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This is a good choice for a first arcade stick. The construction is sturdy and presentation immaculate, harking to the old NES Advantage. I mostly use this stick for Shmups on the Switch and my computer. I can’t speak for how it does in fighting games, because they don’t interest me. This is the first arcade stick I’ve owned.
It took a few minutes to get used to it, but going from a controller is very intuitive. The joysticks and buttons are much more ergonomic. If you find that using a controller for extended periods causes wrist strain, this controller is worth trying out. Don’t assume that it’ll make you suddenly play much better, but the experience of using it is a lot of fun. The switches also going to be much more durable than the contacts on a modern console controller, as well as being easier to replace. It does make a fair bit of noise, but that’s part of what makes it fun.
Pros:
+ The stick has a large metal plate inside the plastic shell, which gives it a decent enough heft to keep it from sliding around on a tabletop. The wide rubber feet on the bottom also help in this regard.
+ Switch and X-input modes. With Brook adapters, this stick could in theory work with any console in X-input mode.
+ Backlit button labels look really slick, and even swap between input modes.
+ Balltop joystick has decent micro switches, and a light feel, making it easy to use.
+ Wired functionality in addition to wireless use is very nice. The stick comes with what can only be described as a shockingly high quality USB-A to C cable. It’s also long enough for pretty much anyone’s living room.
+ There is a dedicated compartment for the 2.4G dongle behind a flap on the back of the stick, which is an absolute godsend.
+ The stick is designed around standard JP arcade parts, so it’s reasonably easy to customize or repair. (Do note that it can only use snap-in buttons due to tight internal clearance, which limits some of your options.)
+ 8bitdo did a good job on the packaging for this product. If you see yourself moving it around a lot, I recommend holding onto the box, which has a convenient carry handle.
Cons:
- The knockoff Sanwa buttons are a bit loose and rough, but they still get the job done. Returning spring force is a bit on the weak side.
- The stick comes with a square gate, which can make diagonal inputs difficult. I’d strongly recommend picking up an octagonal gate (JLF Type) for around 10 bucks. It only takes a crosspoint screwdriver and a few minutes to swap it out.
- The plastic shell can be a bit creaky sometimes if you get a bit rough. Not a deal breaker for me, but some people may find this bothersome.
- This isn’t 8bitdo’s fault, but you will also need to get their wireless adapter if you want to use the stick on a macOS machine. If you wanna use it on Mac, don’t forget to budget the extra $20 for that. It took a bit of fiddling around to get it to work, but I eventually got it going.
Overall, I think that 8bitdo did a phenomenal job on this product. The form factor is great, it looks quite stylish and the versatility makes it suitable for a lot of use cases. It’s clear that some of the design choices are intended to manage the cost, but the underlying unit is a well thought out piece of hardware. Considering that it’s not all that much more expensive than an official Switch Pro controller, the Arcade Stick is a great value. With this much versatility and upgradability, I’d say it’s worth spending the extra dosh over more budget sticks like the HORI mini. It’s head and shoulders above its peers in the $90 range from what I’ve seen.
Do get this if:
You want a solution that works easy right out of the box. The 8bitdo is an excellent choice for a first arcade stick, with virtually no hassle for Switch and PC use and can be used on a wide variety of platforms with a bit more setup.
You want an arcade stick to use for a variety of devices. Switchable input modes make this stick exceptionally versatile.
You want to dip your toes in the waters of customizing arcade controls. The unit accepts a variety of different options from the likes of Sanwa and Seimitsu. The shell opens with six recessed screws on the back, and there’s a fair bit of tinkering that you can do without ever having to touch a soldering iron.
Don’t buy this if:
You expect to play better as a result of using this stick. There’s no substitute for practice, and some folks will find that a stick won’t help them make the precise inputs they need, compared to a dpad.
You don’t play all that many games that benefit from an arcade stick. Think about the sort of games that you play the most. If it’s mostly stuff like RPGs or 3rd person 3D games, where there aren’t many rapid inputs or you need to use both analog sticks, it might not be worth spending 90 bucks on a bulky controller that you probably won’t use all that much.
You are used to the feel of American arcade hardware. The components in this stick will have a much lighter actuation force than you’d expect, so it may seem rather delicate and awkward to use. If you prefer the look and or feel of bat-top sticks and concave buttons, I’d recommend looking elsewhere.
