8BitDo is making a customizable arcade stick for Switch and PC players
It’s time to fight with style. 8BitDo has unveiled a new arcade stick that looks like the lovechild of a Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and Street Fighter V cabinet. The peripheral, which supports PC and Switch, has a bunch of customisation options to suit different players. It has a “universal mounting plate,” for instance, so fighting game enthusiasts can swap in sticks and buttons made by other manufacturers. It also supports 8BitDo’s Ultimate Software so that, unlike the company’s old N30 arcade stick, you can change the button mapping, save custom profiles, and execute macros with the P1 and P2 options in the top right-hand corner.
The flexibility doesn’t stop there, though. You can connect the stick over Bluetooth, a USB-C cable, or a wireless 2.4G receiver that’s cleverly stored on the underside of the stick. It also has a rechargeable 1000 mAh battery, so you can go anywhere — the park, a coffee shop, or an airport terminal with zero power outlets — and play some Mortal Kombat 11 with your Switch in tabletop mode. If you’re carrying a laptop too, you can flick a knob to instantly toggle between the stick’s Switch and PC-centric XInput modes. The red buttons will immediately remap and, impressively, their labels will change thanks to some LEDs built into the dark grey panel.
Alongside that physical switcher is a second knob that lets you use the stick as a D-pad, left or right analog stick. In theory, that means you could play a 3D platformer or first-person shooter with this thing. The stick also has dedicated Home and screenshot buttons — mimicking the functionality found on a pair of Joy-Cons — Start and Select shortcuts, and a slider for switching between Bluetooth and 2.4G. 8BitDo isn’t the only company making fighting sticks for the Switch, and there’s even more options if you only play on PC. Still, 8BitDo has a solid reputation for building high quality controllers inspired by classic systems such as the Sega Genesis.
If you’re interested, the company’s new arcade stick is available to pre-order today for $89.99. The first units should ship on October 20th.
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