8BitDo's New Ultimate 2 Controller Sounds Very Impressive, And It's Available Now

8BitDo Ultimate 2 Wireless PC & Android Controller

$60

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8BitDo has unveiled the Ultimate 2 Wireless Controller for PC and Android, and the new pro-style gamepad is already ready to ship. The Ultimate 2 costs $60 and is available in three colors: white, black, or purple. Orders placed on launch day (February 25) can arrive as soon as tomorrow with Amazon Prime. 8BitDo's Ultimate 2 is a sequel to its flagship Ultimate Controller and the manufacturer's most feature-rich controller yet.

8BitDo Ultimate 2 Controller at Amazon:

• Black-- $60
• White -- $60
• Purple -- $60

While we haven't tested the Ultimate 2 yet, the original is our top pick in our best PC controllers list, so we're looking forward to trying the updated version of what was already a fantastic controller.

8BitDo Ultimate 2 Wireless PC & Android Controller

$60

Key Features

• Low latency (1ms) 2.4GHz wireless connection on PC
• Bluetooth on Android
• TMR electromagnetic analog sticks
• Hall Effect triggers with adjustable stop point
• 2 remappable back triggers
• 2 extra remappable shoulder buttons
• RGB lighting rings
• 1,000Hz polling rate for 2.4GHz and wired
• 6-axis motion controls
• Rumble
• Turbo button
• 1,000mAh battery
• Available in white, black, and purple
• Includes matching USB-C charging dock

Customize with 8BitDo Ultimate Software V2

• Remap inputs
• Set up three custom profiles
• Set up dead zones
• Adjust motion control sensitivity
• Adjust stick sensitivity
• Adjust trigger sensitivity
• Adjust rumble intensity
• Adjust lighting effects

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The Ultimate 2 Controller features several notable enhancements. 8BitDo improved its 2.4GHz wireless tech and gave it the name "8Speed." When synced wirelessly via the included USB-C dongle, the Ultimate 2 reportedly offers near-seamless input recognition with 1ms latency. The Ultimate 2 also has a polling rate of 1,000Hz when using 2.4GHz wireless or USB-C wired connections. To be clear, the original Ultimate offered a stable and fast wireless connection, but it sounds like the new model will be even better in this regard. It's also the first Ultimate Controller to use a USB-C dongle instead of USB-A. On Android, the Ultimate 2 syncs via Bluetooth.

8BitDo replaced the Hall Effect sticks found on many of its controllers with TMR sticks. Like Hall Effect sticks, TMR technology uses electromagnets to provide a smoother feel with more accurate, precise movements. Electromagnetic controls also mitigate the risk of analog stick drift. Though similar overall, TMR technology is typically viewed as an improvement compared to Hall Effect tech. The new analog sticks are accompanied by customizable RGB lighting rings.

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The Ultimate 2 is the first controller in the series to feature four extra buttons. 8BitDo essentially combined the designs of the original Ultimate with the Ultimate 2C, the manufacturer's latest budget wireless controller. It has two remappable back triggers (like the Ultimate) as well as two extra shoulder buttons (like the Ultimate 2C).

8BitDo also added another common pro-style customization feature to the Ultimate 2: trigger locks. The Hall Effect analog sticks can instantly convert to linear buttons by flicking the switches on the back.

In addition to the physical modifications, the Ultimate 2 supports 8BitDo's proprietary app on PC and Android. With Ultimate Software V2, you can create up to three profiles and make adjustments to stick, trigger, and motion control sensitivity, modify rumble intensity, and program analog stick dead zones.

Like 8BitDo's other premium controllers in its flagship series, the Ultimate 2 comes with a matching USB-C charging dock with a compartment to store the USB dongle. While it's unclear how much game time you can get from a full charge, the Ultimate 2's battery is substantially larger than the original's battery. The Ultimate 2 has a 1,000mAh battery, whereas the Ultimate and Ultimate Bluetooth for Switch each have 480mAh batteries. The original Ultimate and Ultimate Bluetooth offered 15 and 22 hours of battery life, respectively, so the new model may offer a marked improvement to those already solid figures.

The downside to the Ultimate 2 is that it's limited to PC and Android at the moment. The original Ultimate 2.4GHz Controller eventually became compatible with Apple devices, so it's possible that will happen down the line with the sequel, too. 8BitDo typically releases Nintendo Switch versions of its Ultimate Controllers, so we may get a sequel to the Ultimate Bluetooth for Switch, which is our pick for the best Nintendo Switch controller designed by a third-party.

8BitDo Ultimate Bluetooth Controller for Switch & PC

$52 (was $70)

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8BitDo Ultimate 2.4GHz Wireless Controller for PC

$45 (was $50)

See at Amazon