You think you’re going to trick it out with all sorts of [brand name/model here] parts or custom wraps. The stick is on the thinner side, which limits your options with respect to joysticks. It’s only designed for snap-in buttons which is a further limitation. If you’re going to buy upwards of $60 on parts for a $90 stick, you’ll probably be better off building something custom.
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Great Arcade Stick!
I bought:Two 8BitDo Arcade SticksTwo Sanwa JLF-TP-8YT joysticks& One DGHAOP 4pcs Arcade Rocker Accessories Base 4/8 Way Restrictor Plate Gate JLF Series Joystick (Comes with: 1-Baseplate + 1-Square Ring + 1-Circular Ring + 1-Octagonal Ring)Answer to my own questions:1. Can the stock 8bitdo Arcade Joystick 4 & 8 Way Adjust like the Sanwa JLF-TP-8YT? A. No, the stock restrictor plate/gate is cast solid/fixed only in the Square configuration. -But you can replace the stock restrictor plate/gate with an adjustable JLF style restrictor plate/gate that can 4-"Diamond config" & 8-"Square config" Way adjust.2. Should I just replace the stock Joystick with the Sanwa JLF-TP-8YT? A. Personal choice but for me it's a Yes, the Sanwa JLF-TP-8YT joystick is more precise and actually restricts the switch engagement for 4 & 8 Way configurations. -The stock joystick in Diamond config still actuates 2 microswitches if moved to the diagonal half the time, resulting in inaccurate Pac Man movements. It would still work fine if I did not have Sanwa JLF-TP-8YT joystick, but I have two of them so I'll just replace & use the better Sanwa JLF joysticks.*Pictures 1-6 of the stock joystick restrictor plate conversion to JLF Style restrictor plate.*Pictures 7-9 of the Sanwa JLF replacement/conversion.Note: Picture 10, stock joystick has a black marker line indicating "Up" for the stick.*Reasoning for the Restrictor plate conversion. My kids are young & struggle greatly as my wife & me do with any wireless Switch controllers while playing Pac Man, Dig Dug & Galaga.I believe we are better served with a 4 way "Diamond gate" arcade stick configuration while playing Pac Man, Dig Dug & Galaga.
Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2024
Style: Arcade StickVerified Purchase
I bought:
Two 8BitDo Arcade Sticks
Two Sanwa JLF-TP-8YT joysticks
& One DGHAOP 4pcs Arcade Rocker Accessories Base 4/8 Way Restrictor Plate Gate JLF Series Joystick (Comes with: 1-Baseplate + 1-Square Ring + 1-Circular Ring + 1-Octagonal Ring)
Answer to my own questions:
1. Can the stock 8bitdo Arcade Joystick 4 & 8 Way Adjust like the Sanwa JLF-TP-8YT?
A. No, the stock restrictor plate/gate is cast solid/fixed only in the Square configuration.
-But you can replace the stock restrictor plate/gate with an adjustable JLF style restrictor plate/gate that can 4-"Diamond config" & 8-"Square config" Way adjust.
2. Should I just replace the stock Joystick with the Sanwa JLF-TP-8YT?
A. Personal choice but for me it's a Yes, the Sanwa JLF-TP-8YT joystick is more precise and actually restricts the switch engagement for 4 & 8 Way configurations.
-The stock joystick in Diamond config still actuates 2 microswitches if moved to the diagonal half the time, resulting in inaccurate Pac Man movements. It would still work fine if I did not have Sanwa JLF-TP-8YT joystick, but I have two of them so I'll just replace & use the better Sanwa JLF joysticks.
*Pictures 1-6 of the stock joystick restrictor plate conversion to JLF Style restrictor plate.
*Pictures 7-9 of the Sanwa JLF replacement/conversion.
Note: Picture 10, stock joystick has a black marker line indicating "Up" for the stick.
*Reasoning for the Restrictor plate conversion. My kids are young & struggle greatly as my wife & me do with any wireless Switch controllers while playing Pac Man, Dig Dug & Galaga.
I believe we are better served with a 4 way "Diamond gate" arcade stick configuration while playing Pac Man, Dig Dug & Galaga.
