| Price | 8BitDo |
| Release | September 2026 |
| Compatibility | NS2 / PC |
| Dimensions | 11.9″ x 7.9″ x 0.6″ |
| Weight | 2.40 lbs |
Introduction
How can one of the greatest leverless controllers become even better? Such is the case with the 8BitDo Arcade Controller Pro. When the standard 8BitDo Arcade Controller was released back in the dizzay, it blew away the fighting game community with its wireless connection and bean-shaped buttons.
Nowadays, the 8BitDo Arcade Controller Pro revives both the wireless connection and the bean-shaped buttons, but this time with a button layout that’s more optimized, securing you more wins.
Unboxing
Enjoy these freebies with your order of a brand new 8BitDo Arcade Controller Pro:
- Three additional switches
- Five lock caps
- Switch puller
- 2.4G adapter
- Cable
- Manual
- Magnetic wrist rest
Performance
The 8BitDo Arcade Controller Pro has a left pinky button that the standard edition doesn’t have. Also, the right thumb button is now closer to the jump button, and it’s rotated accordingly. All in all, the extra buttons are as follows:
- Left pinky button
- Left middle button
- Left thumb button
- Right thumb button
- Right index button
Except for the 8BitDo Arcade Controller Pro’s left pinky button, all of the extra buttons are bean-shaped. The increased surface area lets you press these extra buttons more easily.
Moreover, you can use the 8BitDo Arcade Controller Pro’s lock caps to turn all the extra buttons into blanks so that they don’t get in your way if you don’t need them.
(You can find those lock caps in the 8BitDo Arcade Controller Pro’s magnetic wrist rest, which is sloped for your comfort and also detachable.)
Other than that, the 8BitDo Arcade Controller Pro features the recently more popular Noir layout instead of the standard edition’s Vewlix layout. Your right hand’s fingers may rest on the attack buttons more naturally this way.
But what switches do the 8BitDo Arcade Controller Pro’s improved button caps even use? Instead of the standard edition’s Kailh Wizard switches, 8BitDo joined forces with Kailh’s experienced switch-making team to bring you 8BitDo Core Green switches that exhibit:
- Low profile
- Smooth feel
- Fast actuation
- Quiet operation
The 8BitDo Arcade Controller Pro’s switches are hot swappable, so you can use the switch puller to replace them if needed. Use cases include repairing broken switches or swapping them out for other switches you may prefer.
With eight function buttons, the 8BitDo Arcade Controller Pro has one more function button than the standard edition, and these function buttons are:
- Settings
- Pair
- Home
- Capture
- L3
- R3
- Select
- Start
That capture button is for Nintendo Switch screenshots. To add, you can enjoy spinning the 8BitDo Arcade Controller Pro’s following dials:
- Mode switch
- Tournament lock switch
The tournament lock switch allows you to disable the 8BitDo Arcade Controller Pro’s function buttons so that you don’t press them accidentally during grand finals.
Hardware
The 8BitDo Arcade Controller Pro is thinner and lighter than the standard edition. In addition, it has two USB-C ports instead of just one.
One USB-C port is in the 8BitDo Arcade Controller Pro’s center back, while another USB-C port is on the left. You might prefer the center back USB-C port due to its cable lock system, which prevents accidental unplugging during a high stakes match. Near this center back USB-C port is a toggle.
Now, you’re probably most excited about the 8BitDo Arcade Controller Pro’s connection options, which include low-latency wireless connection. Here is the list in further detail:
- Wired (on the Switch or PC)
- Wireless 2.4G (on the PC)
- Wireless Bluetooth (on the Switch)
That said, it’s perplexing why the 8BitDo Arcade Controller Pro’s lithium-ion battery specs aren’t as impressive as the 8BitDo Arcade Controller. Please set some time aside to study this comparison table:
| Battery | Pro | Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 3,000 mAh | 1,000 mAh |
| Life | 15 hours | 20 hours |
| Charging | 4 hours | 3 hours |
Appearance
With the 8BitDo Arcade Controller Pro, the retro Nintendo theme is back, whereas a new addition is a white theme that may fit your desk setup better.
What are also back are button RGB LEDs, which are rings around the buttons as well as button labels you can cycle through using a dial, depending on if you’re using the 8BitDo Arcade Controller Pro with the Switch or PC. By the way, this controller is compatible with the Switch 2 as well.
You can utilize the 8BitDo Arcade Controller Pro’s display to know how you’re changing the RGB LED settings. This display runs on the 8BitDo Ultimate Software V2, which supports macros too. The display also lets you see:
- Input monitoring
- Button mapping
- SOCD settings
Another addition is a quick release tempered-glass faceplate that—while its goal is to allow you quick access to the internals—you may also be bold enough to commission a custom faceplate that makes your 8BitDo Arcade Controller Pro look the way you want it to.
You can release the 8BitDo Arcade Controller Pro’s faceplate by way of a button on the bottom panel. Hidden under this faceplate are the switch puller and three additional switches.
At the time of this writing, we at The Arcade Stick can help with your 8BitDo Arcade Controller Pro’s digital art through our service. Here’s an example of art that our designer Carlos Martinez designed for the 8BitDo Arcade Controller, which we also printed:
(Basically, what we did over there is print the client’s art on vinyl so that the client could then paste the art on the 8BitDo Arcade Controller’s faceplate.)
Conclusion
The 8BitDo Arcade Controller Pro is mainly an improvement over the standard edition. Now with a left pinky button, this controller is a solid pick for the serious fighting gamer, whereas the casual fighting gamer can use the lock caps to turn this 17 button controller into a 12 button controller.
- 17 button layout
- Button RGB LEDs
- Quiet switches
- Noir layout
- Five lock caps
- Two cable ports
- Thinner & lighter
- Useful display
- Magnetic wrist rest
- Quick-release faceplate
- 8BitDo Ultimate Software V2
- Nintendo or white theme
- Wired or wireless
- Less battery life
- Longer charging