8Bitdo Arcade Stick for Nintendo Switch, PC, Windows, macOS, Android & Raspberry Pi - Bluetooth Game Controller for Switch OLED, Steam & Pro 2 (G Classic Edition) - Perfect for Fighting Games, Retro Gaming & eSports Tournaments

I love this arcade stick. I'm by no means an enthusiast but I love playing old arcade games with this thing. It has good heft and is very sturdy (it stood up to an assault from my five year old where she picked it up by the stick and twirled it around - still works perfectly!) It synchs flawlessly with both bluetooth and the 2.4 ghz dongle, and the battery lasts a long time. I love that when you switch between Switch and X mode that the lights on the buttons change to reflect the different layouts. This is very handy when using this in combination with my Brook Wingman XB so that I can use the arcade stick on my Xbox Series X.While I am satisfied with the stock stick and buttons I know that more serious gamers, particularly fight game enthusiasts, might not be satisfied with them. That being said, it is fairly easy to swap out the stick, the restrictor gate, and the buttons with higher end components if you so choose. Not for everyone but nice to have the option.8bitdo always makes high quality controllers and this one is no exception. A fantastic impulse buy that I have not regretted for a moment :)A pleasant surprise awaits you after unboxing and fully charging this - Android will detect and allow you to use this, so log as you are on 'Windows" mode. Emulators, such as Retroarch seemingly have no problem detecting and mapping this controller.As for use on PC, it's an equally solid option for fighting games and some old school arcade awesomeness, plus the bonus of being able to utilize it as a wired controller makes it near unstoppable.It may seem like overkill, but using this with android opens up some roadtrip fun on long legs of driving the west coast of the US.Another 'nother bonus is that this setup is pretty open to modding and customization.Overall, if you have made it this far and still need convincing- you aren't going to get this quality at this price, with as wide ranging versatility and upgrade paths down the road. I may end up buying a second one later on so I can start schooling the kids in MK and SF on a level playing field.WON’T FIT SEIMITSU LS-40 OR TALLER STICKS WITHOUT MODIFYING PLASTIC.First day review.Stock joystick:The default stick is a sanwa JLF clone with a square gate. It is compatible with aftermarket octagonal gates. Its pretty good if you like that stock Sanwa JLF feel (I don’t).Joystick Mechanical Interface:I’m used to mangling big holes into the plastic with a dremel to fit LS-40s with oct gates into my sticks. I was really hopeful that this stick would actually just work, but nope! It mounts just fine to the converter plate included with the stick, but when you put the bottom on the stick the shaft tip will scratch against the bottom. This adds a bunch of extra resistance when moving and stops the return-to-center, destroying the feel. It’s possible that you could very carefully sand out the interfering portion at the bottom, but it’s hard to tell exactly how much to sand down and I can’t guarantee it will work without just going all the way through the bottom.The SS plate that comes with the LS-40 would add back in a couple millimeters to fix the clearance issue except the holes don’t line up with the heat-set inserts in the top case. And even if the holes were in the right place there are some plastic ribs in the topcase that get in the way, so there’s no way to attach it without mangling things somewhat.Finally, the metal plates attached to the bottom of the case add a bunch of really nice feeling weight, but also add clearance issues with seimitsu-style sticks that use restrictor plates that mount on bottom, as opposed to being closer to integral/flush mount like the Sanwa JLF. There’s a hole in the metal plates that is wide enough for the shaft to move freely but is not big enough to clear any add-on restrictor such as the stock 2/4/8 way square restrictor that comes with the stick. It doesn’t even fit the Kowal octagon restrictor, which is really small as far as restrictors