Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller vs 8BitDo Ultimate 2: which is the best value this Black Friday?

We’re now less than a month out from the annual Black Friday sales event which is set to take retailers worldwide by storm. Crucially, this year’s event could be the first time we see substantial discounts for two of the best Nintendo Switch 2 accessories in the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller and 8BitDo Ultimate 2.

Right off the bat, I’ll say that you really can’t go wrong with either of these excellent gamepads. The Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller boasts bespoke features like HD Rumble and NFC touchpoint for amiibo figures, while also offering a super smooth pair of thumbsticks and class-leading battery life.

Write off the 8BitDo Ultimate 2 at your peril, though. Well, okay, it’s not that serious, but with drift-resisting thumbsticks and multiplatform connectivity, it’s one to consider if you want a controller that works on PC and mobile as well as Switch 2.

Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller vs 8BitDo Ultimate 2: Price & Value

The Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller is available for $84.99 / £74.99 / AU$119.95, while the 8BitDo Ultimate 2 retails for $69.99 / £59.99 (around AU$100) outside of sales periods. However, a version of the 8BitDo Ultimate 2 that’s strictly for PC and mobile (no Switch 2 compatibility) is also available for slightly less at $59.99 / £49.99 (around AU$90).

If you’re approaching your buying decision purely from a budget standpoint, then the 8BitDo Ultimate 2 is the one to go for. You’re paying $15 / £15 less than the Switch 2 Pro Controller, and added value comes from its multiplatform capabilities, as well as the inclusion of a charging dock. As such, the 8BitDo Ultimate 2 is unbeatable on value between these two controllers.

You’re definitely paying the ‘Nintendo tax’ to a degree for the Switch 2 Pro Controller. But it has its advantages over the Ultimate 2. For one, it’s obviously out-of-the-box compatible with Switch 2, whereas you’ll need to update the Ultimate 2’s firmware via the PC app first. The Switch 2 Pro Controller also offers much stronger battery life and an NFC touchpoint for amiibo cards and figures.

But which is more likely to see bigger discounts during the Black Friday sales period? That is unarguably going to be the 8BitDo Ultimate 2. The brand has been generous with its product discounts in the past, both in and out of major sales events. Meanwhile, Nintendo is perhaps infamously stingy when it comes to price cuts on both hardware and software.

As such, I wouldn’t expect anything beyond, say, a 10% discount for the Switch 2 Pro Controller over Black Friday, and even that’s being optimistic. For the 8BitDo Ultimate 2, I can see savings of around 20-25% over the same sales period, based on discounts we’ve seen from the brand’s other pads in recent years.

Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller vs 8BitDo Ultimate 2: Specs & Performance

At a glance, here’s how the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller and 8BitDo Ultimate 2 stack up purely in terms of their specs.

Regardless of your choice, expect a superb play experience with either the Switch 2 Pro Controller or the 8BitDo Ultimate 2.

One of the most immediate pieces of advice I can give is to swap out your Joy-Con 2 controllers for either of these pads as soon as possible; those Joy-Con can be great for multiplayer and social gatherings, but can’t hold a candle to today’s subjects in terms of comfort, features, and gaming performance.

In terms of shared features, both gamepads offer two additional remappable buttons and gyro aiming - the latter being handy in titles like Splatoon 3 or The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition. Both are also capable of connecting to Switch 2 wirelessly via Bluetooth.

There are some differences between each controller’s thumbsticks. The Switch 2 Pro Controller offers traditional analog sticks, with no Hall effect or TMR tech being deployed here. This can mean they’ll potentially be susceptible to stick drift down the line, but they feel so buttery smooth during play that they’re clearly made with more care than other potentiometer-based sticks.

The 8BitDo Ultimate 2’s sticks are powered by TMR (or tunneling magnetoresistance, which admittedly sounds infinitely cooler). Like Hall effect, these reduce the risk of drift, with the difference being they feel much closer to traditional analog sticks in feel. A ‘best of both worlds’ scenario, in a way.

As for battery life, the clear winner here is the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller. At around 30-40 hours on a single charge, very few controllers can compete with it on this front. The 8BitDo Ultimate 2 is comparably worse at around 10-15 hours. Not the worst ever, but its RGB ring lights can really eat into that battery life, too. I recommend disabling the lighting here to squeeze as much life as you can out of each charge.

The 8BitDo Ultimate 2 does ship with a charging dock included in the box, which is a really nice addition and means you have a dedicated charging solution for the pad, and one that looks smart as part of a wider gaming setup.

Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller vs 8BitDo Ultimate 2: Design & Dimensions

Unlike the comparison between the Razer Raiju V3 Pro vs Razer Wolverine V2 Pro, it’s easy to tell the Switch 2 Pro Controller and 8BitDo Ultimate 2 apart at first glance. The latter is certainly flashier, with its eye-catching RGB ring lights and metallic thumbstick shafts.

The Switch 2 Pro Controller is all business, sporting an arguably uninspired matte black finish that ditches the semi-translucency of the original Switch Pro Controller. That said, the Switch 2 Pro Controller more than makes up for this in sheer build quality, feeling super smooth and comfy in the hands.

I can say the same about the 8BitDo Ultimate 2, as well. The brand typically makes use of high-quality materials for its controllers, and that’s also the case here, with more pronounced textured grips than the Switch 2 Pro Controller, and metallic thumbstick shafts that are significantly more durable.

A glance at the specs table above will show you that both controllers are practically identical in size; 5.8 x 4.1 x 2.4in / 148 x 105 x 60mm for the Switch 2 Pro Controller, and 5.7 x 4.1 x 2.4in / 147 x 103 x 61mm for the Ultimate 2. They’re about average for controllers in general, not feeling too heavy, but with enough weight to sit firmly in the hands without feeling listless.

Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller vs 8BitDo Ultimate 2: Verdict

I reviewed both the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller and 8BitDo Ultimate 2 here at TechRadar Gaming, and I’ve used both extensively for countless gaming hours. While I did rate the former slightly better at four and a half stars, that’s largely because the downsides of the Ultimate 2 - namely its wanting battery life, firmware hurdles, and higher price for the Switch 2-compatible model - irked me slightly more than the cons found with the Switch 2 Pro Controller.

Ultimately, both serve strong purposes. While the Switch 2 Pro Controller isn’t compatible with anything but its chief hardware, it nonetheless offers a bespoke and near-luxurious play experience on the console. The 8BitDo Ultimate 2 is multiplatform and has several useful features, but lacks on the battery life front as mentioned above.

Personally, if I had to turn back the clock and purchase one or the other, I’d choose the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller, if I was looking for a Switch 2-facing gamepad. If I planned to play more on PC, I’d naturally choose the 8BitDo Ultimate. But really, both are fantastic controllers for Switch 2, and it’s hard to go wrong either way.

The best handheld games consoles for all budgets

➡️ Read our full guide to the best handheld games consoles
1. Best overall:
Nintendo Switch 2
2. Best for PC gamers:
Steam Deck OLED
3. Best budget
Nintendo Switch Lite
4. Best for remote play:
PlayStation Portal