Subj : Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller vs 8BitDo Ultimate 2: which is t To : All From : TechnologyDaily Date : Wed Oct 29 2025 01:15:06 Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller vs 8BitDo Ultimate 2: which is the best value this Black Friday? Date: Wed, 29 Oct 2025 01:00:00 +0000 Description: The Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller and 8BitDo Ultimate 2 go head to head in this versus comparison. FULL STORY ======================================================================Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller Sublime sticks, remappable buttons, and around 40 hours of battery life all make the Switch 2 Pro Controller a must-have for its parent console. Pros Luxurious build quality Unbelievably smooth thumbsticks Remappable buttons are a welcome addition Simply refuses to run out of battery NFC and gyro support Cons Its not compatible with PC (yet) No analog trigger option Its not Hall effect 8BitDo Ultimate 2 More versatile with multiplatform connectivity and some of the best features in the business, the 8BitDo Ultimate 2 gives Nintendo a run for its money. Pros Sublime TMR thumbsticks The two extra remappable bumpers are welcome additions As are the digital trigger locks Charging dock included RGB rings are a nice touch, but Cons said RGB rings are a real battery drain Battery life in general is worse than the original Switch-compatible version sold separately Were now less than a month out from the annual Black Friday sales event which is set to take retailers worldwide by storm. Crucially, this years event could be the first time we see substantial discounts for two of the best Nintendo Switch 2 accessories in the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller and 8BitDo Ultimate 2 . Right off the bat, Ill say that you really cant go wrong with either of these excellent gamepads. The Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller boasts bespoke features like HD Rumble and NFC touchpoint for amiibo figures, while also offering a super smooth pair of thumbsticks and class-leading battery life. Write off the 8BitDo Ultimate 2 at your peril, though. Well, okay, its not that serious, but with drift-resisting thumbsticks and multiplatform connectivity, its one to consider if you want a controller that works on PC and mobile as well as Switch 2 . (Image credit: Future) Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller vs 8BitDo Ultimate 2: Price & Value The Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller is available for $84.99 / 74.99 / AU$119.95, while the 8BitDo Ultimate 2 retails for $69.99 / 59.99 (around AU$100) outside of sales periods. However, a version of the 8BitDo Ultimate 2 thats strictly for PC and mobile (no Switch 2 compatibility) is also available for slightly less at $59.99 / 49.99 (around AU$90). If youre approaching your buying decision purely from a budget standpoint, then the 8BitDo Ultimate 2 is the one to go for. Youre paying $15 / 15 less than the Switch 2 Pro Controller, and added value comes from its multiplatform capabilities, as well as the inclusion of a charging dock. As such, the 8BitDo Ultimate 2 is unbeatable on value between these two controllers. Youre definitely paying the Nintendo tax to a degree for the Switch 2 Pro Controller. But it has its advantages over the Ultimate 2. For one, its obviously out-of-the-box compatible with Switch 2, whereas youll need to update the Ultimate 2s firmware via the PC app first. The Switch 2 Pro Controller also offers much stronger battery life and an NFC touchpoint for amiibo cards and figures. But which is more likely to see bigger discounts during the Black Friday sales period? That is unarguably going to be the 8BitDo Ultimate 2. The brand has been generous with its product discounts in the past, both in and out of major sales events. Meanwhile, Nintendo is perhaps infamously stingy when it comes to price cuts on both hardware and software. As such, I wouldnt expect anything beyond, say, a 10% discount for the Switch 2 Pro Controller over Black Friday, and even thats being optimistic. For the 8BitDo Ultimate 2, I can see savings of around 20-25% over the same sales period, based on discounts weve seen from the brands other pads in recent years. Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller vs 8BitDo Ultimate 2: Specs & Performance At a glance, heres how the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller and 8BitDo Ultimate 2 stack up purely in terms of their specs. Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller 8BitDo Ultimate 2 Price $84.99 / 74.99 / AU$119.95 $69.99 / 59.99 (around AU$100) Weight 8.3oz / 235g 8.7oz / 246g Dimensions 5.8 x 4.1 x 2.4in / 148 x 105 x 60mm 5.7 x 4.1 x 2.4in / 147 x 103 x 61mm Features Additional GL/GR buttons, NFC, gyro aiming, GameChat button TMR thumbsticks, trigger locks, claw grip bumpers, gyro aiming, 2x remappable buttons, RGB lighting, charging dock Compatibility Nintendo Switch 2 Nintendo Switch 2, PC Connection type Wireless (Bluetooth), Wired (USB-C) Wireless (2.4GHz, Bluetooth), Wired (USB-C) Battery life Around 30-40 hours 10-15 hours Software N/A Ultimate Software V2 Regardless of your choice, expect a superb play experience with either the Switch 2 Pro Controller or the 8BitDo Ultimate 2. One of the most immediate pieces of advice I can give is to swap out your Joy-Con 2 controllers for either of these pads as soon as possible; those Joy-Con can be great for multiplayer and social gatherings, but cant hold a candle to todays subjects in terms of comfort, features, and gaming performance. In terms of shared features, both gamepads offer two additional remappable buttons and gyro aiming - the latter being handy in titles like Splatoon 3 or The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition . Both are also capable of connecting to Switch 2 wirelessly via Bluetooth. There are some differences between each controllers thumbsticks. The Switch 2 Pro Controller offers traditional analog sticks, with no Hall effect or TMR tech being deployed here. This can mean theyll potentially be susceptible to stick drift down the line, but they feel so buttery smooth during play that theyre clearly made with more care than other potentiometer-based sticks. The 8BitDo Ultimate 2s sticks are powered by TMR (or tunneling magnetoresistance, which admittedly sounds infinitely cooler). Like Hall effect, these reduce the risk of drift, with the difference being they feel much closer to traditional analog sticks in feel. A best of both worlds scenario, in a way. As for battery life, the clear winner here is the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller. At around 30-40 hours on a single charge, very few controllers can compete with it on this front. The 8BitDo Ultimate 2 is comparably worse at around 10-15 hours. Not the worst ever, but its RGB ring lights can really eat into that battery life, too. I recommend disabling the lighting here to squeeze as much life as you can out of each charge. The 8BitDo Ultimate 2 does ship with a charging dock included in the box, which is a really nice addition and means you have a dedicated charging solution for the pad, and one that looks smart as part of a wider gaming setup. (Image credit: 8BitDo) Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller vs 8BitDo Ultimate 2: Design & Dimensions Unlike the comparison between the Razer Raiju V3 Pro vs Razer Wolverine V2 Pro , its easy to tell the Switch 2 Pro Controller and 8BitDo Ultimate 2 apart at first glance. The latter is certainly flashier, with its eye-catching RGB ring lights and metallic thumbstick shafts. The Switch 2 Pro Controller is all business, sporting an arguably uninspired matte black finish that ditches the semi-translucency of the original Switch Pro Controller . That said, the Switch 2 Pro Controller more than makes up for this in sheer build quality, feeling super smooth and comfy in the hands. I can say the same about the 8BitDo Ultimate 2, as well. The brand typically makes use of high-quality materials for its controllers, and thats also the case here, with more pronounced textured grips than the Switch 2 Pro Controller, and metallic thumbstick shafts that are significantly more durable. A glance at the specs table above will show you that both controllers are practically identical in size; 5.8 x 4.1 x 2.4in / 148 x 105 x 60mm for the Switch 2 Pro Controller, and 5.7 x 4.1 x 2.4in / 147 x 103 x 61mm for the Ultimate 2. Theyre about average for controllers in general, not feeling too heavy, but with enough weight to sit firmly in the hands without feeling listless. (Image credit: Future/Nintendo) Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller vs 8BitDo Ultimate 2: Verdict I reviewed both the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller and 8BitDo Ultimate 2 here at TechRadar Gaming, and Ive used both extensively for countless gaming hours. While I did rate the former slightly better at four and a half stars, thats largely because the downsides of the Ultimate 2 - namely its wanting battery life, firmware hurdles, and higher price for the Switch 2-compatible model - irked me slightly more than the cons found with the Switch 2 Pro Controller. Ultimately, both serve strong purposes. While the Switch 2 Pro Controller isnt compatible with anything but its chief hardware, it nonetheless offers a bespoke and near-luxurious play experience on the console. The 8BitDo Ultimate 2 is multiplatform and has several useful features, but lacks on the battery life front as mentioned above. Personally, if I had to turn back the clock and purchase one or the other, Id choose the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller, if I was looking for a Switch 2-facing gamepad. If I planned to play more on PC, Id naturally choose the 8BitDo Ultimate. But really, both are fantastic controllers for Switch 2, and its hard to go wrong either way. Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller 8BitDo Ultimate 2 ====================================================================== Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/gaming/nintendo-switch-2-pro-controller-vs-8bitdo-ul timate-2 --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 (Linux/64) * Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100) .