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Nintendo Switch gets retro customizable third-party controller next month

Sick of every other garbage D-pad for modern consoles? This new controller might be for you

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Ryan Gilliam (he/him) has worked at Polygon for nearly seven years. He primarily spends his time writing guides for massively popular games like Diablo 4 & Destiny 2.

On Aug. 7, 8BitDo will release the Switch-compatible SN30 Pro+, a new controller designed for the hardcore Mario nerd in all of us.

8BitDo is a prolific third-party controller creator, a far-cry from the old controllers you used to make your friends play with. It’s made a number of classic-like controllers over the years, but the SN30 Pro+ is its most advanced controller so far.

The SN30 Pro+ in black, Super Nintendo themed, and Game Boy themed variants
8BitDo

Designed to look like the front of a Super Nintendo Controller, the SN30 Pro+ has two analog sticks positioned like the PlayStation controller. A classic, hard plastic D-pad sits on the controller’s left face, with Y, X, B, A buttons mirroring on the right. It’s wireless, and has shoulder and back triggers.

What makes this controller more advanced is the new 8BitDo Ultimate Software. Shown in the video above, this software lets players customize everything about the feel of their controller. Players can even input macros for the controller to execute on a single button press.

The SN30 Pro+ works with Steam, Android, Mac, Windows, and Raspberry Pi. More importantly, it’s compatible with the Nintendo Switch. With the release of Mario Maker 2, plenty of players are on the lookout for a more classic-feeling controller, with a D-pad that Nintendo didn’t pull from the pits of modern console hell. The SN30 Pro+ looks to be the perfect remedy for such a problem.

8BitDo designed the SN30 Pro+ to play modern and classic games without sacrificing the “retro” feel that fans go all out for. It also comes in at a reasonable price, and players can pre-purchase it on Amazon for 49.99.

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