Pros & Cons
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- Well-built, mod-friendly design
- Responsive controls
- 2.4GHz and Bluetooth wireless connectivity options
- Lengthy, 10-foot cable
- Ultimate Software lets you remap buttons and program custom macros
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- Not compatible with Android or other consoles
- Doesn't house arcade-quality parts out of the box (but you can easily add them yourself)
- Lacks a tournament-friendly, button-lock switch
Four years ago, 8Bitdo released the N30 Arcade Stick, a Bluetooth controller that worked with PCs, Android devices, and the Nintendo Switch. Its follow-up, the simply named 8Bitdo Arcade Stick, is an improvement in almost every way. The $89.99 joystick has a heavier, more substantial build than its predecessor, and comes with a 2.4GHz USB wireless adapter, Bluetooth connectivity, and a mod-friendly design. The 8Bitdo Arcade Stick isn't compatible with Android devices or most game consoles, but that’s a small sacrifice to receive improved performance with PC and Switch.
Feels Solid
The Arcade Stick is a bit smaller than the N30 stick, but it feels much more dense and solid. It measures 4.4 by 11.9 by 8 inches (HWD) and weighs 4.6 pounds, shaving off nearly an inch from the N30's depth, but adding approximately 1.5 pounds. This is a benefit; a good arcade stick should feel secure wherever you place it, whether on your lap or a table. The bottom has four, dense, rubber feet to prevent sliding.
Visually, the Arcade Stick is more angular and technical-looking than the N30 stick. The corners are a bit sharper (but still slightly rounded), and engraved lines separate the joystick, main buttons, programmable buttons, and system controls in an uneven grid. It strongly evokes the design of the NES Advantage joystick for the NES, just with more buttons.
The joystick is a standard, arcade-style, eight-directional control unit with a spherical “balltop”-style knob and a square gate aligned with the cardinal directions. The main buttons are red and slightly concave, and arranged in two rows of four for the standard Vewlix layout. Above these buttons, against the Arcade Stick's upper-right corner, sit two slightly recessed programmable macro buttons labeled P1 and P2.
A control cluster in the Arcade Stick's upper-left corner dictates how the controller behaves. The left knob turns on the stick and sets it to Nintendo Switch or XInput mode, while the right knob determines if the joystick is mapped as the left analog stick, direction pad, or right analog stick. A small slider switch sets the stick to wirelessly connect to the included 2.4GHz USB receiver, or to work as a Bluetooth device.
The standard Start, Select, Home (for Nintendo Switch), and Capture (for Nintendo Switch) buttons are here, along with an additional button for wireless pairing. In addition, a small door on the Arcade Stick's back edge covers a USB-C port that's used for charging the controller or using the stick via a wired connection (a lengthy 10-foot USB-to-USB-C cable is included). That same door covers a dummy USB-A port that houses the 2.4GHz USB receiver when its not in use. Unfortunately, like the Hori Fighting Stick Mini: Street Fighter Edition, the Arcade Stick lacks a tournament-friendly. button-lock switch.
Connection Options
As mentioned before, the Arcade Stick can wirelessly connect to a Nintendo Switch or Windows PC via Bluetooth or its 2.4GHz USB receiver. It comes pre-paired with the adapter, so all you need to do is plug it into your Switch dock or PC and turn the knob on the stick in the right direction for it to work. Bluetooth is similarly easy, though it requires the extra step of pairing the stick with your device of choice. Unfortunately, the Arcade Stick isn't designed to work with other game consoles or Android devices.
According to 8Bitdo, you'll enjoy 40 hours of battery life when playing over the 2.4GHz connection (30 hours with the Bluetooth connection). The battery takes four hours to fully charge.
Easy Customization
Fight stick purists won’t find “genuine arcade parts” in the Arcade Stick, but the controls are solid and responsive. The joystick itself is satisfyingly clicky, and the buttons are silent but sturdy (with a shallow throw for quick reactions). If you're dedicated to arcade-quality parts, you'll be happy to know that 8Bitdo built the Arcade Stick with modding in mind. The Arcade Stick features a universal joystick mounting plate for swapping out the stick, and supports standard 30mm arcade buttons (for the main buttons, 24mm buttons for P1 and P2), so you can load it up with Sanwa parts.
You can customize the Arcade Stick’s button mappings by plugging it into your PC and using 8Bitdo’s Ultimate Software. The app lets you remap the buttons and program custom macros for the P1 and P2 buttons. I set the P1 and P2 buttons to the L3 and R3 inputs for the Switch, since the Arcade Stick doesn’t have those inputs by default and Capcom Arcade Stadium game collection uses R3 to add credits to its games.
Game Performance
I played several classic arcade games on my Switch with the Arcade Stick, including the classic shoot 'em up 1943. The joystick and buttons felt reliable and responsive, and the weight of the Arcade Stick ensured it felt stable in my lap (and more stable on a small table). As I mentioned, I had to program the P2 button to act as an R3 input to play the game, but it worked just fine after that extra step.
The Namco Museum's Galaga ‘88 also worked perfectly fine in testing, and the joystick was responsive enough for me to dodge most falling enemies and missiles. The Arcade Stick also performed well with Tower of Druaga, though that game is really, really slow.
Ultra Street Fighter II also felt good with the Arcade Stick. After setting my inputs in the fighting game to better suit the layout of the buttons, all controls acted just as they should. I reliably pulled off dragon punches and cannon spikes, instead of occasionally missing the proper motion and throwing a fireball or a spiral arrow. I couldn’t chain together complex combos in the game, but I couldn’t to begin with; no arcade stick can help me with that.
Accessible, Wireless, Ready to Upgrade
The 8Bitdo Arcade Stick is an excellent follow-up to the N30 Arcade Stick, adding a pleasantly solid heft and customizability for just $10 more than its predecessor. It still comes in at under $100, making it a friendly choice if you're looking for an entry-level fight stick with room to grow. The Arcade Stick doesn’t have quite the same arcade-quality feel as sticks by Hori and Qanba, but that’s an easy fix with a screwdriver and extra parts. Even without overhauling it yourself, the joystick's a capable wireless controller that’s ideal for playing classic arcade games on the PC or Switch. For that, the 8Bitdo Arcade Stick is an Editors’ Choice pick for budget joysticks.
If you’re interested in the many arcade stick alternatives, check out our guide to choosing the best fight stick.