8BitDo Ultimate 2 Wireless controller review – a slight step back

As mobile gaming continues to grow its share of the wider industry, there’s more demand than ever before for good-quality mobile controllers, and 8BitDo is at the forefront of that movement. I got the chance to test out the new 8BitDo Ultimate 2 Wireless controller to see just how far the technology has come, and I’m impressed, but not as much as I thought I would be.

Just as the name suggests, the Ultimate 2 Wireless controller is the next generation of 8BitDo’s highly praised bit of kit, which we gave a 9/10 in our original Ultimate Wireless controller review. This iteration shares many of the original’s great features and even upgrades a few, but despite the ‘ultimate’ in its name, it feels a little limited.

I’ll start with the positives. The Ultimate 2 controller comes in black, white, and a gorgeous purple, which is my color of choice. It’s sleek, sturdy, and lightweight, so it’s easy to travel with, and I don’t feel the need to buy a case for it. 8BitDo has upgraded the joysticks from Hall Effect to TMR (Tunneling Magnetoresistance), leading to increased precision and less power consumption.

This controller holds its battery life incredibly well. I’ve only had to charge it to full once since opening it a few weeks ago, and even then, it reached full charge very quickly. The Ultimate 2 Wireless controller comes with a magnetic charging dock that’s equally stylish and provides the same speedy charging as a direct USB-C cable. It’s perfect for gamers who love to display their collections.

The charging dock also houses the 2.4G USB-C connector, which gave me a bit of a fright at first as I thought I’d lost it, but it fits snugly into the base of the dock for secure storage. Over my weeks of testing, I’ve not experienced any input delay, lag, or unresponsiveness from the buttons, joysticks, and Hall effect triggers. The rubber joystick caps are comfy, and I love the satisfying click of the buttons, even if the Xbox layout still confuses me a little.

However, I have encountered some issues with the Ultimate 2 Wireless controller and its associated app. If you go to Google Play, you’ll see that 8BitDo’s Ultimate Software V2 only has one star after 111 reviews. The dedicated app for this controller simply does not work with the Wireless 2, despite existing specifically for it. Even after updating the controller’s firmware to the latest version from June 17, the app will not recognize the controller, even when it’s already connected to my phone via Bluetooth.

Luckily, the same software exists on PC, and plugging the controller into your computer works just fine. Although this controller is compatible with mobile and PC, I’m primarily reviewing it as a mobile controller, and having to plug the device into a separate piece of hardware to configure your lighting, button mapping, and everything else feels counterintuitive. I hope 8BitDo can fix the app soon.

The other major downside is its lack of compatibility options. The original Ultimate Controller works across Windows, Android, iOS, and even the Nintendo Switch, whereas this controller is only for Android phones and PCs. With plenty of iOS-exclusive titles like Resident Evil 2 Remake and the entire catalog of Apple Arcade games, it seems like a missed opportunity not to target iOS gamers with this controller. Similarly, following the Nintendo Switch 2’s release, people are looking for affordable, third-party controller options, and they won’t be able to use this version of the Ultimate 2 Wireless controller.

Then there’s the PC connectivity. The Ultimate 2 Wireless is a wonderful wired controller for PC gaming, but the USB-C 2.4G dongle limits its wireless use. I upgraded my PC recently, and my rig only has one USB-C port, and plenty of older rigs don’t have any. 8BitDo’s previous controllers used USB-A dongles, which almost everyone has access to, but this upgraded dongle means fewer PC gamers will be able to use the Ultimate 2 Wireless, well, wirelessly.

Overall, the Ultimate 2 Wireless controller is a stylish, comfortable, and responsive piece of kit, but it’s tailored to a very specific type of gamer. While it doesn’t particularly suit my style of mobile gaming, it’s great for high-precision titles like mobile FPS games, and as it’s compatible with 8BitDo’s mobile gaming clip, it could be a great upgrade to your mobile gaming setup.

If you’re looking for more of the best mobile controllers, we’ve got you covered. We’ve also got everything you need for the perfect Switch 2 setup – check out our Nintendo Switch 2 review, our list of the best Nintendo Switch 2 controllers, and our Nintendo Switch 2 GameCube controller review.