Wednesday 10 February 2021

The 8bitdo Xbox controller for cloud gaming has some decent aspects but ultimately misses the mark.

Project xCloud or, as its now known, Xbox Game Pass cloud gaming, is an interesting beast. For the first time, we're now able to play console-quality Xbox games on our Android mobile devices, streaming via the cloud. Despite our best efforts to find the best Xbox mobile clips for cloud gaming and best tablets for Xbox cloud gaming, there remains an ergonomic conundrum that Microsoft has yet to solve. Playing Xbox games on a phone just doesn't feel as good, from UI scaling to the weird plastic clips we're expected to use to get our game on. Arguably, the best solution right now is the Razer Kishi by a significant margin, but that hasn't stopped other companies from throwing their hat in the ring.

This is 8bitdo's solution, a Super Nintendo-like gamepad with a clip for your phone. It's portable enough to fit in your pocket, but would you want to put it in there in the first place? Here are some thoughts.

Catchy headline

8bitdo Xbox controller

$45

Bottom line: The 8bitdo Xbox controller is decent, but its tiny size and unbalanced weight make it a pain to use for any length of time.

Pros:

  • Good 15-16 hour battery life
  • Bluetooth and USB-C connectivity option
  • Materials and construction sport decent quality

Cons:

  • Its lightweight design makes it feel top-heavy and imbalanced
  • Uncomfortably tiny for even the smallest adult hands
  • Cannot be used with your Xbox

See at Amazon

8bitdo Xbox controller review: What I liked

The 8bitdo Xbox controller sports an iconic design, which may be nostalgic for gamers of a certain age. If you had a Super Nintendo, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

Category Spec
Battery 480mAh Li-on
Battery Life 16 hours playtime, 1-2 hour charging time
Compatibility Android 6.0+
Connectivity Wireless Bluetooth, USB-C to USB-C
Size 144 x 63.4 x 33mm
Weight 111g

The shape and button layout isn't your typical Xbox-style design, but if you're familiar with controllers from the 90s you may find a bit of joy from the style. I know I did. I was also impressed with the general quality of the product. The buttons and triggers have decent action for a third-party controller, and the d-pad is arguably better than earlier iterations of Microsoft's own d-pads. The thumbsticks also have good motion, and respond well to commands, especially when connected via USB-C.

Although 8bitdo's website says this is primarily a Bluetooth controller, you can use a USB-C-to-USB-C cable to eliminate the added latency. Using the controller this way made it feel more responsive, and I was able to play fast-paced reactive games like DOOM Eternal with relative ease.

The 8bitdo controller can be used as a separate device, either connected via Bluetooth or USB-C, if you have your own tablet or phone stand. However, it also comes with a surprisingly good clip in the box, which can be angled in various ways. Unlike many clips we've previously tested, this one comes with a metal-reinforced base, which should see it sport a degree of durability many of its competitors simply don't have.

The clip can fit phones of practically any size and width, exceeding the width on even the chunkiest phones like the Razer Phone 2 or the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. The notches are also rubberized to keep the phone held in place. The snap-back action and force on the clamp isn't as powerful as some clips I've used, but it's more than adequate to keep even heavier phones stable.

8bitdo Xbox controller review: What I disliked

On paper, the 8bitdo Xbox controller does everything right. It has good battery life at around 15-16 hours, with fast charging over an hour or two. The materials and components are of decent quality and construction, and the action on the buttons, triggers, and sticks is very solid. Where 8bitdo fails, ultimately, is in the overall design of this product.

Ergonomically, the 8bitdo is just horrible to use. It's extremely lightweight at around 110 grams, which may seem like a good thing if you're into portable gaming. However, when you couple this with the fact you have to balance your potentially heavy phone on top of the controller's arm, you create a very annoying weight imbalance that is simply uncomfortable for long-term play. You can re-adjust the angles on the clip to center the weight as much as possible for the angle you're playing at, but even slight shifts can be irritating.

This lack of balance is made worse by how difficult it is to simply grip the product. Given its small size and shallow triggers, I found myself constantly repositioning my hands when playing very active action games. Playing with the added latency from the cloud can be detrimental by itself, without having to deal with a controller that's awkward in your hand.

I don't have the biggest hands in the world, but I just found it supremely awkward to use, even after spending a couple of days trying to practice with multiple attempts at repositioning the phone clip for the best weight distribution. I simply would struggle to recommend this to anyone except younger children with much smaller hands.

Given its price, it's also very strange that this controller cannot be used with an Xbox console. Microsoft blocks third-parties from using its wireless signal for controllers (which is very annoying), but you can't even use this controller in a wired configuration on Xbox.

Should you buy the 8bitdo Xbox controller?

I really wanted to like this controller, if for no reason other than the Super Nintendo-style nostalgic design. In reality, though, it simply isn't noteworthy. It'll get the job done if you absolutely want something small enough to fit in your pocket, but the weight distribution is a deal-breaker for anyone who is using a modern phone that has even a modest heft to it.