go. An LS-32 has a tiny bit shorter shaft (1.5mm), so it will probably clear the plastic at the bottom but you’re almost certainly going to run in restrictor clearance issues unless you remove the weight plates. This can be solved if you have some way to precisely remove a bunch of material out of stainless steel, but that’s a massive pain.In the end it just doesn’t feel like they bothered testing with anything besides sanwa JLF clones. The marketing images also say that this works with Happ/IL sticks-I’m sure they’ll mount to the converter plate inside just fine but there is absolutely NO WAY you’re going to get the case to close with one of those since they are way taller then even the LS-40.That’s basically par for the course as far as premade arcade sticks go, but their marketing implied that this stick would be different. I’m not really hopeful that future product revs will fix this since everything I talked about is a gross mechanical clearance issue on a large plastic part, which means $$$$ to do a whole new set of molds, which they’re very much not likely to do, regardless of whatever marketing comms they put out, if you know how manufacturing works.Joystick Electrical Interface:The board side harness is an 8-pin JST style connector, eyeballing it looks like 2.54 mm pitch. Four directions, I think UDLR, then four grounds (closed the stick up at the moment so cant say exact pinout). The wires are soldered on to the switches on the stock stick. Swapping in a new stick is almost certainly going to require soldering or at least crimping your own 8-pin harness, not a problem for me but it might be for you. I know you can buy 5-pin premade harnesses but I’m not sure about 8 pin harnesses with whatever keying they used. Given the focus on moddability I would have expected a 5pin JST to .187 quick disconnects, which would have allowed for simpler, solder- and crimp-free end-user swaps. Again, I’m used to the jank when modding but given the modability as part of the marketing I was thinking this time I wouldn’t have to.Buttons: Stock buttons are pretty good, nothing special but usable. They feel like cheaper versions of Sanwa buttons, medium spring tension on the way down, no noticable switch click, medium speed rebound on the way back up. Rebound feels a little slow for my tastes when mashing the Fire button or whatever but it’s mostly just a feel thing, doesn’t seem to affect performance at all.Button Mechanical Interface:They got this right. Buttons pop out easily and 30mm Sanwa OBSFs click right in. No sanding, jank, or cutting etc of any kind required. I haven’t examined the 24mm macro buttons at all since I don’t plan to use them.Button Electrical Interface:They did this right. Theres a whateverpin JST style board side interface, then the button side connections are all nicely insulated quick disconnects. The stock buttons are some whatever brand but the terminals are exacly the same size as sanwa buttons. Just pull the harness off the stock buttons and connect it to your new buttons. Using quick disconnects also means its a snap to rewire the buttons into your preferred order. The led labels will then be wrong but you can just disconnect the harness for the LEDS or simply don’t look down at them during gameplay.Special notes: The main screw sockets are buried in deep in narrow sockets. You’ll need a deep T10 Torx T-handle or similar to get at them. The standard 40-in-1 screwdriver set you can use on just about everything else won’t cut it here, since the bits aren’t long enough and the socket’s too fat to get all the way down to the screw head.Overall: It seems to be a good stick. I haven’t touched much on the electronics but everything seems to work as advertised so far with my Switch and I have a bunch of other 8BitDo controllers so I trust them on that.I’ll jankmod in my LS-40 one way or another, was just hopeful that for once I wouldn’t have to rip and tear. Doesn’t quite feel right to take the dremel to it on day one but I’ll have a big ugly hole cut out of it soon enough. I’ll add it to my collection of frankensteined, ugly but razor-sharp precise sticks.Review score:Minus one star since the LS-40 I bought specifially to install in