You just can't replicate the feel of the arcade when you're playing on a Pro Controller. No matter how much you mash the buttons or imagine that you're standing on a slightly sticky floor with some neon lights on the roof behind you and a crowd of people looking on as you beat your old high score, it's just not the same. For starters, there aren't enough buttons, and they're not set out on a central console that you can, if all else fails, just hit randomly in the hope of scoring a flukey win.
Don't worry; 8BitDo have heard your pleas and come up with two brand new Arcade Controllers built to the same high standards that we've come to expect over the years. At around the same size as a piece of A4 paper and just 1.6cm thick, it's a controller designed for professionals with 'Unmatched accuracy and ultra-fast inputs'.
There are two styles being released at the same time today - a Bluetooth Version which works with Switch & PC, and an Xbox Version compatible with Xbox and PC. While the Switch-compatible version looks very much like it could have shipped with the NES and would look great next to the 8BitDo keyboards we write with, the Xbox variant looks insanely swish and a perfect fit for the Master Chief's arsenal of weapons. Those green-backlit buttons are so slick!
Boasting three modes of connection (Bluetooth, Wireless 2.4G, and Wired), programmable buttons, Hot-swappable PCB, and Kailh Wizard low-profile mechanical switches, it's the perfect fusion of their mechanical keyboard and controller ranges.
Ditching a large arcade-style joystick for a smaller mushroomoid stick makes this thing much more portable too - at just 1.6cm thick, it would be easy to throw in a rucksack to take to a friend's house or for competitive use without weighing you down.
Both controllers will release at 8:00 AM PT on July 15, 2025. That's 4 pm for any UK readers, so bookmark the 8BitDo website to be first in the queue!
