Rare is getting a limited edition 8BitDo controller for its 40th anniversary, and I can't help but feel bittersweet about it

(Image credit: Microsoft / 8BitDo)

A limited edition 8BitDo controller celebrating Rare's 40th anniversary has been spotted at Amazon
The blue/yellow gamepad features emblems from the developer's most iconic titles
It's revealed shortly after the cancellation of Everwild, which would've been the studio's next big game

It's definitely been a trying year for Rare, but there is at least something to shout about for fans of the legendary Twycross-based developer in the form of a limited edition 8BitDo controller.

This 8BitDo Ultimate controller for Xbox consoles and PC has been spotted over at Amazon (via Eurogamer), and is intended to celebrate the company's 40th anniversary. No release date has been revealed yet, and it seems like it'll only be available to US audiences at present.

It's definitely one of the nicest limited edition 8BitDo controllers to date, featuring a blue and yellow color scheme reminiscent of the developer's logo. It's also emblazoned with iconography from some of its most renowned titles, including Sea of Thieves and Banjo-Kazooie. There's even a banana there as a cheeky nod to the Donkey Kong Country series as well as Donkey Kong 64.

If you're unfamiliar with the 8BitDo controller, it's a bit of a revelation in the third-party gamepad space. It features Hall effect thumbsticks made to combat drift, two remappable buttons for secondary inputs, and a 2.4GHz dongle for wireless connectivity.

The 8BitDo Ultimate also includes a charging dock in the box, for a clever and easy way to keep the pad topped up. I consider it to be one of the best Xbox controllers and best Nintendo Switch controllers on the market today.

I can't help but feel bittersweet about the reveal of this controller, though. While Sea of Thieves is a tremendous game and continues to enjoy a dedicated player base, Rare's 40th year hasn't exactly been smooth-sailing.

The developer's next game, Everwild, was recently canceled. This is in spite of comments from Xbox boss Phil Spencer back in February of this year, where he claimed the game's development was progressing. Rare also created the Perfect Dark series, an immersive sim-esque reboot of which was also shuttered along with its developer The Initiative amidst another round of Xbox Game Studios layoffs.

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Rhys is TRG's Hardware Editor, and has been part of the TechRadar team for over four years. Particularly passionate about high-quality third-party controllers and headsets, Rhys strives to provide easy-to-read, informative coverage on gaming hardware of all kinds. As for the games themselves, Rhys is especially keen on fighting and racing games, as well as soulslikes and RPGs.

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