Two 8BitDo Arcade Sticks
Two Sanwa JLF-TP-8YT joysticks
& One DGHAOP 4pcs Arcade Rocker Accessories Base 4/8 Way Restrictor Plate Gate JLF Series Joystick (Comes with: 1-Baseplate + 1-Square Ring + 1-Circular Ring + 1-Octagonal Ring)
Answer to my own questions:
1. Can the stock 8bitdo Arcade Joystick 4 & 8 Way Adjust like the Sanwa JLF-TP-8YT?
A. No, the stock restrictor plate/gate is cast solid/fixed only in the Square configuration.
-But you can replace the stock restrictor plate/gate with an adjustable JLF style restrictor plate/gate that can 4-"Diamond config" & 8-"Square config" Way adjust.
2. Should I just replace the stock Joystick with the Sanwa JLF-TP-8YT?
A. Personal choice but for me it's a Yes, the Sanwa JLF-TP-8YT joystick is more precise and actually restricts the switch engagement for 4 & 8 Way configurations.
-The stock joystick in Diamond config still actuates 2 microswitches if moved to the diagonal half the time, resulting in inaccurate Pac Man movements. It would still work fine if I did not have Sanwa JLF-TP-8YT joystick, but I have two of them so I'll just replace & use the better Sanwa JLF joysticks.
*Pictures 1-6 of the stock joystick restrictor plate conversion to JLF Style restrictor plate.
*Pictures 7-9 of the Sanwa JLF replacement/conversion.
Note: Picture 10, stock joystick has a black marker line indicating "Up" for the stick.
*Reasoning for the Restrictor plate conversion. My kids are young & struggle greatly as my wife & me do with any wireless Switch controllers while playing Pac Man, Dig Dug & Galaga.
I believe we are better served with a 4 way "Diamond gate" arcade stick configuration while playing Pac Man, Dig Dug & Galaga.
Images in this review
Top reviews from other countries
remco van
Super kwaliteit
Reviewed in the Netherlands on April 30, 2024Style: Arcade StickVerified Purchase
Elena
8Bitdo USB Arcade Stick
Reviewed in Italy on April 16, 2024Style: Arcade StickVerified Purchase
MasterVoda
Great arcade stick for Retropie on a Raspberry Pi, and it's wireless!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 16, 2024Style: Arcade StickVerified Purchase
MasterVoda
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 16, 2024
Modifying this Arcade Stick is very easy, just need a Philips screwdriver (since they revised it and changed the Torx screws out). The buttons and joystick are fully compatible with Sanwa parts. Buttons simply click off and snap on with just 2 wire connectors on each.
Modifying the joystick - for those who are a bit more cost concious, this option will make a world of difference - the existing Joystick is Sanwa parts compatible, replacing the spring (£2.99), the actuator (£2.99) and even the square gate (which is the same size as a Sanwa JLX) for an octagonal 8-way (£4.20) will totally change the feel of this to a Sanwa (the microswitches are of good enough quality to fool anyone) once just the first two mods are done you would be hard pressed to tell the difference between it and a standard Sanwa JLF/JLX (depending on which Sanwa spring/actuator you choose) at about £20 less and no messing about with wires.
Replacing the joystick - a Sanwa (or similiarly compatible) joystick can be soldered onto 5 points on the PCB or can fit into 5 of the existing 8 pins of the connector to the left of the solder points (YouTube has lots of information on this) you just need to purchase the correct cable which I did for under £2. Fitting a JLX has made a world of difference (as did changing just the spring and actuator which I did on a second Arcade Stick), the standard joystick is good but a Sanwa feels more precise and can be further modified with replacement springs, gates and actuators. Also, the black shaft and dust covers that come with the 8BitDo can be reused with a standard Sanwa JLF/JLX as well as the black ball top (unless you decide to mod the shaft length etc. as well).
It's a great purchase and at sixty odd GBP (and now it's a tad under sixty on sale) it has wired and wireless 2.4GHz connectivity from a dongle that just works without drivers on a Raspberry Pi (and other PCs and Steam decks). And of course, it has Bluetooth as well and works on the Nintendo Switch. As it comes, it's a pretty decent Arcade Stick but if you want genuine quality arcade buttons and controls - you can change them at a later date. You can't go wrong with it!
Images in this review
janj
Werkt gedeeltelijk op steam deck
Reviewed in Belgium on December 4, 2023Style: Arcade StickVerified Purchase
