I just bought this $70 8shitdo and in less than a year of very light usage it's already broken. I don't want to waste money on another 8shitdo, and everything else on Amazon is just Gamesaar and other no-name brands. What is actually trustworthy and worth the money? I would prefer wired over wireless, and a good dpad is a must for retro gaming. It's a shame that 8shitdo's build quality is garbage, because otherwise the controller felt great.Is the GuliKit Elves 2 controller any good?
Use controllers you already have with USB adaptors instead of insisting on falling for paid reviews and forced viral marketing for shit products
>>12884617i run wired 360 ($10) for 3d and 8bitdom30 ($20) for 2d. the m30 is great, had it for less than a year though. 360 is the most reliable controller ime
>>12884617literally everything is made in the same 300 jungle factories in southern china anyway so just buy what's cheapest so when the thing inevitably breaks in 8 months you don't feel as bad.
>>12884619Doesn't this cause input lag?
>>12884625Not if you get a good one, plus most emulators have runahead nowadays
>>12884625shitters don't care about lag
>>12884617buy genuine console controllers from ebay and buy the usb adapters
>>12884617
>>12884617Isn't that still under warranty? Not that they'll necessarilly follow it, but it's worth a try.
>>12884682you dont know shit about those controllers. you never even took them out the box
>>12884682Or alternatively if you want wired, the Minis controllers + Wii Classic Controller Pro with Raphnet 0-lag adapter. (https://www.raphnet-tech.com/products/wusbmote_1player_adapter_v3/index.php).
>>12884617>I just bought this $70 8shitdoDamn, what a retarded faggot paying that much for one. I paid less than half that for my Pro 3 and it works absolutely perfectly. Best controller I've ever owned.
>>12884682>pay a subscription to Nintendo's emulator rental service on top of the cost of the controller, or pay and encourage inflated reseller pricingyeah nah brah.
>>12884658> Plugging a console controller into PC via a cable needs tech wizardry I don't possess.
I own a ton of controllers. 8bitdo is okay, good for the price. You can't really go wrong with them. They won't last forever but they usually last longer than official Xbox controllers. PS5 controllers are also pretty decent if you have large, masculine hands that are big enough to handle it.
>>12884715You can purchase them by creating a new account and just getting the 7-day trial of NSO. Anyway, I agree, it fucking sucks. It’s dystopian that, in today’s Nintendo, the price of a SNES Mini gets you one year of an NSO subscription. That's the reason I also mentioned the Minis/Wii controllers. But in this thread, we’re only talking about quality compared to the garbage 8BitDo makes, so I have to be realistic and say that, yes, first-party controllers are still better and feel like the originals.
Hori controllers usually have good D-pads, look into them
>>12884737>You can purchase them by creating a new account and just getting the 7-day trial of NSONein. You vill rent zee emulators
>>12884737>first-party controllers are still better and feel like the originalsYou're retarded. Every first party controller currently on the market is plagued with issues and all of them use cheap, shitty potentiometer sticks that WILL develop drift. You're just a brand cuck who sees your favourite company's name on something and assumes it's the bestest thing ever. I'd buy 20 GameSaar controllers before paying through the nose for some shitty "official" controller that's made in the same factory with cheaper parts.
>>12884749What are you talking about? I’m not talking about modern controllers for modern consoles. I’m talking about the SNES Classic Mini controller, the Wii controllers or the NSO controllers, not JoyCons o Switch Pro Controllers, I don't touch that shit. They’re much better than anything 8BitDo makes.>>12884747Oh wow, in that case, you just need to buy one month now? What does it cost, $2? Still better than paying a reseller if you’re interested in them.