this stick doesn’t fit and minus another star since their marketing said that it would so I’m a little miffed about being let down. If you genuinely like the feel of Sanwa JLF sticks this could be a 5 star stick for you. It would have been for me too if my preferred stick fit on the first try.I've had nothing but good experiences with 8BitDo controllers and adapters. This thing deserves special praise because it makes the fightstick accessible to the masses without sacrificing the spirit. Every part can be swapped with industry standard elements, the entire face is programmable, it has 3 different connectivity protocols (BT, 2.4gz, Wired) and 2 different input schemes (Switch or Xinput) for a ridiculous amount of compatibility. The 2.4 module is blindingly fast, the stick switches are loud and tactile, and the macros do what they're supposed to do. I particularly like the added touch of the back-illuinated button labels that swap when changing from Switch to Windows mode, and I haven't even used it on my Switch. To be honest, there aren't many fighting games for Switch, so it's kind of an odd choice versus the PS4.The downsides (which definitely aren't worth knocking a star off) are as follows:1. The switches are Sanwa snap style, rather than nut style. Snaps are generally harder to remove and install without breaking. Not a big deal, since the included buttons are great.2. The joystick comes with a guard plate and sleeve but no plate for use without the sleeve. Not a huge deal, but I prefer a bare metal shaft.3. The stick has a bit of slack, where it can wobble freely around a central dead zone. If you're converting it to a Korean style stick, this is not a problem, but I'd prefer a spring that takes up that slack by default.タイトルのとおり、ゲームセンターの環境を再現するための改造をする方向けのレビューとなります。工作や改造の心得がない私には個人ブログやtwitterなどかなり入念に調べる必要がございましたのでこれから改造に挑む方の労力が少しでも減ればと思い少し長くなりますがご説明いたします。名作シューティングの数々がSwitchでプレイできるようになってきたため無線接続でカジュアルに楽しめるアケコンはないかと探していました。PS向けの商品を変換器をつかって接続するのでもない限り2021年6月現在Switchに無線接続するアケコンはこれしかないようです。購入するに当たりSwitchで練習していずれゲームセンターで実機を遊びたいという目標も出来たためゲームセンター筐体のレバー・ボタンをできる限り再現する方向での改造をすることにいたしました。ボタン・レバーの換装に必要なもの（必須）・T9トルクドライバー （T9はネジ穴の大きさの規格です。裏蓋の六角のネジを開けるため。六角レンチでいう5/64という規格です。L字状の小さい六角レンチだと絶対苦労します。）・プラスドライバー （アケコン本体からレバーをはずすため使います）・マイナスドライバー （大きめのもの。レバーにボールを接続するため使います。）・ペンチorニッパー （レバーに付いた配線を切断するのに使います。）半田付けする場合必要なもの・半田ごてセット （ホームセンターでも購入できますがAmazonで必要なものがセットになった商品が3,000円くらいで買えます）半田付けの経験がない場合、Youtubeなどに講座動画がたくさんあるのでそちらを見てから挑戦することをおすすめします。半田付けしない場合に必要なもの・ファストン端子メス#187 （#187は大きさの規格です。ケーブルの先をこれに替えてしまえば半田付けでなく抜き差しできるケーブル接続に変わります。再度レバーを交換する際の手間も減ります。）・ファストン端子メス#187 絶縁スリーブ（端子の上にかぶせるカバーです。）・圧着ペンチ （ファストン端子メスをケーブルにつなげるために使います。）私は半田付けで繋ぎましたが初心者のためかなり見た目のわるい半田付けになってしまいました。それでもきちんと認識してはいますがのちのちの利便性を考えるとファストン端子に変えてしまったほうが良いと思いました。ボタン・レバー（当然必須です）・押しボタン 30φ ハメ込み式（30φというのはボタンの大きさです。メインで使うボタン８個必要です。三和電子がおすすめです。）・押しボタン 24φ ハメ込み式 (右上にある一回り小さいボタンです。押す機会は少ないので交換しなくても良いかもしれません。２個）・セイミツ工業 ジョイスティックレバー L-32 （レバー本体です。うしろに「-01」とついている型番のものもありますが、ついていないものを購入してください。理由は後述）・レバーボール 35φ （他にも大きさはありますが35φというのがゲーセンでの一般的な大きさのようです。）アケコン本体の公式サイトには交換できるレバーの型番がいくつか書いてあるようですがこのL-32以外の型番のレバーだと大きくて蓋が閉まらないというレビューをtwitterで見かけました。おそらくさらなる改造が必要となりますのでL-32を購入してください。「-01」とうしろについていないもの大事なのでもう一度！レバーやボタンは単品で売っているサイトがいくつかあります。私は「アーケードゲーム販売 トップス」というサイトで購入いたしました。都心に住んでいる方は秋葉原などにいけば専門のお店もありますのでボタンやレバーボールは実物の色を見て買いたいという方はぜひ足を運んでみてください。（L-32は内部部品の廃番の関係上、「L-32」と「L-32-PA」があるようです。どちらでも良いと思いますが「L-32-PA」が従来品になります。）以上のものがあれば、このアケコンをゲームセンターに近い環境なおかつ無線接続というかなり使い勝手の良いものにすることができます。ボタンやレバーの色も自分の好みに変えられるのでかなり愛着のあるものになることは間違いなしです。デフォルトのボタン配置ですとL3・R3ボタンにあたるキー配置がございませんのでPCに有線接続し「8BitDo Ultimate Software」というアプリを使って右上のP1・P2ボタンにそれぞれL3・R3ボタンを割り当ててください。「Capcom Arcade Stadium」というゲームではR3ボタンにクレジット投入が割り当てられているため必要になると思います。ボタン・レバーともに遅延は感じませんし、レトロな見た目に自分色のレバー・ボタンでかなり気に入っております。あえて注文をつけるとすれば何段階かの連射機能やいくつかのキー配置マイセットをワンボタンで切り替える機能がついていれば１００点の商品が１２０点になったと思います。改造せずに使っても満足できる商品です。