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8BitDo’s New Pro 3 Gamepad Is One Of The Best Switch 2 Controllers

In: Gaming, News

8BitDo’s latest customizable controller for Nintendo Switch 1/2 and PC is available now. The Pro 3 Bluetooth Gamepad, the successor to the popular Pro 2 Bluetooth Controller, is an excellent choice for anyone who prefers PlayStation-style, aligned thumbsticks as well as for retro games that gel better with D-pad movement controls. It has several of the key upgrades found in 8BitDo’s Ultimate 2 Bluetooth Controller, including TMR joysticks, two trigger modes, and four remappable buttons. The Pro 3 also offers new features not found on other 8BitDo controllers, including swappable magnetic face buttons and an extra pair of arcade-inspired ball-top stick caps.

The 8BitDo Pro 3 Bluetooth Gamepad sold out on launch day (August 12), but Amazon is still letting customers place orders; all three retro-themed colors are marked “temporarily out of stock” at the moment: G Classic, Gray, and Nintendo GameCube-inspired purple. The purple edition also matches the GameCube controller’s face buttons: gray X and Y, green A, and red B.

Each controller includes a matching charging dock, four extra face buttons, a small tool to remove the buttons, an extra set of ball-top arcade stick toppers, a 2.4GHz adapter, and a USB-C charging cable. Out of the box, the Pro 3 is compatible with Switch 2, Switch, PC, Android, Apple devices, and Steam Deck. In a nod to the original inspiration for the Pro series aesthetic, the four extra face buttons match the Super Famicom (SNES) controller: unlabeled red, yellow, green, and blue buttons.

8BitDo Pro 3: G Classic / Gray / Purple

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I’ve found the Pro 3 to be as big of an upgrade as the Ultimate 2 was compared to its predecessor. The D-pad is noticeably better than the one on the Pro 2, and it’s awesome to have the extra pair of remappable claw buttons on the shoulders and the two trigger modes. Engaging the trigger locks turns R2 and L2 into microswitch buttons that are great for rapid fire or for when you want to map face button actions to the triggers. With six buttons on the shoulders, you can really mix-and-match control schemes to fit your personal preferences. The microswitches used for the back buttons also feel nicer and faster than the ones on the Pro 2.

8BitDo’s TMR sticks are smoother and more precise than the already-good Hall Effect sticks found on the Pro 2 and other older models. TMR electromagnetic sticks consume less power, and the tech is supposed to hold up better over time compared to Hall Effect. TMR is often presented as Hall Effect 2.0, as both operate via magnetic sensors, which eliminates the risk of stick drift. For an added layer of durability, 8BitDo’s sticks also have wear-resistant metal rings.

The 8BitDo Pro 3 costs $20 more than the Pro 2, but the $70 price point aligns with the Ultimate 2 Bluetooth, the manufacturer’s flagship controller that supports both 2.4GHz and Bluetooth connections. The Pro 2, meanwhile, only supported Bluetooth wireless and didn’t come with a charging dock. The new version is the first non-Ultimate controller with a charging dock. A 2.4GHz USB-C dongle is stored in the bottom of the dock. The addition of 2.4GHz Wireless is certainly welcome, as it offers a faster and more stable connection with higher polling rates.

Like the Ultimate 2, the Pro 3 can be viewed as an alternative to the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller. Nintendo’s official controller feels great and even has a pair of back buttons, but there’s no denying that 8BitDo’s pair of premium gamepads are more versatile thanks to its suite of physical modifications and programmable customization options.

8BitDo Pro 3 has magnetic ABXY buttons

There are a couple of differences between the Pro 3 and Ultimate 2 Bluetooth. The Ultimate 2 series has rings around the sticks with adjustable RGB lighting effects. The Pro 3 has an upgraded D-pad with improved tactile feedback. Interestingly, the G Classic edition has a series of raised ridges–three in each direction–whereas the purple and gray models have the familiar directional arrows instead. I didn’t test the G Classic, so I can’t comment on any tangible differences, but the D-pad on the purple Pro 3 feels better to me than the Ultimate 2’s D-pad.

The Pro 3’s coolest new customization option is the ability to swap face buttons. On the bottom of the charging dock there’s a storage compartment for the 2.4GHz adapter. On the inside of the cover, you’ll also find the four extra face buttons and a small plunger-like tool used to remove the buttons. It only takes a second to swap out the full set of buttons.

Beyond changing up the look of your controller, you can make a practical change: Swapping A/B and X/Y to align with the Xbox button layout. Considering the Xbox button layout is often viewed as the standard on PC, this is a great customization feature for those who play on PC/Mac, Steam Deck, and mobile. The Pro 3 doesn’t support Xbox consoles, but you can use it for Xbox Cloud Gaming. And since you can fully remap the controls using 8BitDo’s Ultimate Software V2, you could even the swap the buttons and alter the controls so that when a Nintendo game prompts you to press Y, you are still pressing Y even if it’s up top instead.

