8BitDo Professional 3 Controller Is Loaded With New Options, Preorders Reside Now

8BitDo has revealed the successor to its fashionable Professional 2 Bluetooth Controller. Formally known as the Professional 3 Bluetooth Gamepad, the upcoming controller retains the shape issue of the Professional 2 whereas implementing among the enhanced options discovered within the Final 2 Bluetooth, resembling TMR joysticks and set off locks. It additionally has just a few completely new options not discovered on different 8BitDo controllers, together with swappable magnetic face buttons and an additional pair of arcade-inspired ball-top stick caps.

The 8BitDo Professional 3 Bluetooth Gamepad is on the market to preorder now at Amazon for $70 forward of its August 12 launch. It is available in three colours: G Traditional, Grey, and a shade of purple that pays homage to the Nintendo GameCube. All three fashions include matching charging docks and a set ball-top arcade stick toppers that may be swapped in for the standard rubberized caps. Out of the field, the Professional 3 is suitable with Swap 2, Swap, PC, Android, Apple gadgets, and Steam Deck.

Should you want PlayStation-style aligned thumbsticks and/or often play numerous video games which can be higher fitted to D-pad motion controls, the Professional 3 appears like a robust possibility. As soon as we get our arms on the Professional 3, we’ll replace this text with our expertise. For the time being, the Professional 2 is our high decide for Swap gamers preferring this management structure. Equally, that is how we felt concerning the unique Final Controller earlier than testing the Final 2 sequence, which affords a markedly improved expertise. Briefly, the Professional 3 ought to in all probability be in your radar.

The 8BitDo Professional 3 prices $20 greater than the Professional 2, however the $70 value level aligns with the Final 2 Bluetooth, the producer’s flagship controller that helps each 2.4GHz and Bluetooth connections. The Professional 2, in the meantime, solely supported Bluetooth wi-fi and did not include a charging dock. The brand new model is the primary non-Final controller with a charging dock. A 2.4GHz USB-C dongle is saved within the backside of the dock. The Professional sequence has at all times felt like the choice flagship possibility for many who favor PlayStation over Xbox management layouts, and the Professional 3’s specs solidify that.

Just like the Final 2, the Professional 3 could be seen as a substitute for the Nintendo Swap 2 Professional Controller. Nintendo’s official controller feels nice and even has a pair of again buttons, however there isn’t any denying that 8BitDo’s pair of premium gamepads are extra versatile because of its suite of bodily modifications and programmable customization choices.

The TMR sticks on the Final 2 are superior, so it is thrilling to see the tech added to the Professional sequence. 8BitDo’s TMR sticks are noticeably smoother, extra correct, devour much less energy, and are mentioned to be much more sturdy than the Corridor Impact sticks discovered on the Professional 2, Final, and different older controllers within the assortment. Like Corridor Impact, TMR sticks use magnetic sensors to register actions; this naturally reduces put on and prevents stick-drift points from arising over time.

Together with the TMR sticks, the Professional 3 mirrors the Final 2’s remappable buttons and set off changes. It has two remappable again buttons and two further shoulder buttons which can be activated by microswitches. Should you flip the switches on the again, the Corridor Impact triggers turn into non-linear microswitch triggers. The latter shortens the pull distance, successfully turning the triggers into speedy buttons.

There are a few variations between the Professional 3 and Final 2 Bluetooth. The Final 2 sequence has rings across the sticks with adjustable RGB lighting results. The Professional 3 has an upgraded D-pad with improved tactile suggestions. Curiously, the G Traditional version has a sequence of raised ridges–three in every direction–whereas the purple and grey fashions have the acquainted directional arrows as a substitute.

The Professional 3 additionally has a customization possibility that shall be a giant deal for some gamers: swappable face buttons. Contained in the field, you will discover a small device to take away the magnetic ABXY buttons. You may then reverse A/B and X/Y to suit your choice for Nintendo’s and Microsoft’s button structure. Although the Professional 3 would not provide Xbox console help, you should use it for Xbox Cloud Gaming in addition to for video games you’ve put in on Steam Deck, Home windows, cell gadgets, and so on. Xbox’s management structure, with Y on high and A on the underside, is mostly thought of the default for any platform not made by Nintendo or PlayStation.

With the Final 2 sequence, it is advisable purchase the two.4GHz-only mannequin to get the Xbox structure and the Bluetooth mannequin for Nintendo compatibility. The Final sequence has at all times had a separate 2.4GHz mannequin for PC gamers and a barely costlier mannequin that provides Bluetooth and Swap help. There’s nothing improper with that launch mannequin, particularly for many who aren’t involved in Nintendo consoles. But it surely’s cool that 8BitDo created a built-in answer for many who have points with Nintendo’s management structure on different platforms. You may even remap the buttons after switching their areas to make use of Xbox’s structure on Swap.

Based on 8BitDo, the ball-top stick caps have been “made purely for enjoyable,” however we’re wanting ahead to checking them out. No matter whether or not they really feel sensible to make use of, they give the impression of being fairly cool on the Professional 3 and are themed across the controller’s shade. As an illustration, the retro grey NES/SNES-inspired mannequin comes with a pair of crimson ball-top caps. Should you go for the GameCube-themed purple version, you will get yellow ball-tops.

With 8BitDo’s Final Software program V2 app, you may modify stick, set off, and movement management sensitivities, create useless zones, modify rumble depth, and remap inputs. As much as three distinctive management configurations could be saved on to the controller, and you may cycle via them on the fly by urgent the profile button.

8BitDo is having a giant 12 months

The Professional 3 is simply the newest main addition to 8BitDo’s spectacular accent lineup in 2025. As talked about, the Final 2 and Final 2 Bluetooth each launched earlier this 12 months. Earlier than that, 8BitDo kicked off the 12 months by introducing a clear inexperienced mechanical keyboard and mouse which can be formally licensed by Xbox. The Retro R8 Mouse was 8BitDo’s first 2.4GHz gaming mouse, and another NES-inspired mannequin adopted just a few months later.

Earlier this month, 8BitDo launched its first devoted cell controller with iPhone compatibility. The $50 Final Cell Bluetooth Controller is licensed by Xbox and may maintain all iPhone editions in addition to most Android telephones. And this week, 8BitDo launched a pair of all-button battle pads for Swap/PC and Xbox/PC.

8BitDo’s Professional 3 and the All-Button Arcade Controller will work with Nintendo Swap 2 out of the field, however in the event you purchase the Final 2 or one of many different 8BitDo controllers with Swap 2 help, you’ll doubtless have to replace the controller’s firmware to get it to sync with the console. You may take a look at the Amazon hub we created for 8BitDo’s Swap 2 controllers. We included a number of of the identical mannequin as a result of 8BitDo controllers usually have a number of retailer pages hosted by totally different respected sellers with Amazon success, and the costs can range from day after day.

If you wish to examine the Professional 3 and Final 2 Bluetooth to Nintendo’s official controller, Amazon lastly has the Swap 2 Professional Controller in inventory for $84 ($1 beneath MSRP).