>>12884617>Is the GuliKit Elves 2 controller any good?Don't know about the Elves 2, I have the Gulikit ES Pro and so far (with the latest firmware) it's been rock solid. Mostly the same as the Xbox Series X but the d-pad is quieter (but just as accurate), the should buttons are infinitely better, and the analogs are hall effect ones.The only issue is that the on/off button is in the same location as the start/select on the series X, so I kept pressing it by accident, and the controller turned itself off even after a single tap. But I stopped getting this bug after the last firmware update, which makes the pad pretty nearly flawless, other than using an inbuilt battery instead of AAs.It'll take a year or two to figure out if it's ultimately better, because it takes about that long for the series X controller to break down. But the shoulder buttons use a different design that makes them impossible to break, and so do the analogs. The USB-C connector already seems wonky but only if I force it.Looks like there's no getting around that connector being shit. Up side is that it's supposed to have really low latency even in bluetooth (the series X was unusable with bluetooth, so much lag).
>>12884617learn to solder bitch
I got an 8shitpoo Ultimate C Wired for 5 bucks on Prime Day 2023. It doesn’t have fancy shit like paddles or hall effect sensors, but it gets the job done. Its quality is slightly better than the wired 360 pad, so no complaints. There’s drift on both analog sticks at around a 4% inner zone, which is okayish, and a 5% inner deadzone isn’t too bad either.I have a Steam Controller (V1) and a DualShock (V2) too, but for emulation I use the Ultimate C Wired the most, I would like to get a M30 but I won't pay more than 15 bucks on that.
>>12884617depends on what you emulate (i use a normal xbox controller for most stuff and an old gamecube controller with a mayflash adapter for gc/n64 games) but the retrobit genesis/saturn controllers are great for 2d stuff. i use the wireless one for my genesis and it works really well.
Redragon Saturn. Fits great in your hands. Wonderful analog sticks, dpad and a shocking $20.
>>12884617>If you don't need analog sticks:8BitDo M30.>If you need analog sticks:Sony DualSense.
>>12884617just get an xbox controller or a ps5 controller they're way better than this crap. Everyone who disagrees is a third worlder that can't afford them
>>12885696360 and ps2 controllers are like $10
>>12885736So's a blowie from ur mum, but there's better options available if you spend a little more
>>12884617>Is the GuliKit Elves 2 controller any good?no idea and it looks ugly as sin.but i do have a kingkong 2 pro and it's excellent.i bought the xbox layout replacement buttons too because i'm not a faggot and it handles everything i throw at it. i even use it on switch mode on pc when emulating switch and wii u to have access to the gyro.i played resident evil 4 wii edition with it using the gyro as a pointer and it was a great experience. i can post my controller config if anyone is interested.the only time i use a different controller is when i emulate playstation 1/2/3 games. i use a dualshock 3 for that to have pressure buttons and all that stuff.
I like my Elves 2 a lot for the rolling d-pad/polling rate/features for the price point but I'm not sure if it'll hold up after a straight year of use. The shoulder buttons aren't great to use because the top is narrow. I was considering the TT Max but supposedly the sticks inherently have big deadzones.
Oh boy, they're starting with the daily 8bitdon't ads again.
stop buy crap, use the OEM stuff with a good adapter like Bliss-Box or raphnetBliss-Box is a universal for all controllers raphnet is specific to 1.
I can't believe they literally called it the GameSIR. Lmao
>>12884783It works but it's not great-feeling. It's built like a tank though, good for people on super low budgets. I don't feel like these will ever break on you.
How is the dpad on the cheapo gamesaar model?
>>12886778pretty good. I have both of those colors and I would have got the orange one if it didn't have some homos name on the front.
>>12886851Are the sticks just the DS4 sticks? That's a shame, I hate those
>>12884617I've had that same controller for like six years and it never broke and works reliably to connect and everything. I don't know what your problem is.
mechanical buttons, solid dpad, tmr sticks, 1k polling
>>12884617I fell for this piece of shit scam controller too, the right stick started drifting wildly after only four months of use. I still use it, dual sticks aren't necessary for most of the games I play, but I'm still in disbelief at how garbage this thing is. I only spent 30 bucks though, no idea how or why would you get one for 70.
