8Bitdo SN30 Pro+ Bluetooth Gamepad

Hardware Type: Game Controller

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Review:

The 8Bitdo SN30 Pro+ is a game controller for the Nintendo Switch (but also compatible with Windows 7.0 and higher, Android 4.0 and higher, and iOS 10.7 and higher). For the purposes of this review, I used a standard-model Nintendo Switch.

Where the SN30 Pro was a controller designed to look like a classic Super Nintendo controller, the SN30Pro+ deviates a bit further from that design, bringing it closer to the design of the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller with the grips on either side. However, on its face it still has a similar size, shape, and button layout to both the SN30 Pro and the original Super Nintendo Controller, and one of the optional color schemes for the controller mimics the look of the original Super Nintendo controller. As such, for the purposes of this review, I’ll be comparing this controller to both the SN30 Pro and the Nintendo Pro Controller.

As with the SN30 Pro, this controller has almost all of the functionality of the Pro Controller. It doesn’t have the ability to interact with Amiibo, and it can’t start the Switch on its own (players will have to use another controller to fire up the Switch before using this one). But all of the buttons on the Switch controller are here, along with a D-Pad and two analog sticks. In place of the Minus and Plus buttons are “Select” and “Start” buttons, and in place of the Capture and Home buttons are a Star button and a button with 8Bitdo’s symbol on it (though they function similarly). On the top of the controller are two sets of L and R buttons (here named simply L, L2, R, and R2), a charging port, and a sync button, along with a charging indicator light.

When first syncing the controller, players may find it awkward. It’s not a very intuitive process, as it involves pressing multiple face buttons at once (not sure why they couldn’t just have the sync button handle this). And, again, the controller won’t turn on the Switch, and players will need another controller to head into the system menus to get this one started up. Not a very elegant process.

Once you get that out of the way though, you’ll find this controller to be compatible with just about everything, save for those games that exclusively require the Joy-Cons or a touchscreen. And while I felt that the SN30 Pro was a bit of a mixed bag, I’d argue that the SN30 Pro+ fares much better overall.

While not as light as the SN30 Pro, the Pro+ is still a few ounces lighter than Nintendo’s Pro Controller, while still feeling pretty sturdy. It also bears mention that it feels slimmer than Nintendo’s controller. Overall this controller I’d say feels very comfortable in your hands.

Those used to the asymmetrical sticks of Nintendo’s controller may need some time to adjust to this controller’s symmetrical sticks, but before long they feel pretty natural. Like the SN30 Pro, the control sticks on this controller are pretty close together, but the addition of the grips on either side helps to make this feel less awkward, and makes the button placement of the face buttons feel a lot more natural too.

However, those are minor details. One of the huge advantages this controller has over the SN30 Pro are the D-Pad and shoulder buttons. The D-Pad is a good deal less stiff this time around, giving a bit in a way that feels better (in my opinion, at least). And more importantly, gone are the cramped L2 and R2 buttons from the SN30 Pro, replaced here by full-fledged trigger buttons, and analog triggers at that.

This may not be particularly important for those using the controller exclusively for the Switch, since as of this writing the only games that support analog triggers that I’m aware of are Trials Rising and Grid Autosport (and those games only support the GameCube controller’s analog triggers – they won’t detect the analog triggers on the SN30 Pro+). However, those looking to use this controller on other devices will be glad that this controller’s triggers are up to this standard (and they feel great, too!).

Overall, I felt that this controller mostly felt pretty good for playing both 2D and 3D games, with the only game that didn’t feel quite right being Super Metroid on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System app – in my opinion, this game is the problem child of awkward controller layouts, making players hold B and X if they want to run and charge the charge beam, and shifting the knuckle of the thumb over to hit A to jump (the only controller I’ve found works well for this game is the original Super Nintendo controller, and the Nintendo Switch Online Super Nintendo controller).

That said, there is one button placement that I found to be frustrating, apparently a holdover from the attempt to make the controller mimic the Super Nintendo controller – much like the SN30 Pro, the SN30 Pro+ puts the -/+ buttons (renamed Select and Start) right in the middle of the controller, which makes them awkward to reach for without taking your thumbs off of the other buttons and control sticks. If you’re playing a game that requires swift access to these buttons, this controller may pose a problem. Also, the Home and Capture buttons’ placement under the D-Pad and face buttons makes them extremely awkward to reach for during the action of a game, although you could alternately argue that it makes them harder to hit on accident.

However, while the SN30 Pro+ still retains a few of the flaws of the SN30 Pro, pretty much all of the changes to the Pro+ are positive ones. Quite simply, this is a better controller than the SN30 Pro. So then the question becomes, how does this controller stack up to Nintendo’s Pro controller? And the answer is… pretty damn good, actually.

First, though I’ve mentioned them before, it bears repeating that this controller doesn’t have two of the features in Nintendo’s controller – there’s no Amiibo support, and you can’t wake the Switch using the controller. Add to that the awkward placement of the -/+ buttons and the frustrating pairing process to get the controller set up, and you have a list of the biggest advantages of Nintendo’s controller over this one.

Having said that, both the rumble and gyroscopic motion control in the SN30 Pro+ are fantastic, and I’d say I like these features better in this controller than in the Pro Controller. What’s more, those who connect the SN30 Pro+ to their PC will be able to customize any number of features of the controller, including the analog trigger sensitivity, vibration intensity, and button mapping. And while Nintendo has recently added button mapping options into the Nintendo Switch operating system, this controller’s button-mapping options go a step further by allowing players to assign button macros to the buttons (so you could, for example, set up an “instant hadouken” button if you so desired).

So, is the SN30 Pro+ better than the Nintendo Switch Pro controller? Welllll… I wouldn’t go that far. Honestly, it’s a toss-up between the two, although I’ll note that it’s a toss-up that I suspect Nintendo rigged in their favor because they don’t allow third-party controllers to use the features that are exclusive to their devices (again, Amiibo support and the ability to wake the Switch). However, the cheaper price tag for the SN30 Pro+ (it regularly sells for $50, compared to Nintendo’s $70-80 controller) makes it a lot more competitive, I feel, putting the two neck and neck. Oh, and that’s not to mention the issue that Nintendo’s controllers have with drift… but I haven’t used the SN30 Pro+ enough to make for a fair comparison there.

Overall, the SN30 Pro+ is the best third-party controller I have used on the Nintendo Switch, and it is neck-and-neck with Nintendo’s own Pro Controller for the title of best controller on the Switch. This controller is not without its faults – it lacks important features Nintendo’s controller has, and it has a few minor frustrations that pop up here and there… but it also has some unique features of its own, as well as a decent price point. Overall, if you’re looking for a less-expensive alternative to Nintendo’s Pro controller, the SN30 Pro+ is likely to be your best bet.

tl;dr – The 8Bitdo SN30 Pro+ is a Nintendo Switch controller that is similar in design to Nintendo’s pro controller, although it lacks some of that controller’s features, and has a few unique features of its own. While it’s not without its flaws, overall this is a superb controller and an excellent lower-price alternative to Nintendo’s Pro controller.

Grade: A-

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