With the Ultimate 2 series, the Bluetooth model will work on all of the same platforms as the Pro 3, but it has the Nintendo button layout. To get the Xbox layout, you’d need to purchase the Ultimate 2 without Bluetooth. This saves you 10 bucks, but the 2.4GHz model of the Ultimate 2 isn’t compatible with Nintendo consoles. The Ultimate series has always had a separate 2.4GHz model for PC players and a slightly more expensive model that adds Bluetooth and Switch support. There’s nothing wrong with that release model, especially for those who aren’t interested in Nintendo consoles. But it’s cool that 8BitDo created a built-in solution for those who have issues with Nintendo’s control layout on other platforms.

The ball-top stick caps match each controller’s theme.

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The ball-top stick caps feel more like a throw-in bonus as opposed to a feature 8BitDo expects to become a popular alternative to conventional sticks. The manufacturer said they designed the caps “purely for fun.” After trying them out, I actually think they are pretty cool for short spurts, but the spherical shape naturally isn’t the best from an ergonomics perspective. Your thumbs would probably start to hurt if you used them continuously like traditional joysticks. I also experimented by placing the controller on my desk and holding the stick like a (tiny) arcade stick while playing Galaga. Again, not as bad as I expected, but the ball-top sticks really are more of a novelty than a practical alternative for the very good traditional stick caps.

With 8BitDo’s Ultimate Software V2 app, you can adjust stick, trigger, and motion control sensitivities, create dead zones, modify rumble intensity, and remap inputs. Up to three unique control configurations can be saved directly to the controller, and you can cycle through them on the fly by pressing the profile button. I haven’t experienced any issues mapping

8BitDo is having a big year

8BitDo Pro 3 | 8BitDo Ultimate 2

The Pro 3 is just the latest major addition to 8BitDo’s impressive accessory lineup in 2025. As mentioned, the Ultimate 2 and Ultimate 2 Bluetooth both launched earlier this year. Before that, 8BitDo kicked off the year by introducing a transparent green mechanical keyboard and mouse that are officially licensed by Xbox. The Retro R8 Mouse was 8BitDo’s first 2.4GHz gaming mouse, and an alternative NES-inspired model followed a few months later.

Just last week, 8BitDo launched its first traditional Xbox controller with wireless support. Officially licensed by Microsoft, the Rare 40th Anniversary Edition of 8BitDo’s Ultimate 3-Mode Controller has a stylish blue-and-gold color scheme, a metal D-pad, two back buttons, Hall Effect sticks, and a matching charging dock. Check out our restock guide for more details–the controller has sold out multiple times since launch.

The Rare 40th Anniversary Edition arrived just a few weeks after 8BitDo’s last collaboration with Microsoft: a new version of the Ultimate Mobile Bluetooth Controller that supports iPhone and Android. The $50 Ultimate Mobile Bluetooth Controller is licensed by Xbox and can hold all iPhone editions as well as most Android phones. In mid-July, 8BitDo launched a pair of all-button fight pads for Switch/PC and Xbox/PC.

8BitDo’s Pro 3 and the All-Button Arcade Controller work with Nintendo Switch 2 out of the box, but if you buy the Ultimate 2 or one of the other 8BitDo controllers with Switch 2 support, you may still need to update the controller’s firmware to get it to sync with the console. You can check out the Amazon hub we created for 8BitDo’s Switch 2 controllers. We included multiple of the same model because 8BitDo controllers often have several store pages hosted by different reputable sellers with Amazon fulfillment, and the prices can vary from day to day.

The latest addition to the hub is 8BitDo’s reimagined N64 wireless controller, which was designed in partnership with retro hardware manufacturer Analogue. The 8BitDo 64 Bluetooth Controller is also compatible with Switch, PC, and Switch 2 (with a firmware update).

8BitDo Pro 3 Bluetooth Gamepad — $70
8BitDo Ultimate 2 Bluetooth Controller — $63 (~~$70~~)
8BitDo 64 Bluetooth Controller — $40
8BitDo Ultimate Bluetooth Controller — $45 (~~$60~~)
8BitDo Pro 2 Bluetooth Controller — $43 (~~$50~~)
8BitDo SN30 Pro Bluetooth Controller — $40.49 (~~$45~~)
8BitDo Ultimate 2C Bluetooth Controller — $28.49 (~~$30~~)
8BitDo All-Button Arcade Controller — $90
8BitDo USB Adapter 1 & 2 — $20
- Adds support Xbox, PlayStation, and other Bluetooth controllers

If you want to compare the Pro 3 and Ultimate 2 Bluetooth to Nintendo’s official controller, Amazon finally has the Switch 2 Pro Controller in stock for $89–one buck below the controller’s new $90 MSRP.

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August 14, 2025

8BitDo’s New Pro 3 Gamepad Is One Of The Best Switch 2 Controllers

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