I've had this a little while (I ordered a second here on Amazon which hasn't arrived yet at time of writing) and use it to play Samurai Shodown among others. I want to say that it is a solid stick for the cash, with flexible wireless capability (bluetooth and 2.4Ghz dongle for alternative PC connection), which is a big plus for many people. But of course it can be used with a wire, and you get a long usb c cable in the box.It is fairly decent out the box, but maybe doesn't have the "feel" of more quality components that the hardened gamer would want. But the buttons are responsive and the stick clicks in the right places, but is a more looser feel than I prefer. I swapped out the stick, and buttons for Sanwa ones, and as others have said, its not the most flexible for choice of parts, unless you are happy making alterations. I soldered the cable connector points fairly easily (I found a cable image online to tell me which cable goes where), and the buttons were a cinch, but you can't use the screw-type, only snap-in ones. But this kind of modding isn't for everyone.Yes sure, you need a Torx screwdriver to pop open the case, and many technical minded people who open up electronics complain about this online, and here. I mean, you don't have a star-drive screwdriver set and yet open up electronics? There's a reason why they are used and should be essential to your tool box.So to sum up. Modding is a bonus, not as simple as they (8BitDo) suggest, but there are a few options open to you. That said the market this is aimed at, many won't care. It does the job well and is a good option for fighting game fans, who own a Switch or those who use emulation on PC. It has a nice retro look, is weighty, and I can see this dropping in price too. A good option unless you are a really fussy hardcore gamer who is expecting far more than maybe you ought at this price point.PLEASE NOTE!! Some have mentioned the software for PC, that 8BitDo have, which allows for creating macros and custom mapping of the buttons for PC. For PC this is fine. For Switch if you wish to change the mapping, create a profile for that in the Switch settings, you would need to change the stick mapping here for games such as Smash Bros (although really, a stick isn't the way to go for this game). Also I downloaded the latest firmware to the stick which fixed the issue of a light not showing while charging. I assume it will still charge without this, you'd just not be able to tell it was doing so. Later production of this stick may not have this issue.If you are new to the world of fighting/arcade sticks alot of information is thrown at you without any real context or explanation. Button Types, Types of Joysticks (Japanese vs. Korean), Balltop vs. Bat are some of the first topics you'll likely encounter, and before you know it you're down a rabbit hole of information with many different ideas and opinions on what you should start with, or look to upgrade into - that can leave you a bit confused on what to spend money on.Therefore It's likely that you just want something simple to get started with; and are looking at this fight-stick alongside a range of other "Budget" (i.e. sub £100) fight/arcade stick controllers such as the Mayflash, Hori and Qanba Drone. In addition; at the moment an Arcade stick is probably more of a curiosity to you and you are looking to dip your toes into using a fight-stick for 2d/3d fighters (eg. Guilty Gear, Tekken, Melty Blood, Street Fighter) or are looking to get that "Retro Experience" on a range of older 2/4 button titles that are available on various game services like those on the Switch NES/SNEW catalogue, or in many retro-pi/rasp-pi build your own arcades.Positives -The 8bitDo is a solid starting point for a newbie into the world of arcade sticks and I would describe it as being decent for "first time modders." Out the box it's both feature rich and pretty much "click and connect" when it comes to swapping out buttons.To me it's a reasonable price (I bought mine on a sale for £78); sitting towards the upper-mid region of the "budget stick" range. It also comes with several great out-the-box features: it can be used wired (and charges via USB-C meaning it charges quickly), as well as wireless via Bluetooth or 2.4ghz connectivity. The dongle has it's own holding port too with a little cover on it to prevent it getting lost.In terms of build: the look of the retro-aesthetic of the NES makes it certainly a talking point, it has solid weight and feels pretty durable. They joystick and buttons are decent clones of more