2.5 out of 5

Given that this controller costs roughly the same as a regular Xbox controller, I don't know why you wouldn't just buy a real Xbox controller over this and pick up one of the cheaper clips from our best Xbox mobile clip round-up. It could be an option for a much younger gamer, but I suspect they'd rather have a Nintendo Switch Lite in their hand than a clunky solution like this.

Will we ever get a truly ergonomic xCloud gaming solution? The search continues.

A controller for ants

8bitdo Xbox controller

One for smaller hands.

This controller might be a decent option for a youngster playing on xCloud, but for adults with even the smallest hands, it's simply too uncomfortable to recommend.

See at Amazon



0 comments:

Post a Comment

ShortNewsWeb

Blog Archive

Categories

'The Woks of Life' Reminded Me to Cook With All the Flavors I Love (1) 10 Scary Podcasts to Listen to in the Dark (1) 13 of the Best Spooky Episodes From (Mostly) Un-Spooky Shows (1) 13 Spooky Movies Set on Halloween Night (1) 1Password Now Generates QR Codes to Share Wifi Passwords (1) 2024 (15) 30 Movies and TV Shows That Are Basically 'Competence Porn' (1) 30 of the Most Obscenely Patriotic Movies Ever (1) 31 Spooky Movies to Watch Throughout October (1) 40 Netflix Original Series You Should Watch (1) 55 Box Office Bombs Totally Worth Watching (1) Active Directory (1) Adobe's AI Video Generator Might Be as Good as OpenAI's (1) AIX (1) and I'd Do It Again (1) and Max Bundle Isn't a Terrible Deal (1) Apache (2) Apple Intelligence Is Running Late (1) Apple Intelligence's Instructions Reveal How Apple Is Directing Its New AI (1) August 18 (1) August 4 (1) August 5 (1) Avoid an Allergic Reaction by Testing Your Halloween Makeup Now (1) Backup & Restore (2) best practices (1) bleepingcomputer (57) Blink Security Cameras Are up to 68% Off Ahead of Prime Day (1) CentOS (1) Configure PowerPath on Solaris (1) Documents (2) Don't Fall for This 'New' Google AI Scam (1) Don't Rely on a 'Monte Carlo' Retirement Analysis (1) Eight Cleaning Products TikTok Absolutely Loves (1) Eight of the Best Methods for Studying so You Actually Retain the Information (1) Eight Unexpected Ways a Restaurant Can Mislead You (1) Elevate Your Boring Store-Bought Pretzels With This Simple Seasoning Technique (1) Everything Announced at Apple's iPhone 16 Event (1) file system (6) Find (1) Find a Nearby ‘Gleaning Market’ to Save Money on Groceries (1) Five Red Flags to Look for in Any Restaurant (1) Five Ways You Can Lose Your Social Security Benefits (1) Flappy Bird's Creator Has Nothing to Do With Its 'Remake' (1) Four Reasons to Walk Out of a Job Interview (1) Four Signs Thieves Are Casing Your House (1) gaming (1) Goldfish Crackers Have a New Name (for a Little While) (1) Hackers Now Have Access to 10 Billion Stolen Passwords (1) How I Finally Organized My Closet With a Digital Inventory System (1) How I Pack Up a Hotel Room So I Don’t Forget Anything (1) How to Cancel Your Amazon Prime Membership After Prime Day Is Over (1) How to Choose the Best Weightlifting Straps for Your Workout (1) How to Enable (and Turn Off) Apple Intelligence on an iPhone (1) How to Keep Squirrels Off Your Bird Feeders (1) How to Set Up Your Bedroom Like a Hotel Room (and Why You Should) (1) How to Take a Screenshot on a Mac (1) How to Take Full Control of Your Notifications on a Chromebook (1) Hulu (1) I Chose the Beats Fit Pro Over the AirPods Pro (1) If You Got a Package You Didn't Order (1) If You Hate Running (1) Important Questions (17) Install and Configure PowerPath (1) interview questions for linux (2) Is ‘Ultra-Processed’ Food Really That Bad for You? (1) Is Amazon Prime Really Worth It? (1) It Might Be a Scam (1) July 14 (1) July 21 (1) July 28 (1) July 7 (1) June 30 (1) LifeHacker (124) Linux (36) Make and Freeze Some Roux Now for Easy Turkey Gravy (1) Meta Releases Largest Open-Source AI Model Yet (1) Monitoring (3) music (688) My Favorite 14TB Hard Drive Is 25% Off Right Now (1) My Favorite Amazon Deal of the Day: Apple AirPods Max (2) My Favorite Amazon Deal of the Day: Apple Pencil Pro (1) My Favorite Amazon Deal of the Day: Google Nest Mesh WiFi Router (1) My