Today’s best deals: 8BitDo game controllers, Razer gaming mice, and more
Enlarge (credit: Ars Technica)
It's time for another Dealmaster! Our latest roundup of the best tech deals from around the web includes a new low price on 8BitDo's Pro 2 gamepad, which is down to $42.50 at Amazon. If you prefer to shop elsewhere, it's also available for 50 cents more at Best Buy. The wireless gamepad normally retails for $50, so this isn't a massive discount, but it's the best price we've tracked.
We gave the Pro 2 a positive review when it launched last year, calling it a "more useful, more comfortable, and more customizable" take on Nintendo's Switch Pro Controller despite costing $20 less. The controller works across Switch, PC, macOS, Android, iOS, and Raspberry Pi devices. Compared to Nintendo's "Pro" pad, its biggest addition is two programmable back buttons. These can make pulling off certain inputs in quicker-paced, competitive-minded games more convenient since you won't have to physically move your hands around as much as you normally would.
The controller is well-built and comfortable, with sizable face buttons, joysticks with a satisfying level of tension, and an even weight balance. Unlike the Pro Controller, the Pro 2 also has analog triggers; this means they'll respond to varying levels of pressure, which can be useful in, say, gradually accelerating in a racing game, instead of always going full-throttle. The D-pad is a bit firmer than what you'd find on a PS5 or Xbox controller, as it takes after the old Super Nintendo pad, but presses feel crisp and distinct, so it works well for old-school 2D platformers or puzzlers like Tetris. 8BitDo also has a fairly extensive companion app that lets you remap inputs, create and assign macros, and fine-tune the sensitivity of the joysticks and triggers. These tweaks, among others, can be saved across three separate profiles.