8BitDo arcade stick: the cabinet position, on an Xbox or a PC

On a modern pad, a quarter-circle lands one time in two and a six-button input turns into a lottery. This 8BitDo arcade stick puts your hand back in the original position: palm on the base, lever under your fingers, eight 30 mm buttons under the other hand. It plugs in over USB-C to an Xbox Series X|S, an Xbox One or a PC, and its chassis opens up to change the parts.

What it does

• A complete arcade chassis: lever and buttons in cabinet format, a wide flat base that sits on your lap as well as on a table.
• Three connections depending on the machine: wired USB-C for consoles, 2.4 GHz wireless or Bluetooth for a PC running Windows.
• Remapping and profiles: buttons are reassigned from the 8BitDo Ultimate software, with profiles recalled by the buttons on the chassis, handy when moving from one fighting game to another.
• Removable top plate: the lever and the buttons can be swapped for standard arcade parts, without buying a new chassis.

What it doesn't do

• It doesn't work wirelessly on a console: Xbox consoles don't accept third-party wireless gaming devices. On Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, the stick stays connected over USB-C. The wireless modes are meant for PC.
• It is not the PlayStation version nor the Nintendo Switch version: this variant is the one for Xbox consoles and PC, it doesn't cover the PS4, the PS5 or the Switch.
• It doesn't make a game accept third-party devices if it refuses them, and it doesn't replace the button configuration offered by the game itself.
• It doesn't convert an original retro console: a Neo Geo AES, a Super Nintendo or a PS1 have no USB port.
• The supplier documents neither the battery life, nor the weight, nor the full contents of the box: we don't publish those figures rather than invent them.
• It is supplied without games, in compliance with the law.

Compatibility

Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC running Windows 10 and 11. On a console, the connection is wired over USB-C; 2.4 GHz wireless and Bluetooth are for PC, where the stick is recognised by Steam as a controller. Not covered: PlayStation 4 and 5, Nintendo Switch, macOS, and every original retro console without a USB port.

Skill required

No assembly to play: plug in the USB-C cable and the machine recognises the stick. To change the lever or the buttons, you open the top plate with a Phillips screwdriver and unplug the spade terminals one by one — a good hour, with no soldering and no drilling. Remapping goes through the 8BitDo Ultimate software, to be installed on a PC.

In the box

• 1 8BitDo arcade stick, colour of your choice (white or black)
• 1 USB-C cable
• The detail of any additional accessories is not confirmed by the supplier: we don't list it.
• No games are supplied, in compliance with the law

Delivery in 10 to 18 days · ships within 3 to 5 days · 2-year legal guarantee · 14-day returns. Above €150, the order ships to a pickup point.

Worth reading before you order: Retro controllers