This 8Bitdo controller offers an unusual design that should appeal to retro fans in particular. The M30 is based on the controller of the 1990 Sega Mega Drive and is even with the Sega MegaDrive Mini compatible. It has been available for a few years, and the white colorway is new.
Two different versions
An important distinction in advance: The controller comes in two different versions. The 8Bitdo M30 2.4G Wireless requires an included USB dongle to function and can be used on a PC or with the Mega Drive Mini be used. This is a reboot of the 1990 console that was released in 2019 and comes with 42 preloaded games. (The console was released in Japan in 1988 and in the USA in 1989 as Sega Genesis.)
The 8Bitdo M30 Bluetooth Controller, on the other hand, does not require a dongle and can with a PC, an Android mobile phone or tablet or the Nintendo Switch be used. So if you don’t own the 2019 mini console, this version should be much more interesting for most people. Externally and in terms of processing, the two controller models are largely identical.
8Bitdo calls the controller the “best 6-button controller ever made”. Big words, depending on what counts as a “6-button controller” and how many there are after all. The M30 has 11 buttons and a directional pad. For those who are confused now: The six buttons on the right side are mainly used for control and can be reached with the right thumb. The four buttons in the middle aren’t really intended for in-game controls but correspond to Start/Select and a home button. Then there are shoulder buttons; one on each side.
It’s on the left control pad. There is no control stick, which means that the gamepad can only be used to a limited extent for 3D titles. Retro is the order of the day here and above all two-dimensional games will be played with it.
There is a center on the top USB-C port, through which the controller is loaded. This should take about two hours for the 480mAh battery. The maximum runtime with one battery charge is 18 hours.
8Bitdo sells one for around €10 Smartphone-Clipwhich attaches to the controller and can hold a phone when you want to play on your Android device.
Gamble like 1990
Who is the controller for? Especially for Fans of the old Sega consoles. As someone who got involved with video games in the mid-90s, I grew up more with the Nintendo consoles and have no real connection to the Mega Drive myself. At least the shape of the M30 is way ahead of the square gamepad of the NES in terms of ergonomics.
The controller costs €29.99 and is currently only available from Amazon in the original black version. So far, the white version is only listed on amazon.com, where it is already sold out and shipping costs to Europe will have to be added anyway. Other 8Bitdo models include the 8Bitdo Ultimate also as XBOX-Version is available, or. For premium models with a particularly large number of customization options, it might be worth taking a look at the Nacon controllers. And those who just have one particularly cheap controller for the switch can try this Amazon bestseller for just under €20.
