I noted last week that I was able to pick up a Nintendo Switch 2 on launch day, and one of the first things I wanted to check out was how well 8BitDo controllers work with it. If you’re not familiar with 8BitDo, they make a mix of retro-styled and modern wireless controllers that have been popular with Switch owners for years. They are excellent budget replacements for the first party Switch Pro controller that cost substantially less.
When the Switch 2 launched, their controllers didn’t work right out of the box, but 8BitDo recently pushed down some firmware updates that bring compatibility to some of their newer controllers. In my latest video, I take a look at a few and see how they perform.
8BitDo recently posted an update on their X account detailing which of their controllers now support the Switch 2 via firmware updates. Some older models are still out of luck, but a good number of the more recent ones—including newer versions of the SN30 Pro, their translucent editions with Hall effect sticks, and others—can now connect and work properly once updated.

I took a handful of these controllers, installed the latest firmware, and tested them with Super Mario Odyssey to see how they held up with basic controls, motion input, and rumble feedback.
The update process itself was a little bumpy. The SN30 Pro uses a different tool than the Ultimate and 2C controllers, and I ran into some hiccups—especially with the Ultimate 2C controller not connecting properly on macOS. Switching to Windows solved the issue, and once I got the firmware installed on all three, it was time to test them out.
Pairing the SN30 Pro was straightforward. After holding down Y and Start to enter Switch mode, the console recognized it as a Pro Controller. In Mario Odyssey, the buttons, analog sticks, and motion controls worked as expected. The same held true for the 2C and Ultimate controllers—everything was responsive and mapped correctly, including motion gestures like flicking Mario’s cap.
One thing I did have to tweak was the vibration setting. It was off by default, and none of the controllers rumbled until I went into the system settings and turned vibration back on. Once enabled, rumble worked normally, although it’s the standard type—not the HD Rumble you’d get from Nintendo’s Joy-Cons.
I also tested input latency using a 240fps camera to measure button response time. All three controllers, when connected via Bluetooth, performed identically to the Joy-Cons in terms of latency.
At the moment, Switch 2 compatibility is limited to specific 8BitDo models, as outlined in their recent post. Support for older controllers isn’t here yet, but they’ve indicated that more updates are on the way. For now, if you have one of their newer models and install the latest firmware, you should be in good shape.
Disclosure: 8BitDo and their distributor AKNES sent the controllers to the channel free of charge. No other compensation was received and they did not review or approve this post or my video before publication.