The Arcade 8Bitddo controller is a great introduction to the game controllers lever

8bitdo Arcade Controller: One -minute review

Controllers without levers may seem discouraging at first glance if you want to choose one of the best combat games. The lack of classic joystick makes such controllers feel more similar to the keyboard, with buttons dedicated to everyone, from input data to movement.

They almost feel contrary to intuition when you have one in your hands for the first time. But fortunately, 8bitdo entered with its own approach to game controllers without levers and it is relatively affable for beginners.

The Arcade 8Bitddo controller is a 16-pitted pad without a lever, which has some similarities to the 8BITDO arcade stick, browsing this inspired NES appearance of the model compatible with the switch. However, both are essentially different controllers.

First of all, the 8bitddo arcade controller is much, much thinner, and therefore also much lighter. It can easily sit on your knees or on a desk or table. This itself makes the device more portable; Perfect if you are going to local tournaments.

His buttons are also perfect. They feel responsible and immediately in a brief time of travel and have a elastic, touch press that makes learning with the controller a satisfactory romance.

However, I would still recommend caution if you want to buy an 8bitDo arcade controller. If this is your first controller without levers, it is perfect for this, but you should still expect a rather steep learning curve if you are used to the best sticks to fight or more classic gamepad.

8bito Arcade Controller: price and availability

• Switch / PC: 89.99 USD / 75.99 £ (around 136 USD)
• Xbox / PC: 99.99 USD / 84.99 £ (around 150 USD)
• Available for purchase now in the Amazon 8bitdo store

The 8bitDo arcade controller is in two variants. The model compatible with a switch and switch 2 sells for 89.99 USD / 75.99 £, and the Xbox version is 99.99 USD / 84.99 GBP. Both also work with PC and are now available for purchase, but do not expect PlayStation compatibility here.

As retail prices, the 8Bitddo Arcade controller is free without a 100 USD sound that I can recommend. Pads without levers often prove a rather high price, as we can see in Victrix Pro KO (USD 249.99 / 229.99 GBP / AU 399.95 USD) and hit Box Ultra (USD 299.99 / around USD 249.99 / around 429.99 USD). This makes 8bitddo equipment very simple to recommend from a profitable point of view.

8bito Arcade Controller: Specifications

8bitdo Arcade Controller: project and functions

With just less than inch thickness, the 8bitddo arcade controller is impressively cautious and can easily put it into a backpack or laptop bag when you want to take the game to the residents. It is also rather delicate, coming just above one kilogram.

As for the button system, there are similarities to the 8bitddo Arcade system. The upper end of the pad is lined with functions, including a knob, which turns between the switch and Xinput systems. Similarly to the dexterity stick, various buttons entries will also be brightening depending on the chosen system.

The upper end also has a tournament lock switch, preventing accidental stopping during matches, as well as a button to turn on or disable non -standard buttons profiles. This is a elementary but solid set of options, all available in the controller itself. In the upper rear rear there is also a 2.4 GHz Arcade controller, and next to it you will find a USB-C USB-C port, with a cable also contained in a box.

When it comes to the main buttons on the pad, you have four directional buttons, touched so that you can rest your left hand and thumb. Eight red buttons sit on the right in two rows of four, which allows you to base your finger on each of them. Of course, being a pad without lever, these are only suggestions and you can freely renovate both in the game and through the Ultimate Software V2 on PC for your preferences.

You also have four additional buttons that are not assigned to anything by default. They can be assigned the input data via Ultimate Software, and you can even set macros here if you say you want quick access to throwing or other mechanics in the game. Alternatively, the box includes four turns that you can replace if you prefer not to operate them at all and avoid random stress.

Therefore, all buttons on the 8bitddo arcader can be easily replaced with other companies. If you are fresh in controllers without levers, you probably won’t have any alternative switches, but if you do it, you can operate them here, which is nice.

8bito Arcade Controller: Performance

As I mentioned at the top, for the first time taking care of without the leverage of game controllers can be quite a process. But when you get such things, such as entering up and down, they are essentially inverted (by default it is down between the left and right on the pad, while up/jumping is downstairs), it can quickly become the second nature.

First of all, I used the 8Bitddo arcade controller with my main combat game, Tekken 8. The stiff four -way Tekken movement actually works perfectly with pads without levers, and the reaction rate made me avoid and backdashing faster than on a classic controller.

Reactivity is a key word here. The buttons input are immediate and the possibility of implementing the Motion Special Mov input Street fighter 6 Or Guilty Gear Strive I felt easier and more reliable to make than on the standard D or thumb frame. I never felt the risk that I mistakenly with a contribution or jumped, because I often end up with these unbearable dragon movements. Here, only a few swift taps of the directional buttons meant that reliable and immediate introduction of the specialty when I got used to the movement.

I was delighted with how many mechanical buttons and microswitchs can improve the impression of fighting thanks to their directness, and this is a similar story here with the 8Bitddo Arcade controller. His buttons are simply satisfying to press. I would not necessarily say that I am a better player as a result of using the controller without the lever, but I managed to program impressions more reliably and become more capable in combinative sets of gentle times. I loved my time with this.

Should I buy an 8bito arcader?

Buy if …

Don’t buy it if …

Consider …

The Arcade 8bitddo controller is just one of many high -quality combat games options. If this does not do for you, consider the following two alternatives.

As tested, I tested the 8bitDo arcade controller

• Tested for a week
• He played for various combat games on Switch 2 and PC
• Compared to 8 -business arcade stick

I played with the 8bitddo Arcade controller for about a week in this review. At that time, I jumped between Switch 2 and my game computer to play a wide range of martial games, including Tekken 8IN Street fighter 6 years 1+2 fighters editionIN Fatal Fury: City of the WolvesGuilty Gear Strive, AND Granblue fantasy versus: rising.

I compared my time with an arcade controller until 8bitdo Arcade Stick, a really sense of difference between a classic joystick and without a lever. I think that without levers it is a bit more hard to get used to it, but I would choose a controller over the stick to competitive settings only thanks to its high level of reaction.

Read more about how we test

On October 2025 was reviewed for the first time