Being a long-time PC gamer I had some interest to try PC gaming with a controller instead of the usual keyboard and mouse. Lucky the 8BitDo Pro 2 is now available in New Zealand, so I was keen to try it.
The 8BitDo Pro 2 fits the bill nicely. It is compatible with Switch, macOS, Android and Window, connecting either via Bluetooth (where available) or a USB-C cable. Because each platform is different there is a physical switch labelled "S A D X" to go from one platform to another. If something is not working, remember to check the switch.
I tried the 8BitDo Pro 2 with three of these platforms and across four devices, both with wired and wireless connections and it worked flawlessly with them.
My first test was with Windows and Bluetooth. Pairing is easy with a dedicated Bluetooth button and the connection is quick. I played a couple of Steam-based games - including Borderlands 2 and what a difference it makes. It does take a bit of time to move from playing this game with a keyboard and mouse to using the controller but it all comes down to practice really. The controls react fast and are precise. The game instantly recognised the presence of this controller with options shown on the screen including the on-screen gun selection showing the correct D-Pad options, the buttons A and B listed as options and in menus and the X button is listed as action (open/close doors and boxes or collect items). The triggers were automatically assigned the zoom and fire functions as expected. The left stick moved my character around and the right stick was the panning action.
On top of these, the controller has two back paddle buttons on the bottom side as well as a six-axis motion sensor.
Quite a smooth transition in terms of functionality but the secret was really in the eye-hand coordination and that took me a bit more to get used but after a couple of quick matches I think I got it going well - and I might even think faster than before.
While using it with Windows I check the 8BitDo website and noticed there was a firmware update available. I had to turn Bluetooth off on my desktop to get the device recognised via USB because the firmware update is done over a wired connection. The update was quick and apparently fixed just a couple of controls.
While connected I had time to have a play with their 8BitDo Ultimate Software for Pro 2, which allows you total customisation of this controller, including three different profiles that can be loaded into the 8BitDo Pro 2 and selectable by a button. The software allows you to remap functions and sticks, as well as adjust ranges for your triggers - you can choose at which point trigger action happens as well as how strong the vibration is. The software also allows you to create macros combining any button sequence to automate some of your moves - very handy.
In addition to the Windows 10/Steam gaming combo, I also tried it with Windows 10/Epic environment - this time with Borderlands 3. A couple of the D-Pad actions change from one game to another but once this was sorted the 8BitDo Pro 2 worked as well as with the Steam platform.
So on to the next test: the Android platform. Again you can download the 8BitDo Ultimate Software for Pro 2 from the Google Play store to configure the controller to your liking. You can use the controller both via Bluetooth or a USB-C cable and in both cases, it's just recognised.
I am not a great fan of the small screen for playing games but decided on installing a Diablo-style RPG to try and it worked as expected.
My Android testing continued with the Amazon Fire TV Cube. Even though it's an OS on its right, Fire OS is still Android-based so I just left the physical key in the Android position and Bluetooth-paired the devices. The only difference here was no Google Play Store to be found so you can't really customise the controller unless you use one of the other platforms. Despite that, using it in the Android configuration and no problems with the games I tried on the big screen.
The next test with my daughter's Nintendo Switch Lite which doesn't have Bluetooth so out came the USB-C cable again - and remember to switch the key to the S position. The trick here was to make sure the wired controller option was enabled on the Nintendo Switch Lite settings page. After this, it just worked like the normal keys on the game console.
The 8BitDo Pro 2 comes with a rechargeable 1000 mAh battery that can give you up to 20 play hours with a very short charge - around four hours. Even if you run out of power you can just remove the battery and use standard AA batteries in an emergency.
The controller has an enhanced grip on the bottom side and the design is very comfortable to hold - the fact you can customise the action range for each trigger also means you can rest your fingers on these during the game without fearing unintended actions happening. All this comes ins a light design that weighs only 230g.
I think the 8BitDo Pro 2 controller is a good move to take your game to the next level.
