We've been fans of 8BitDo for a long time now - not only do we game using their controllers when hooking up to our favourite consoles and emulators, but we use their mechanical keyboards for writing every article we do here on the website. I'm typing this while using my Sega Saturn 30th Anniversary keyboard as we speak!
The 8BitDo Ultimate 2 is the latest controller in the 8BitDo's range, improving on the original Ultimate controller with ultra-low latency that clocks in at under 1 ms. No matter what game you're playing, you're always going to be in control with stats like that! It utilises the company's exclusive 8Speed Wireless Technology and hooks up either via 2.4GHz or a USB-C cable if you're looking for that old-school sitting on the floor close to the TV vibe.
I think you've already picked up on the fact that we love 8BitDo controllers here at Retro Dodo Towers, but the stats on this thing are incredible. It's the first controller 8BitDo have ever made with the TMR joysticks, producing a higher polling rate than Hall-effect sticks and using less power consumption in the process.
The Ultimate 2 is set to come with extra L4 and R4 bumpers as well as back paddles and 6-axis motion control. It'll have rumble and turbo functions too, all for the very reasonable price of $59.99.
The previous Ultimate used the Switch face button layout as standard, whereas this new iteration uses a more universal layout making it great for a wide range of emulators and consoles. The fact that it also comes with a charging stand is perfect too; more controllers should come with this as standard so that you can always be ready to game rather than spending an hour trying to remember where you put your charging cable. Perhaps you have a better memory than me, so maybe you don't have that same problem...
The Ultimate 2 is available to order now from the 8BitDo website! We've got one heading to the office as we speak, so I'll be putting up a thorough review once I've put it through its paces. I have a strong feeling this will become my go-to emulator controller for using when playing games via Airplay on my TV, but I'll let you all know how I get on in a couple of weeks!
