8Bitdo Pro 2 gamepad review: A $50 bargain for cool features, killer performance

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  The 8Bitdo Pro 2, launching on April 12 for $49.99. [credit: Sam Machkovech ]

What’s the best all-around gamepad you can buy for most video games? You’d think in the year 2021, the answer would be simple. But between consoles, PCs, and smartphones, even the most comfortable, affordable, and solidly built gamepads come with a compatibility caveat.

In my 25 years of writing about video games, I have tested a lot of controllers, and my current comfort-and-performance favorite is the Xbox Wireless Gamepad (MSRP: $65, which can vary based on year and color). But it only officially works on Windows, MacOS, iOS, and Android. You can buy third-party adapters to sync it with platforms like PlayStation or Switch, but that’s not necessarily ideal. There’s also a whole console-specific controller market, ranging from entry-level pads to high-priced “pro” variants, but I generally don’t review anything in the weeds of nichey compatibility.