The following 8BitDo Ultimate C Wired controller was provided by 8BitDo for review. Feel free to check out the ‘Pro 2 Wired Controller‘ and ‘Ultimate 3-mode Controller‘ as well!
I don’t think I’ve ever had an orange, creamsicle-coloured controller before. Looking through what I’ve got now, it’s all black—maybe with hints of green—white, and a see-through. Combine this trait with flashy LED rings and you’ve got the 8BitDo Ultimate C Wired controller, which out of all the new 8BitDo Xbox controllers is easily my favourite of the bunch. It’s a simple plug ‘n play device with just one fairly obnoxious shortcoming. But more importantly, the new Hall Effect analog sticks and triggers are responsive, snappy, and will keep stick drift/stickiness at bay.
The 8BitDo Ultimate C Wired controller is a wired-only controller that works natively with PCs, Xbox consoles, and (even though it’s not mentioned!) on Android devices. I did try plugging it into an iPhone 13 but no dice—it might potentially work on USB-C based iOS devices, but I wouldn’t bet on it. Regardless, this controller have just enough packaging to not be overtly wasteful and comes with a USB-C cable (colour depending on your unit, be it Black, Dark Green, or Orange) as well as a month of free Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for new subscribers and a manual. Since I have no use for this, you’ll find the code below with a small puzzle needed to claim it for yourself. It’s a good way to jog your noggin’ and keep bots off this code, so good luck!
The controller itself is shaped similar to that of the Wii U Pro controller, but without the (disgusting) symmetrical sticks. Your index fingers will typically rest between the bumpers and triggers while your remaining pink, middle, and ring fingers wrap almost nicely around the base of the handles. My middle finger hits the back of the controller unlike a regular Xbox controller, but otherwise I didn’t experience discomfort using this pad. The Ultimate C has a 3.5mm jack (with no mic mute button), a share button, no back buttons nor profile support with the 8BitDo app that’s available on the Microsoft Store for PC. Heck, all it can do for the controller is update it, which at the time there was a firmware update available and updating the controller took less than a minute.
But one thing that caught my eye is that this controller that flashy LED rings around the analog sticks. Check out the video below for an idea of these ring modes:
Each mode can be toggled through by pressing the star button that’s smack dabbed between the View and Menu buttons. You can toggle colours in all modes, which vary from orange to pink, green, a blinding purple among others. In Fire Ring mode, you can adjust the speed of the ring’s playback, going from a near standstill to a somewhat fast ring-a-round. This mode and Light-tracing have limited colours compared to the Rainbow Ring mode, so keep that in mind. From what I can tell, all the controllers have the same LED colours available, so don’t fret over buying one SKU. If you find these annoying, you can always just turn them off, too, on all devices the Ultimate C is plugged into.
Now I love this controller because it’s a no-nonsense, plug ‘n play controller that works across all my main devices. The bumpers feel great to push, the face buttons are responsive and offer a nice tactile punch as you push down on them, and most importantly the analog sticks feel great. 8BitDo uses sticks similar to the DualShock controllers in which the middle of the stick mounds upwards compared to the Xbox controller’s concave pits. Both are perfectly fine for me, but unlick the DualShock the Ultimate C has small but noticeable grips around the mound that help keep your thumbs in place.
The d-pad is responsive if not a bit mushy. I typically don’t prefer this style of d-pad for fighters, but for 2D beat ’em ups, it held up. Fight ‘n Rage and DuckTales Remastered are my to-go test games for d-pad responsiveness and I had no issues keeping swaths of enemies at bay or dealing with Uncle Scrooge’s cumbersome movements.
So it’s a nice controller especially for its asking price. But what’s that “obnoxious shortcoming” you might be wonder? Well, it’s this:
When I took out the controller, the first thing I tried to do is plug in the Ultimate C to my PC with a cable that was already plugged in. I am a keeper of USB-C cable after all, so why unravel the orange one if I’ve plenty of old ones I could use? Well that molding where the port is placed prevents a number of my cables from fitting into the port. The only cables I had that actually fit into this port was a cheap Dynex cable and my Elite’s included cable. The other controllers I reviewed use a similar cable to this one, so those fit too. But otherwise there’s a drawer full of cables that will not fit and if they do, risk scratching or putting unnecessary pressure on the controller.
This isn’t the first controller I’ve used with funky molding and port placement. I have a Moga XP5 that, while I’d love to use as my daily mobile gaming driver, has a micro USB port tucked in such a way that the few remaining cables I have for it don’t fit if barely at that. I’m not a fan of this sort of design and while it’s not the end to be all, it’s something to think about if you somehow manage to lose the cable that’s bundled in or if it breaks slash gets eating by your cat.
With that in mind, the Ultimate C is a great wired controller. It’s light, feels comfortable to use, and is by all accounts as responsive as I expect my controllers to be. At a $34.99 USD/£24.99 GBP price point, this is a steal of a controller that I can recommend to PC, console, and Android users alike.
You can purchase the 8BitDo Ultimate C Wired controller at the following retailers:
Amazon (US/UK), 8BitDo Shop, Official 8BitDo Store on AliExpress
Priced at $34.99 USD, £24.99 GBP, available now in the US and will launch in the UK market on the 31st of August.
Lamp oil, rope, Game Pass? It’s yours my friend, as long as you can figure out my puzzle.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate New User 1 Month Promo Code:
4C4**-RQQ3T-HP**4-**646-662TZ
FIRST SET OF ASTERISKS: The developers of a popular adventure slash platformer series featuring very pricey blocks.
SET 2: Donkey Kong –.
SET 3: Acronym of a washed up skateboarder.
