8BitDo’s $29.99 Ultimate 2C controller adds two more shoulder buttons

The new 8BitDo Ultimate 2C Wireless Controller includes Bluetooth, USB-C, and 2.4GHz connectivity.

8BitDo announced its latest budget-minded wireless controller today, the Ultimate 2C. For $29.99, it includes features like an extra pair of shoulder buttons to satisfy most PC and Android gamers, Hall effect sticks and triggers to keep problems like the Switch’s notorious “Joy-Con drift” at bay, and three different ways to connect it to a gaming machine with USB-C, a 2.4GHz dongle boasting 1,000Hz polling rates, and Bluetooth.

Amazon lists a July 15th release date, and while we haven’t had a chance to go hands-on with it yet, it could be a better bargain than the Ultimate C controllers the company released last year with the same $29.99 price.

There is a catch. Unfortunately, the Ultimate 2C’s Bluetooth compatibility only lists support for Android, leaving out the Nintendo Switch and other consoles, as well as Apple devices. And to use it wirelessly with a PC, you’ll need to rely on the included dongle.

The new Ultimate 2C adds an extra pair of shoulder buttons that can be reconfigured to function as other buttons.

Like last year’s Ultimate C controllers, the new Ultimate 2C isn’t compatible with 8BitDo’s customization software that can adjust the sensitivity of its triggers and sticks and completely remap the buttons. However, this controller does include an extra pair of “L4” and “R4” buttons tucked in beneath the controller’s shoulder buttons that can be remapped to replicate the functions of other buttons without the need for configuration from software or apps running on another device.

The Ultimate 2C controller will be available in four different colorways.

The 8BitDo Ultimate 2C will also expand the brand’s push into more colorful controller options. In addition to green, purple, and peach colorways that each feature matching buttons and sticks, the Ultimate 2C will be available in a mint option with a light green housing and vibrant orange buttons and sticks — a pairing that’s already growing on me.