authentic arcade parts and do the job well. There are also several companies that do Vinyl "Skins" to add even more styling.In terms of lighting it has LED indicators of what each button is that changes depending on what input mode you are using. The available software also lets you tweak the button configuration and even set-up macros if you'd like to run the ultimate cheese of 1-button supers or combos. It also has a turbo button for use to trivialise the old "button mashing" arcade games.For compatibility It works native with PC and the Nintendo Switch out the box. It has been shown to work on android and rasp-pi's as well.Negatives -Despite all these perks it does have some negatives.For example, it has a dongle holder, but doesn't have any cable storage. The stock buttons and joystick "do the job" but in my opinion the joystick is a little loose for my tastes, whilst the buttons feel a little too light in activation.However the the major negative is that this thing sells itself as being "Ultra Moddable." This however is a bit deceptive because, well, It just isn't. It be more accurate to say "It's moddable to a degree that's good for a new modder who wants to swap out a couple of parts but not for the advanced modder who will want more". This is because of the following:First, and foremost, to just open the thing up you need a Torx T10 Screwdriver - though cheap to find in any DIY shop or online, not everyone has laying around in the toolbox (I do because I have multiple retro consoles and these are common on things like Gamecube and N64's). So be warned that this thing requires a specialist tool just to open.Second, the depth of the chassis/case does not fit the full range of 3rd party sticks. It only has fittings for Japanese mounting plates and it uses an 8-pin connector with 4 of the ground wires natively soldered to the stock joystick. It does come with soldering points on the PCB but this may immediately confuse or put off people. There is a universal mounting plate with the attached joystick you can reuse but it doesn't fit all 3rd party sticks. This therefore limits your options. For new modders this may not be an issue, as likely the first customisation will be a move to a branded (eg. Sanwa) Japanese style Joystick. However if you are set on going for the Korean style stick (eg. Crown) for games like Tekken, then they just don't fit or will be a nightmare to mount.Third, the internal PCB layout interferes with what buttons you can install - as they prevent the use of Screw-in buttons, or the deep-plunger style buttons - meaning you are limited to using 24mm or 30mm Snap-In buttons only. Again not an issue for new modders who are likely to look to being doing simple button swaps to Sanwa/Semitsu snap-in buttons, but I really feel that the stick shouldn't be claiming to be ultra-moddable with these limitations - hence why this only gets 4 stars.The final negative of the 8bitDo is that it lacks Xbox and PS4/5 compatibility. There are some work arounds to this, however in all honesty you may as well just get a stick that has native options to connect to these devices or have more simple work-arounds like the Mayflash than trying convert the input in software using a PC to feed into an Xbox or PS.Considerations and Upgrades -Like all things, there's a learning curve to using an Arcade Stick. Afterall, companies like Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony have dumped thousands into ergonomic research and design to create the most useable and natural controllers on the market. Adopting an arcade stick for many may feel very weird at first and until you develop the muscle memory required; chances are it's going to be a step back for many players and will require some getting use too before you start seeing returns.There is really no correct answer to "what is the best controller" as even in things like the biggest fighting tournaments around like Evo, people are winning using current generation controllers. However I can honestly say there's nothing like the satisfaction of pulling off an input perfect combo on an arcade stick, or just the overall experience you can get using one in older games that were built to use