Favorite Amazon Deal of the Day: Google Pixel 8 (1) My Favorite Amazon Deal of the Day: PlayStation 5 (1) My Favorite Amazon Deal of the Day: Samsung Odyssey G9 Gaming Monitor (1) My Favorite Amazon Deal of the Day: SHOKZ OpenMove Bone Conduction Headphones (1) My Favorite Tools for Managing Cords and Cables (1) Nagios (2) Newtorking (1) NFS (1) OMG! Ubuntu! (688) Oracle Linux (1) oracleasm (3) osnews (26) Password less communication (1) Patching (2) Poaching Is the Secret to Perfect Corn on the Cob (1) powerpath (1) Prioritize Your To-Do List By Imagining Rocks in a Jar (1) Red Hat Exam (1) register (64) Rsync (1) Safari’s ‘Distraction Control’ Will Help You Banish (Some) Pop Ups (1) Samba (1) Scrcpy (1) September 1 (1) September 15 (1) September 2 (1) September 22 (1) September 23 (1) September 30 (1) September 8 (1) Seven Home 'Upgrades' That Aren’t Worth the Money (1) ssh (1) Swift Shift Is the Window Management Tool Apple Should Have Built (1) System hardening (1) Tailor Your iPhone's Fitness Summary to Your Workouts (1) Target’s ‘Circle Week’ Sale Is Still Going After October Prime Day (1) Target’s Answer to Prime Day Starts July 7 (1) Tech (9542) Tech CENTRAL (21) Technical stories (121) technpina (7) The 30 Best Movies of the 2020s so Far (and Where to Watch Them) (1) The 30 Best Sports Movies You Can Stream Right Now (1) The Best Deals on Robot Vacuums for Amazon’s Early Prime Day Sale (2) The Best Deals on Ryobi Tools During Home Depot's Labor Day Sale (1) The Best Early Prime Day Sales on Power Tools (1) The Best Movies and TV Shows to Watch on Netflix This Month (1) The Best October Prime Day Deals If You Are Experiencing Overwhelming Existential Dread (1) The Best Places to Go When You Don't Want to Be Around Kids (1) The Best Strategies for Lowering Your Credit Card Interest Rate (1) The Best Ways to Store All Your Bags and Purses (1) The Latest watchOS Beta Is Breaking Apple Watches (1) The New Disney+ (1) The Two Best Times of Year to Look for a New Job (1) These Meatball Shots Are My Favorite Football Season Snack (1) These Milwaukee Tools Are up to 69% off Right Now (1) This 2024 Sony Bravia Mini-LED TV Is $400 Off Right Now (1) This Google Nest Pro Is 30% Off for Prime Day (1) This Peanut Butter Latte Isn’t As Weird As It Sounds (1) This Tech Brand Will Get the Biggest Discounts During Prime Day (1) Three Quick Ways to Shorten a Necklace (1) Three Services People Don't Know They Can Get From Their Bank for Free (1) Today’s Wordle Hints (and Answer) for Monday (4) Today’s Wordle Hints (and Answer) for Sunday (11) Try 'Pile Cleaning' When Your Mess Is Overwhelming (1) Try 'Rucking' (1) Ubuntu News (346) Ubuntu! (1) Unix (1) Use This App to Sync Apple Reminders With Your iPhone Calendar (1) Use This Extension to Find All Your X Followers on Bluesky (1) veritas (2) Videos (1) Was ChatGPT Really Starting Conversations With Users? (1) Watch Out for These Red Flags in a Realtor Contract (1) Wayfair Is Having a '72-Hour Closeout' Sale to Compete With Prime Day (1) We Now Know When Google Will Roll Out Android 15 (1) What Is the 'Die With Zero' Movement (and Is It Right for You)? (1) What Not to Do When Training for a Marathon (1) What to Look for (and Avoid) When Selecting a Pumpkin (1) What's New on Prime Video and Freevee in September 2024 (1) Why You Can't Subscribe to Disney+ and Hulu Through Apple Anymore (1) Why Your Home Gym Needs Adjustable Kettlebells (1) Windows (5) You Can Easily Add Words to Your Mac's Dictionary (1) You Can Get 'World War Z' on Sale for $19 Right Now (1) You Can Get a Membership to BJ's for Practically Free Right Now (1) You Can Get Beats Studio Buds+ on Sale for $100 Right Now (1) You Can Get Microsoft Visio 2021 Pro on Sale for $20 Right Now (1) You Can Get This 12-Port USB-C Hub on Sale for $90 Right Now (1) You Can Get This Roomba E5 Robot Vacuum on Sale for $170 Right Now (1) You Can Hire Your Own Personal HR Department (1) You Can Search Through Your ChatGPT Conversation History Now (1) You Can Set Different Scrolling Directions for Your Mac’s Mouse and Trackpad (1)

Recent Comments

Popular Posts

Translate

My Blog List

Popular

System Admin Share

Total Pageviews