>>12887493>I only spent 30 bucks though, no idea how or why would you get one for 70.70 Canadian dollars.
>>12885685I had one of these and it stopped turning on within 6 months, I loved the form factor but I've heard other people have similar issues.
>>12884617what the fuck, these things are $70 now?i bought this exact same controller for like $35, in 2024 i think
>>12884617>buying anything on Amazon>not expecting Chinese slave-labor-quality productsPick one.
Why do people seem to generally trust 8BitDo but not GameSir even though their products quality are very comparable?Is it just because of the name?
>>12887874I don't even bother looking at their controllers because the name is so bad. They should change back to their real name (Guangzhou Chicken Run Network). It would be an improvement.
>>12884783This. It's very cheap and when it breaks (because it will) it's very easy to repair/replace parts.
>>12884805I have somethng similar. I built myself an arcade controller with Seimitsu joystick and Sanwa pushbuttons. Indestructible.
>>12887764The pro 3 is much better than the pro 2
>>12887874Gamesir is such a dogshit name, it really is a contributing factor for me not buying one.
>>12887892I have one of these and it's lasted for over 5 years without a problem. They're dirt cheap and built like a tank. The downside is they feel like crap in your hands, and the d-pad is not the best. I wish I could take the guts of the logitech and put in in the shell of the 8bitdo. Then you'd have the perfect controller.
>>12885932Elves 2 anecdotal update:The X button started to only register if I pressed it really hard. I needed a precision screwdriver to reach the deeper screws. Half the exterior screws were rusting for some reason. You have to yank out the stick caps to get the main board out. The button worked again after I gave the contact a good wiping. Unrelated, the d-pad got a bit creaky but I didn't investigate it.
>>12884617PS4 controller.
>>12889838Dpad and shoulder buttons are shit
>>12884617I'm using a DOUBLESHOCK 3™
>>12889816Thanks for the information, that has put me off from buying one even though I love the form factor.
>>12890075do modern PCs even have serial ports for this to connect to?
>>12884617a keyboard is all you need.
>>12890178There are serial to usb adapters.
>>12890178There was a USB version which I had.
>>12890178yes, they do have serial. unless you are on a laptop.but joysticks never used serial on pc.
>>12889925Should I seek out a real DualShock 3-5 to satisfy a desire for a PS layout or just settle for something like the retro fighters defender?
>>12891194the gameSAAR tarantula pro looks nice.
>>12891228They should make one where instead of the button names rotating from xbox to nintendo its xbox to playstation
I just use a DualSense for everything that's not Sega; I have USB Saturn pad for those systems.
>>12889974In January 2025, I purchased the same model; considering the price, it functioned reasonably well. However, in my experience, one of the triggers no longer functions as intended, and there's an issue with the left analog stick moving independently.
>>12890075This thing was bad even when it came out
>>12884617>Is the GuliKit Elves 2 controller any good?yes
>>12893360It really is great considering it's dirt cheap. It satisfied my itch for a classic DualShock.
>>12893641looks like shit.
>>12893641That d-pad looks great. This would be good if it had grips, without them I fucking can't
>>12884617Nigga I bought two for 35 dollars a piece. One is still in the box and the other is still working 3 years later, longer than any of my shitbox or goystation controllers ever did.
I was tempted to get the n64 controller from 8bitdo just for the benefit of the extra face buttons but I tried one of their controllers at a friends house and the d-pad felt like shit. For the most part my Xbox one controller was perfectly fine and much better than that garbage so I never bothered to try anymore of their stuff, I have a steam controller now and prefer that for pretty much everything.I do have a hori battle pad gamecube controller for GC games just because it was very cheap and I have a softspot for the old gamecube controller layout. It makes almost no difference for enjoyment of the games unless you have some attachment to a design and I dont see the point in getting autistic about controller build quality
DS4
>>12886778My favorite d-pad actually. Beats out 1st party Sony controllers imo.
>>12893641This should've had 6 buttons.
