8Bitdo Wireless Adapter 2 review: $20 well spent

There are a lot of controllers out there, and nobody can seem to agree on which one is the best. For some, the best controller is the PlayStation 5’s DualSense. For others, the asymmetric stick-layout of the Xbox Series controller reigns supreme. For the true maniacs of the world, the Wii Pro controller is a time-worn favorite. But, what if you want to take these controllers outside their intended boundaries?

While the 8Bitdo Wireless USB Adapter 2 doesn’t offer a true controller wild west experience, it does open up the world of controllers for you just a little bit more. For those that wish to play their favorite Nintendo Switch games with DualSense or Wii Remote, is the purchase worth your while?

Related

How we test and review products at Pocket-lint

We don’t do arm-chair research. We buy and test our own products, and we only publish buyer’s guides with products we’ve actually reviewed.

Price, availability, and specs

The 8Bitdo Wireless Adapter 2 is a very affordable solution to a very simple issue. At just $20, the 8Bitdo Wireless Adapter 2 isn’t a heavy burden on the wallet by any means. It comes in a black and a reddish brown color, and the actual USB itself is protected by a removable cap. The coin-shaped sync button on the end of the adapter is accompanied by a flashing LED indicator.

Related

Razer’s Kishi Ultra is the best mobile controller I’ve used, despite its one unfortunate flaw

It’s so close to being perfect.

What I liked about the 8Bitdo Wireless Adapter 2

Great for the Switch, greater still for the Mac

By and far the best part of the 8Bitdo Wireless Adapter 2 is how simple it is to set up. If you want to connect a controller to your Nintendo Switch, you need only plug the adapter into your Switch’s dock and pair the adapter with your preferred controller. Granted, there is a single adjustment you’ll need to make in your Nintendo Switch’s setting menu, but there’s truly nothing else to the process beyond that. In less than a minute, you can begin using whatever your preferred controller may be with your Nintendo Switch.

The compatibility itself between the 8Bitdo Wireless Adapter 2 and whatever controller you choose to use with your Switch is incredible. Using a DualSense allows you to take full advantage of the gyro controls that would otherwise be missing if you were instead using an Xbox controller or a third-party Switch controller.

However, the usefulness I got out of the 8Bitdo Wireless Adapter 2 wasn’t primarily from using it with my Switch. As fun as it is to play Tears of the Kingdom using a DualSense, the far better use for an 8Bitdo Wireless Adapter 2 is using it with a Mac. While the adapter is also usable with a Windows PC, a Steam Deck, and even a Raspberry Pi, its usefulness shines when plugged into a Mac.

Mac’s and controllers don’t get along all too well. While you can easily connect a DualSense, DualShock 4, or a Switch Pro Controller to a Mac, you can’t get their full value from simply connecting them via Bluetooth. The 8Bitdo Wireless Adapter 2 changes that. In conjunction with the 8Bitdo Ultimate Software, you can remap and customize your controllers actions when running through the adapter. This includes fine tuning and calibrations that are otherwise an arduous undertaking on a Mac. Some of these fine tunings might’ve even required you to make customizations in every single app you plan on using a controller with. With the 8Bitdo Wireless Adapter 2, that all goes out the window.

The aforementioned 8Bitdo Ultimate Software isn’t just useful for Mac users either. It’s available on Windows as well, and once you’ve made your configurations, they carry over to other devices. This makes remapping your controllers buttons a much more streamlined, and most importantly, universal process.

Related

A new MSI Claw will be the first Intel Lunar Lake gaming handheld?

With Lunar Lake onboard, the MSI Claw 8 AI+ promises to be better in almost every way than the company’s previous handheld

What I didn’t like about the 8Bitdo Wireless Adapter 2

Cross compatibility, but not in the most forbidden sense

As far as the 8Bitdo Wireless Adapter 2’s actual function goes, there isn’t anything truly wrong with what it does. For hooking up an alternative controller to a Nintendo Switch or creating a mapping layer between your computer and a controller, it’s pretty much perfect.

The flaws of the 8Bitdo Wireless Adapter 2 really come in with the things it can’t do, as well as its rather limited use case. For starters, it would be nice to be able to plug the adapter into a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series console to use an Xbox controller or a DualSense with each console, respectively.

The use case for the 8Bitdo Wireless Adapter 2 is also admittedly slim. Using a DualSense or an Xbox controller to play games on your Nintendo Switch does have an appealingly taboo feeling, but the novelty quickly wears off. I also found that muscle memory made navigating the Switch’s UI with an alternative controller nightmarish.

0:55

Related

The Playdate captures the Game Boy’s spirit with a fun, quirky 2024 twist

It’s hard not to love this weird device.

Should you buy 8Bitdo Wireless Adapter 2?

A cheap solution to a simple problem

The 8Bitdo Wireless Adapter 2 is a tricky product. It is fantastic at what it does, no doubt about it. But, the use case it does have is very slim. If you have often found yourself craving to play your favorite Switch titles with a DualSense or Wii remote, then the 8Bitdo Wireless Adapter 2 is the perfect solution for you. The 8Bitdo Wireless Adapter 2 can also serve as a very intuitive universal mapper for using a controller on your computer.

However, outside those wants and needs, it’s really not something easily recommended to a majority of gamers. For being very affordable and effective, the 8Bitdo Wireless Adapter 2 is an amazing product. But, if you’re getting on just fine using Joy Cons or a Nintendo Switch Pro Controller, you can probably save yourself $20.

8Bitdo Wireless USB Adapter 2