8BitDo Arcade Stick

RRP: £90

Fed up with puny little controller buttons and tiny thumb sticks? Miss the good old days of some serious big button bashing along with a good waggle of your joystick? If the answer is yes, then the new 8BitDo Arcade Stick could just be what you’re craving.

Looking like the lovechild of a classic NES Advantage Joystick and a Street Fighter V cabinet this awesome arcade style joystick comes packed with a whole host of customisable options to suit players of all abilities. In terms of design and build the Arcade Stick oozes quality with its fast and responsive micro switched stick and large buttons which all perform admirably especially when faced with a barrage of stick waggling and button bashing.

The stick also comes with a universal mounting plate that allows you to swap in and out custom sticks and buttons made by other manufacturers making the whole thing customisable to your own taste and needs. Unlike the older N30 stick the new Arcade Stick supports 8BitDo’s ‘Ultimate Software’ meaning you can change the button mapping, create and save custom profiles and execute macros.

While it feels sturdy and will stay put during frantic play, the Arcade Stick is also relatively light which is ideal if you want to take it round to your mates or even to a tournament. The only downside I can find is the eye watering price but overall, it’s a fantastic stick that’s ideal for all those classic arcade genres. It’s great to see that’s there still plenty room in the market for good old fashioned digital input.