>>12884617>It's a shame that 8shitdo's build quality is garbage,It's really no different than first party controllers. It's always going to be a crapshoot whether a controller lasts a few weeks, a few months or a few years. I went through multiple Dualshock 4 controllers in the past decade, a number of which only lasted 2-3 months before suffering from analog drifting. >>12884621This. At least the markups we pay aren't as ridiculous as fashion brands. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yzlA_GL_zs
>>12884617The GameSaar is pretty good for chink trash. D-Pad good enough for expert level Super Metroid wall jumping. Which has become my standard for testing D-Pads. >OG 360 rocker style D-Pad was trash. Just... so bad.
>>12884617>>12886778the gameSAAR is unironically good if you don't mind being plugged in. the cord is fairly short, too. but i really don't know how you "broke" that 8bitdo. i also don't know how you paid $70. they aren't $70 and they don't break. like what's broke? a button is stuck down, meaning the pad underneath is torn? the pad you can get 4 of for literally $1? and easily replace? that kind of broke?
>>12886879They are basically the same as ds4 sticks yeah, but they are significantly more textured and my thumbs don't slip off them quite as much as my old ds4. Still too small and too close together.
>>12886778Its a pretty good dpad, especially for the money. Same quality as a ds4 dpad from my comparison, actually a bit better though my ds4 is mad old. I did manage to get some false diagonals from testing but I was still able to wall jump on super metroid fairly consistently. A tape mod would fix it right up I think but I can't be bothered to do a tape mod on a twenty dollar controller lol. Had mine for six months now as my main controller and its held up fine so far. Best cheapo I've used so far, but it is still a cheapo ultimately.
>>12898232it was analog drift. I tried recalibrating the thing and it only kinda fixed it.i'm leaning towards getting a 8bitdo pro 3 (the previous one is a pro 2) because apparently the pro 3 uses TMR sticks and that's supposed to be significantly better than the Hall Effect sticks of the pro 2.
>>12886778I have no idea what happened but mine now detects as an xbox 360 gamepad, hid gamepad, hid mouse and hid kbm at the same time. In some games the controls are fucked up until you disconnect the gamepad and reconnect it again.
>>12887889"Chicken Run Network" with their existing logo would appeal more than "gamesir," for sure.
>>12898582>TMR sticks that's supposed to be significantly better than the Hall Effect sticksIt's mostly marketed as the next big thing, because of course they want you to buy their new products, but in practice you'll probably never notice any difference.
>>12898243>It's great>cord too short but it's greaqt>Oh btw false diagonals, BUT ITS GREAATNigga you don't even try.
>>12885303This is like that gay looking controller you force your little brother to use because you don't think he's worthy of a real one.
It doesn't matter which controller you used. The only thing that matters is that you had fun.
>>12884617Reflex adapt + original controllers is objectively the best way. Works with Retroarch, mister, other software emulators. Very low lag and honestly with the issue of controllers, nothing is better than originals. I don't know why all these shitter companies can't make decent dpads. 8shitdo is like passable sometimes but they're not great. Everything else are just 360 style controllers or cheap chink usb controllers that will break in 4 days of use. Adapt makes it so you can remap og controllers since it converts them to usb but it's an adapter for the physical connections but it lowers lag. If you get one you gotta get these hdmi style SNAC adapters though to connect the controller to the adapt itself. Check misteraddons they should all be in stock within a week I hear. And with original controllers, you can often get them with replaced membranes and shit like that so they feel new off ebay. For the longest time I just used a snes pad for everything 2D then for 3d I'd just use various things. Now I have tons of original controllers for every system to get the complete feelz for the system I'm playing. Highly recommend. Fuck all these damned 3rd party controllers I've almost never had decent experiences with them over the years, it's always something. Buttons too loud, dpad false diagonals, isn't recognized in windows, breaks in a week, etc
Try lowballing people for a Hori Rap. If they want 80, offer them 50, and someone will take it. Plus they are fun to mod.
This is all I need.
