8BitDo SN30 Pro USB Controller - Review
When it comes to game controllers, most folks stick to first party, partly because you get a controller with the box, but the other reason is quality, there are countless offerings that always seem to miss a few beats on what they offer. 8BitDo have been blazing a trail of late, with their range of controllers from the Bluetooth Lite or the newly released SN30 Pro 2, but for those without deep pockets, they have other offerings including the SN30 Pro USB and having spent a few weeks with it, we have thoughts.
If the name didn’t give it away, the biggest change for this controller from the other SN30 Pros is that it is corded, meaning it has a nice, long cable that gets plugged in. While that is a big deal, because those with larger rooms or at least chairs more than 2.5m away from their platform of choice, well let’s just say this is not a review for you. For those who can make use of the controller, what you will find is a wonderfully made piece of hardware, with enough features to cover almost everything you will want to do. Let’s focus on the design first, those of us older enough to remember a time before control sticks, will likely notice the familiar shape, it is clearly evoking the look and feel of the old Super Nintendo controller and as someone who has very fond memories of that, I am ok with it. What is different here though, is of course the inclusion of two control sticks and the split shoulder buttons, replicating the R and ZR functions from the Switch controller.
What buttons you get on the device though are your basic spread, you have your four face buttons, d-pad, the two stick as mentioned before and the split shoulder buttons, also mentioned before. What else you get is the Heart and Star buttons, though when connected to a Switch become Home and Share, so it seemingly has everything. When you connect the controller to a PC, which is supported, you can also program one button with the turbo function, something which is a call back from early third-party offerings, basically this controller has you covered. As far as usability goes, things are a little stranger, the d-pad, which is positioned to the left of the sticks is clunky, not broken or unusable, just clunky. When I was using it, it felt like it was dropping into place, more often than not and while it could be something that becomes smoother over time, it was providing the best experience for me out of the box.
The other main issue I had was with the four face buttons, two of them have the rounded top, similar to that of the Super Nintendo controller, but the other two actually cave in, which to me, felt more user friendly. Please do not get me wrong, both options worked, but the problem I had was that the concaved option were not the primary buttons, but instead given to the Y and X buttons, not A and B, swapping them over, would have been better. The other thing to consider here are the sticks, both have slight domes to their shape, which helped keep my thumbs on them, but never felt like my thumbs were going to get stuck there. The rubber used was soft to touch, but had enough of a grip to it, that I was not sliding down from the domes either, it was a unique balance that I think the designers managed to hit perfectly.
Sadly though, there is something about the sticks that is not perfect, the underside and by that I do not mean the mechanical parts inside the controller, I mean the back of the casing itself. The sticks take up more space that the original design offered by the Super Nintendo controller and they have taken that into account but building a new case to match the depth required by the stick placement, the problem is that they failed in one crucial way. Where the sticks come through, adds about a 3mm increase to the back, but only in those sections, which means when you are holding it, where your fingers would rest on the back of the controller, you are constantly encountering these raised portions of plastic. The problem is that these portions are not smoothed out in anyway, they are just there, so you move into them and you feel these bumps, I would have loved to have seen the back of the case moulded to allow for the sticks, but also providing a smoother hold.
When using it in games, apart from the case issue mentioned above, I really did not have any issues, of course the symmetrical stick placement, akin to what you find on PlayStation, is not my cup of tea, but I had no issues with it. The controllers size meant that it fit in my hands comfortably, the button spacing was thought out, meaning I was stretching to reach the next button and finally the split shoulder buttons, felt right to use, it is a solid controller across the board. While the included rumble feature is not going to shake your teeth lose, it does provide enough to make an impact, really the only thing missing is NFC for your amiibo.
If you are looking for a retro inspired controller for yourself, a cheaper and battery-less second for someone else, or you want a spare for those times when rage gets to you, this is a solid offering. The fact that the controller is compatible with Switch, PC and if you choose to Raspberry pi, makes it easy to suggest, if you bounce around all the platforms and while I am not a fan of the d-pad, that may change with time, the only real issue are those raised portions of the case, where the sticks live, if you can deal with that, you will find a controller that should meet all your needs.
The Score
9.0
Review unit provided by 8BitDo
The Pros
+Works as expected and has a solid build to it
+Almost feature complete comparted to Nintendo made controllers...
The Cons
-...but is missing amiibo functionality
-The extra height of the back casing, where the sticks are, is weird
