8BitDo Arcade Controller 1
Image: Ollie Reynolds / Nintendo Life

If you’re into fighting games, chances are you’ve probably seen – or maybe even used – a bunch of leverless arcade controllers. They’re taking the fighting scene by storm, and now 8BitDo, one of the most consistent accessory manufacturers in the business, has launched its own Arcade Controller for the Switch, Switch 2, and PC, priced at $89.99.

But what the heck is a leverless arcade controller? Well, some folks call them Hit Box controllers, but Hit Box is actually just one of many branded products released over the years, so it’s kinda like calling a games console ‘a Nintendo’. In reality, they’re largely referred to as ‘leverless’ thanks to the obvious lack of a joystick / lever in favour of an all-button setup. If you’re dead set on a more traditional setup, 8BitDo also has its own Arcade Stick available for purchase.

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So let’s take a closer look at the buttons on this thing, starting with the standard circular inputs (we’ll come back to those bean-shaped ones shortly). These are your basic inputs, and their positioning on the controller is such that your fingers can rest comfortably across the majority of them. The black buttons represent your movement, with ‘left’, ‘right’, and ‘down’ grouped together, and ‘up’ situated down toward the bottom. The red buttons, meanwhile, are a mixture of the face buttons and shoulder buttons on a standard Switch Joy-Con or Pro Controller.

What’s particularly nice about this is that the Arcade Controller boasts a dynamic button layout depending on whether you’re playing on Switch or PC. The dial in the top left corner of the controller lets you flick between the two modes, and internal lights will indicate how each of the red buttons function, changing automatically when switching from one mode to the other.

So in other words, the light indicators are a lovely way of easing you into the experience of using a leverless controller, since a lot of brands don’t include them at all. I won’t lie, getting started with a leverless controller can be daunting at first, even if you’re used to a regular arcade stick. Any muscle memory you might have accumulated over the years goes out the window, and you’ll probably find yourself making all kinds of wild mistakes when you start trying to string combos together in Guilty Gear -Strive- or pulling off a Drive Reversal in Street Fighter 6. Trust me when I say, however, that it’s well worth the time investment.

Going back to the buttons, those four extra bean-shaped inputs are essentially programmable to your liking. So for example, if you’re really not keen on having ‘up’ be near the bottom of the device, you can map this to the bean situated just above the ‘down’ button, making your directional inputs more akin to the familiar WASD setup on a keyboard. To map them, you simply hold down the button you want to map to along with the target input, then press the yellow star button at the top of the device. Alternatively, if you’re really not keen on them, the Arcade Controller also includes four replaceable lock caps to render them completely unusable.

As for the button quality, you’re looking at low-profile Kailh Wizard mechanical switches, and they feel incredibly satisfying to press. They’re clicky and tactile, and the clicking noise can really help beginners understand when they’ve completed an input to help with those essential combos. That said, they're a little too loud at times, and the noise can be pretty distracting when playing either docked or in tabletop mode. Thankfully, like most leverless controllers, the button caps and switches can be modded with replacements, so feel free to experiment to see what suits you.

8BitDo Arcade Controller 5
Image: Ollie Reynolds / Nintendo Life

In an effort to be tournament ready (granted, you won't find many tournaments utilising the Switch or Switch 2, but still...), the 8BitDo Arcade Controller also comes with a lock switch at the top left of the device, along with SOCD cleaning. The former can be switched on to prevent any accidental presses of the start button, the blue home button, or whatever else might get you disqualified from a tournament.

But what is SOCD? It stands for Simultaneous Opposing Cardinal Directions, and refers to the simultaneous input of directions that, on a single analogue stick or d-pad wouldn’t be possible, but with separate directional buttons is possible. For example, pressing ‘up’ and ‘down’ or ‘left’ and ‘right’ at the same time would sometimes result in unwanted in-game behaviour, but SOCD cleaning alleviates this entirely. Here, pressing opposing directions at the same time will simply yield a neutral stance in fighting games by default. Jolly good.

Like most 8BitDo products, you can also link up the Arcade Controller with the Ultimate Software V2 app on Windows. There is a version of the app available on Mac, but as of right now, the Arcade Controller will not link up there at all – only Windows. You’ll want to link the controller to the app as soon as possible in order to update it to the latest firmware (v1.04 at the time of writing) and make it Switch 2 compatible. So if you’re only on Mac, you’ll want to borrow a friend’s Windows PC or simply wait until the controller is compatible with the version on Mac (update: the latest update for Version 1.08 adds MacOS support - yay!).

Otherwise, the app will also let you create controller profiles and remap the buttons as you see fit. You can completely rearrange the layout of the inputs to your desire, or even set macros for special attacks; a good option for those extra bean-shaped buttons. It’s worth noting that you can only map single buttons to the programmable beans via the controller itself, while macros are only possible in the app. Once you’re all set up, however, you simply press the yellow star button on the controller to swap between profiles – easy. If you wish, you can also alter SOCD rules; so for example, rather than two opposing inputs rendering a neutral stance, you can make it so the first button pressed takes priority.

Aesthetically, 8BitDo’s Arcade Controller is absolutely stunning. Like its previous Arcade Stick, it looks to pay homage to the NES with the black, red, and light grey colour combination. Boasting a frosted tempered glass surface on top which, yes, might pick up a few minor fingerprints over time, this look is far preferable to a completely glossy surface, in my eyes. Meanwhile, over on the back, you’ve got a non-slip silicon cover that’s enhanced with a beautiful, consistent pattern of fighting combo patterns; seriously, it needs to be seen in person to really appreciate how cool this is.

You’ll also find a couple of other notable features on the back of the device. First up is the USB dongle, and this is magnetic, so holding the dongle close will cause it to snap into place, and believe me, it’s surprisingly satisfying in practice.

On the topic of the USB dongle, by the way, you can connect the Arcade Stick to your Switch or Switch 2 either via Bluetooth, the dongle, or the USB-A to USB-C cable, and all of them are completely viable with minimal latency from my experience. Linking via Bluetooth for the first time is simply a case of holding the green sync button while in the ‘Change Grip/Order’ section of the controller settings. Again, make sure you’ve updated the controller before attempting this on Switch 2.

Finally, there are switches on either side of the silicon cover which you can flip to add a slight bump to the device's angle when set upon a flat surface. It’s a minor change, but it does make a nice difference if you’re playing on a desk. Alternatively, the Arcade Controller is just as comfortable when used on your lap on the couch. If you opt to go wireless, then you can be safe in the knowledge that you'll get about 15-20 hours out of the battery life, which is incredibly generous.

8BitDo Arcade Controller 9
Image: Ollie Reynolds / Nintendo Life

Conclusion

8BitDo's Arcade Controller is a fantastic piece of kit whether you're a leverless veteran or a complete newcomer to the fighting scene. Heck, it's even a great option for retro 2D platformers too, if you wish. At less than $100, it's a remarkably affordable device for those looking to dip their toes into the world of leverless controllers, and like the vast majority of 8BitDo's products, the quality far outweighs the cost.

The only major downside is the noise of the stock buttons, which can prove quite distracting in practice. Thankfully, however, you can completely replace the switches for something a little more kind on those auditory nerves. Otherwise, it's hard to fault. Leverless controllers definitely take a bit of getting used to, but they can really help to give you a competitive edge once you're comfortable with the setup. Crucially, however, it's just a lot more fun and satisfying than a bog-standard controller. 8BitDo has done it again.

The sample used in this review was supplied by 8BitDo.

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