>>12903303surprisingly comfortable, like an snes controller but made to fit in large hands.
>>12890181BASED and TRUE. The only thing I can imagine a keyboard can't play well is games that have pressure sensitivity like the PS2 Metal Gear Solid games or a lot of racing games.I haven't emulated much in the way of PS2 and Xbox Classic games, but I reckon some of them have right stick analog controls for camera movement, so that's something that keyboards can't emulate.But everything else in retro gaming though? Keyboard is the way to go. People waste countless hours arguing over which d-pad among 10 million different controllers is the best. None of them are as good as the W, A, S and D keys on keyboards (or just the direction keys if you're more used to that).
>>12903464Try playing a rally game with a controller. Or a wheel
>>12884617you had to buy the dual shock lookalike didn't you? Snes chads win again
>>12903303I like this controller a lot. Shame the face buttons are printed instead of injection molded because they wore off on both of mine.
>>12903465>Or a wheelGot any good ones to recommend? I'm thinking of emulating the PSP Wipeout games and want to play them with a steering wheel controller.
>>12903498This is true, wish there was a market in someone making higher quality replacement buttons.
I have never had a problem with my dpad or buttons using a ds4. the analog sticks go to shit but the dpads have lasted for 10 and 7ish years, since I bought the original and one to replace the fucked dpad.
>>12904124*fucked analog stickgoddammit
>>12884617Depends on what games you're playing. Diamond pattern just doesn't cut it for Sega.
>>12903580>I'm thinking of emulating the PSP Wipeout games and want to play them with a steering wheel controller.that sounds like a bad idea. why a wheel for the one console that isnt meant for it
>>12903580>steering wheelGet an HOTAS and pedals.
>>12904221Shut up, retard
>>12904278Lmao it'd be more accurate than a wheel, you absolute spastic. Bet you haven't even played the PSP Wipeout games, you fucking clown.
>>12904137So I guess that means I'm left with a controller? Oh well. I guess the only controller I have with analog triggers is my Xbox Series controller. I'll try playing Wipeout with that.>>12904221How good is that with Wipeout? As the anon above me pointed out, the games weren't built on a console with that in mind.
>>12904987PSP doesn't have analog triggers dude, your controller having analog triggers or not won't make a difference
>>12884617I bought an emulator stick off ebay for $20 3 years ago. It comes with 2 mock wireless ps2 controllers. They work great for the price. My first one's analog stick finally got a little loose after over 2 years of play. The battery time is also insanely long each lasting between 3-6 months of constant use on only 2 AAA batteries. Sometimes, the chinks make some good stuff.
>>12884617Mine still holds up very well a few years later, but I'll admit that I may just be lucky and got a good one.>>12884637If your total input lag is only like 10-20ms then it's not significant. Not all input lag is some catastrophic 150ms NuTendo shit.>>12884697My Pro2 works extremely well. Very comfortable and great buttons.I see a fair amount of people complain about 8BitDo though, so I have to assume they have sloppy QC and let through defects too much.
>>12884731How long do you find 8BitDos last on average, what kinda gaming do you do on them?>>12885696Enjoy your stick drift.
>>12887339Mine is great 3 years and counting, but with how much complaining I see (just look in this thread), I have to assume they just use sloppy manufacturing.>>12887874Because GameSir either makes you think of Pajeets, or a Redditor going "Like a sir." and either is offputting.>>12890181I will never go back to emulating platformers on keyboard, and you cannot make me.
>>12898607Strongly agree. Who doesn't like some chicken anyway? Gonna cook some later.
>>12904307Shut up, retard
>>12906012>If your total input lag is only like 10-20ms then it's not significant.That's significant af
>>12906275Unless you're an actual FGC tourneysweat, it's literally not, and those people use wired anyway.