them.What really makes the Arcade Stick stand out is the sheer range of customization you can do to it. You can truly design and build a truly personalised controller that will become your best buddy. As it's built by you, for you, this may help you reach levels that a stock universal controller can't once you learn how to get the best out of it.For me, despite having the 8bitDo for under a week I'm already hooked into the world of modding and I'd say the 8bitDo is a great starting point. The reason for this is that modding can seem intimidating at first, but the 8bitDo offers a good platform for new modders to to learn on. Yes it limits the options you can use, but the silver lining to this is that it steers you towards a well trodden and documented path. Mainly you will find yourself directed towards moving to installing Japanese Arcade-quality components from companies like Sanwa, Hori and Semitsu. Teaching you about joystick types, joystick gates, joystick harnesses (basically the cabling), spring tension vs. grommets, differences in buttons and switches as well as pushing you into learning skills like basic electronics and soldering. The secondary skills you can learn from just customizing a fightstick are well worth the sub £100 price you pay for it.So far on my 8bitDo I've replaced the stock stick with a Sanwa JLF, and I'm now experimenting with button vendors (Semitsu & Sanwa) to see which I want to go with. I'm also going to play around with springs to change the joystick tension and find what suits me best. I am also looking at skins to customize the case.When it comes to modding the 8bitDo is very forgiving for those new to it. All the changeable buttons are snap-ins only and the internal wires are pre-crimped with quick-release fittings. For joystick install, you can use the existing I/O fittings and pins with Japanese mounting, but the 8BitDo also sets you up with solder points to work with as well as several very easy "work around" options if you don't want to solder. You can customize pretty almost everything on this thing in some way.The only downside to all this is that it's very easy to end up spending more in mods than you paid for the original device (and in turn if you replace all the major parts is it the original thing you bought?). Due to this there's a sort of soft-cap to how far you can go with the 8bitDo as eventually you'll probably want to either move to a more moddable platform or build your own arcade stick from scratch. The plus side is that, at that point, your no longer a newbie! This is the same reason I can see more advanced modders and arcade stick users passing the 8BitDo up, as they already know what they want to use or build and go for those things.However if your new to all this, or just want a solid "good to go out the box" arcade stick with wireless connectivity for PC and Switch, you can't go wrong with the 8BitDo.Very happy with joystick, feels well made and can take a good bashing. I’m a casual player playing arcade games and modern fighting games. All great. The wireless works great. See no lag. Works perfect with raspberry pi 4, PC and switch. Have not looked at modding as happy with buttons and stick. You will not be disappointed. Arcade bliss :)Excellent looking stick. Great 2.4 bluetooth conection that never drops out. Even better once i modded everything. I swapped the stick and all the buttons out for real Sanwa parts, also used a 2lb spring, larger heavy ball. The parts cost more than the unit in the end, but only by a small amount. Trust me, totally worth every penny.Its very very easy to mod. Its all plug and play inside. You also need a 5 way female to female cable conection lead. There are some videos on Youtube that will help with a step by step guide if you need to look it up.It really is worth upgrading. You end up with a high end Arcade stick that not only looks the part, but it plays as well as any other high end stick. Its a little smaller to be honest, but that is what i wanted. I hate the massive boards, they just take loads of desk top room up.This has not become my main stick. I had 4 already. This was one of the cheaper ones even with the upgrades, but its my main stick now.