8BitDo has been a staple in the controller community for years at this point, dropping everything from nano controllers to GameCube mod kids, and “Ultimate” controllers meant to do everything.
However, there have been a few staples in their product line: the Ultimate controllers and the Pro controllers. Coinciding with its 12th anniversary, 8BitDo has decided to unveil its new Pro 3, and it’s packing a lot of new features over the original, as well as a couple of questionable add-ons to go with it.
The Pro 3 follows 8BitDo’s past releases, maintaining the “Symmetrical sticks on a SNES controller. With handles,” many know and possibly love. But this time, its adding a new colorway to the lineup: the GameCube styling. Which means this time around, you’re either getting DMG, PS1, or GameCube, which is a little strange considering it’s a SNES-based design.
While the design and likely feel of the controller will remain the same, there are some new specs that are coming with it that will likely elevate the controller for many. Namely, TMR sticks, Swappable Magnetic ABXY buttons, L4/R4, and the 8BitDo Charging Dock that has a spot for the dongle built right in.
And while these features are great, the biggest topic at hand is the brand new Ball-Top joystick caps that remind me of an old arcade joystick. In 8Bitdo’s own words, “Made purely for fun,” as I can’t imagine many people will choose them outright.
Paired with the additional features and new colors, you’re getting compatibility with Switch 1 and 2, Windows, SteamOS, Android, and basically everything Apple if it’s version 26 and above. For a do-everything controller, you’re dropping a solid $69.99 right onto the Amazon page they’ve already put up.
Luckily, you won’t have to wait long, as the company lists August 12th as their upcoming release date. It’s been a while since I’ve used an 8BitDo Pro controller, but for many, this will be a great step into it.
What did you think of this article? Let us know in the comments below, and chat with us in our Discord!
This page may contain affiliate links, by purchasing something through a link, Retro Handhelds may earn a small commission on the sale at no additional cost to you.
I wonder if they’ve been able to get it so that the controller can wake up a Switch 2 in sleep mode… or perhaps that’s a convenience that Nintendo have *intentionally* broken/blocked for non-SW2 controllers.