>>12885696Just cause something's expensive doesn't mean it's drastically better. Those controllers are not worth their price
picrel left to right>8shitdo ultimate 2.4gi've had since nov 2011 and it's been solid, very comfy in my small hands, played a few hundred hours of soulsborne, metroidvania, and platformer games, had to buy a cap for the stick because the soft plastic starting ripping off mainly due to my nail digging in over time, i don't like how i can't repogram the back buttons to whatever i want, no issues with steam and linux (bazzite)>gamesaar cyclone 2purchased about a year ago, very comfy but more narrow feeling than the ultimate 2.4g, i like how easy it is to switch to android, xinput, switch modes, the backbuttons are fully customizable using the gamesaar app in windows, you can do hair trigger lock on L2 and R2, very good for the price, cheaper than 8shitdo, my main controller now>retrobit saturn/megadrive wired USB-A controller, hardly used this shit, buttons feels too clicky, more of a gimmick, i had this grand vision of playing megadrive emulation with an OG feel controller>DS4i still use this for my OG PS4 once in a while, used to main this as my PC controller but it was super buggy and required a third party app, i think steam support has gotten better but haven't tried it recently>verdictgamesaar is excellent value, i also have their tablet clamp controller, their bluetooth connection is solid and easily switches between modes like the cyclone 2
>>12906268RattledCookedSeethingI've done you
I just bought a 8bitdo Pro 2... the dpad isn't as good as I thought it would be
Wondering if anyone here can identify this controller. It's some knock-off but it looks decent
>>12906634Acegamer wireless controller for ps4. I have one in white and its pretty decent
>>12906483It's a shame, I do like how the clear retrobit saturn looks but I hear the 8bitdo m30 is just better made so it's what I've got.
>>12887874Yes, it's literally just because of the brand name and nothing else. People here have been so mindbroken by India that a three-letter ("sir") being used as a suffix conjures images of dirty brown third worlders in their heads. It literally blinds them to the product in front of them.
>>12906779i just dont like their style of controller. 8bitdo makes replicas and gamesir makes their own originals
>>12906769>Acegamer wireless controller for ps4Whoa nice! Thanks a ton
>>12906771the m30 is also wireless, retrobit does give you a long ass usb cord but still prefer wireless nowadays, gone are the days of latency when even cloud streaming is good enough for most games nowadays
>>12906856shitter
>when even cloud streaming is good enough for most games nowadays(you)
>>12906856I use it plugged in.The RetroBit Saturn wireless also doesn't support a wired connection through its usb port, shame
>>12891194I've got the previous model Defender and it's pretty decent and comfortable to hold, although I'm using it for my actual PS2. Haven't tried it much on emulation yet, and while it's supposedly got analog face buttons I don't know if I can get the emulator to recognize them.For PC at the moment I'm just using a current-gen Xbox controller and it does okay. D-pad isn't great but it's better than the 360 one.
>>12884617I've been using an 8bitdo pro 3 with their wireless adapter for my Playstation 2.for the most part, I'm pretty happy with it. it feels nice, the D-pad is usable and trigger locks are a good feature.my two negatives: the face buttons are REALLY FUCKING LOUD. it reminds me of a shitty off brand controller I had for my Genesis as a kidthe other is the official wireless adapter adds some input lag, which is fine what what I'm playing (turned based JRPGs and TRPGs) but less so for some other games. I know it works with a USB-C into the adapter but at that point I'd just use a DualShock 2.
>>12884617I really wish Nintendo made a controller like this instead of trying to copy the Xbox layout. Using an offset analog stick feels fine, using an offset dpad feels like shit. This is why both analog sticks should always be in the offset lower position.
>>12907112>instead of trying to copy the Xbox layoutThey're preserving the joycon layout, that need asymmetrical sticks in order to work as individual controllers.Every odd design in Nintendo controllers are a compromise with joycons.Asymmetrical sticks? It's because of joycons.No analog triggers? Joycons couldn't have them on SR and SL, it would be unfair.No big home button at the center of the controller? Guess what, joycons.
>>12907112as a proud wii u owner i can tell you that having both stick up and dpad and face buttons down just works and is what they should have stick with.
