8BitDo Pro 3 review: better specs, more customization, minor faults

As far as I’m concerned, 8BitDo’s Pro 3 is the ultimate controller. You may already know that it makes a model literally called the Ultimate controller, but it plays second fiddle to the new Pro 3 in some key ways. It’s highly customizable, allowing you to change the face buttons, joystick caps, and more.

Let me explain: like most other 8BitDo controllers, it’s made to work on multiple platforms, but the Pro 3’s swappable ABXY face buttons allow it to actually transform as needed, say, if you’re going from Switch to PC, or vice versa. You can just pull off the buttons, which all but requires the included magnetic suction tool. It can’t easily be done by hand, a perk for someone like me who has a baby at home. I feel comfortable knowing that they won’t just pop off when my kid smacks it around.

Another fun addition is that you can swap the standard joystick caps in favor of bright, shiny arcade stick-like nubs. That’s the first thing that I did after unboxing the controller. How essential they are to your moment-to-moment gaming will come down to taste and the types of games you want to play. Playing Soulcalibur II via the Switch Online GameCube library felt better (or at least more fun) than with other controllers. The arcade stick caps are best for games that require quick flicks. They’re too slippery for games that require you to hold the sticks in a direction for a long time. I felt the need to swap them out for Switch 2 games like Donkey Kong Bananza and Mario Kart World.

Like 2021’s Pro 2 before it, the Pro 3 feels great in my medium-sized hands. It’s a safe pick for those who want a reliable D-pad that’s easy to reach, and who prefer the symmetrical PlayStation-style joystick layout. While I’ve grown accustomed to the $84.99 Switch 2 Pro since getting the new console, there’s something about the Pro 3’s design that fits like a glove for me, even though it has been a long time since I last grabbed a DualShock.

The Pro 3 costs $69.99, a $20 price increase over the previous generation. However, its added features easily warrant the higher cost, unless you’re a discerning Switch 2 player who’s looking for a 1:1 matching of features with the Switch 2 Pro. I’ll get into where it misses the mark below, but the Pro 3 has better trigger and stick technology. The highlights include the shift to TMR joysticks, which are improved over the already-great Hall effect sticks and are more power efficient. It also includes more accurate Hall effect triggers instead of the linear ones in its predecessor. These specs should ensure a longer lifespan than controllers that fall short by comparison.

The Pro 2 was among the initial wave of acclaimed third-party controllers to adopt customizable back paddles, and the Pro 3 builds on that with new L4 and R4 macro buttons between the triggers and its USB-C charging port, just like on the 8BitDo Ultimate 2. I like having more buttons, and these are unobtrusive in case you’re the type who expects to never touch them.

Nearly everything on the gamepad can be customized in 8BitDo’s Ultimate V2 PC app. You can make up to three profiles, each with its own button assignments, joystick sensitivity, and more, and swap between them with a dedicated button located between the joysticks. Alternatively, if you just want to quickly assign a one-off command or combo to one of its extra inputs, just hold the desired button you wish to assign to, then simultaneously press the original one(s) you’re copying and press the star button. It sounds complicated, but it gets easier with practice.

In addition to the two sets of customizable buttons and magnetically-attached face buttons, this new model also features adjustable trigger distances via two switches. Toggling the switch shortens the distance you have to push to actuate it. This feature is also available in the 8BitDo Ultimate 2.

8BitDo’s latest controller is compatible with a ton of devices via Bluetooth, including the Steam Deck, Windows PC, Mac OS, Android, Apple TV, Apple Vision Pro, and other products. You can toggle between three modes as needed with a switch on its back: D input (DirectInput), X input, and S input (Switch). Both the Switch and PC also support a 2.4GHz mode, enabled by a dongle integrated into the sleek charging dock that comes with purchase. Being able to situate the charging dock wherever I liked ensured that I was able to get better wireless range than I typically get with a DualSense connected over Bluetooth to my PC.

I’ve mainly used the Pro 3 with my Switch 2. The built-in motion controls work great, but there are a couple of things holding it back from being my primary controller. Namely, its rumble effects feel imprecise and hyperactive. I really enjoy rumble, particularly in first-party Nintendo Switch games, so I was disappointed that turning it off was the only way I could enjoy playing Switch games with the Pro 3. It also can’t wake the Switch 2 from standby mode, which seems like an oversight since some of 8BitDo’s competitors claim to have figured it out. However, it can wake the original Switch from standby mode, as well as the Steam Deck OLED (but not the LCD model).

The Pro 3 isn’t worth upgrading to if you have one of 8BitDo’s recent controllers. But if you’ve been waiting to replace your Pro 2, this new model is suitably packed with enough features to warrant the higher cost. Even for those who haven’t tried this line before, this is a highly customizable gamepad that’s great for multiple platforms, especially since its face buttons can be switched around. I think it’s a fantastic PC controller. But if you plan to use it mainly on Switch 2, like me, its perks and cheaper price aren’t appealing enough to sway me from the more feature-complete Switch 2 Pro controller.

Photography by Cameron Faulkner / The Verge