that a stick won’t help them make the precise inputs they need, compared to a dpad.You don’t play all that many games that benefit from an arcade stick. Think about the sort of games that you play the most. If it’s mostly stuff like RPGs or 3rd person 3D games, where there aren’t many rapid inputs or you need to use both analog sticks, it might not be worth spending 90 bucks on a bulky controller that you probably won’t use all that much.You are used to the feel of American arcade hardware. The components in this stick will have a much lighter actuation force than you’d expect, so it may seem rather delicate and awkward to use. If you prefer the look and or feel of bat-top sticks and concave buttons, I’d recommend looking elsewhere.You think you’re going to trick it out with all sorts of [brand name/model here] parts or custom wraps. The stick is on the thinner side, which limits your options with respect to joysticks. It’s only designed for snap-in buttons which is a further limitation. If you’re going to buy upwards of $60 on parts for a $90 stick, you’ll probably be better off building something custom.

I bought this mainly for my Switch, though its compatibility with PC was an added bonus, especially with wireless capability. I did not expect it to be as good as it is, but it is a VERY solid arcade stick.My main intended use was for fighting games, particularly the Capcom collections available for Switch, which are also my greatest gage of how good an arcade stick is, because if I can easily pull off fireballs and dragon punches, for example, then I know it's good. This thing handles all those moves and more with ease, and has been outstanding for other fighting games as well.The build quality exceeded my expectations too; it has a good amount of weight to it, useful when I'm battling it out as it doesn't slide all over the place, helped by the large grip pads on the bottom. The buttons feel good too, very responsive and not too clicky. The wireless function works great, and I've had zero pairing/connectivity issues at all so far using it with my Switch. Looking forward to trying it out with some PC fighting games as well. Highly recommend this to anyone looking for a good quality arcade stick with a fun, retro NES Advantage look to it. Would buy an 8Bitdo product again.

The first thing you’ll notice when you look at the stick is the nostalgic NES tan/grey color. My only other arcade stick was a NES Advantage, so it hit my soft spot. The weight and general quality are fantastic. The size is perfect for sitting in my lap, and having 3 connection types is great for connecting to all sorts of devices. The bluetooth connection is laggy enough you’ll want to avoid it whenever possible, and it doesn’t really work with my Nintendo Switch’s current firmware (due to the “battery depleted” bug). I was only able to remap buttons using the Ultimate Software on my PC (wired connection), but not my iPhone or Android phone (bluetooth). Hardware modifications are a breeze, and they even took reviewers’ advice regarding the screws (they use Phillips now, instead of T10).

This review is more focused on the older retro games. For the uninitiated, the so-called 'Golden Age' that sometimes use diamond shaped parts that force you into moving NSEW. Pac-Man and many others. Ah the days of heading to the local arcade after school with quarters in the pocket.Out of the box, without modding or replacing parts, if you wish to play those games I would say it works great for them and the best option I've tried. Not perfect of course and the closest I could get was its d-pad option and the correct game software settings. Also, it requires a light touch to discourage riding the square into the 4 corners. Something I cant help from doing now and then or if the case turns a bit while playing. This stick is quite heavy and best used on a table so it doesnt move.So all that said, if you just want to chill for a bit to munch on those dots or shoot those pesky big rocks in space then this will serve you well. It also makes all those puzzle games (Tetris and Magical Drop) much more intuitive. Still, some games simply play better on a good hand controller and variety is a good thing. The 8bitdo one works well also. Perhaps one day I will get a really cheap one to get the box and replace the parts with a real 4-way stick. Maybe another cheap one to make one with a spinner. However Im sure someone sells empty ones.