The Nintendo Switch, which was released back in March, is still a relatively young console, so there aren’t a ton of third-party controller options available just yet. That said, 8Bitdo has been making Nintendo-inspired controllers for a while that provide an excellent gaming experience on your laptop or tablet and other devices running Android, Windows, macOS, or Steam. The good news is that now, the company has released a firmware update for its controllers that means they’re now all compatible with the Switch ( via Engadget).

Reddit users have confirmed that there are a few support issues (which honestly isn’t that surprising given this is the first Switch-compatible firmware update), but it generally works pretty well and isn’t difficult to set up. “Played [Mario Kart 8 Deluxe] online and solo, and played Puyo Puyo Tetris,” one poster wrote. “Syncs easy enough, the console recognizes it as a pro controller symbol on the bottom left on the home screen.”8Bitdo offers a variety of Bluetooth controllers that take on the appearance of classic controllers from the NES, SNES, N64, and others, and they’re generally well-regarded for the quality and gameplay experience that they offer. Depending on the model you go for, an 8Bitdo controller can be yours for anywhere from $15 to $50. The higher end of that range is admittedly pricy for a third-party accessory, but it’s also a far cry from the $70 Pro Controller and an $80 pair of Joy-Cons.


Will you be snagging one of these controllers, or are you gonna stick to a first-party option? Let us know what you think in the comments below!

Featured image: 8Bitdo

Here’s what we thought of the Switch!

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