Welcome to the latest SwitchArcade Roundup, where we’re going to review the 8Bitdo Wireless USB Adapter and cover some Nintendo Switch news! The Switch just celebrated its first anniversary, and thankfully the Switch is a lot easier to find than it was back then. I chose to avoid the hassle and bought an audiophile FLAC player instead. Which I sold later that year after I didn’t need it any more after getting an office job. I should’ve bought the Switch instead! There’s a lesson here somewhere: be smart in the consumer goods you buy?
8Bitdo Wireless USB Adapter Review
8Bitdo got its start in the gaming accessories world by releasing Bluetooth controllers that were, frankly, barely legally distinct clones of old-school Nintendo controllers. Since then, they’ve upped their game by making wireless controllers compatible with multiple systems like the SNES-inspired SN30 and SF30. Now, they have a rather intriguing product, the 8Bitdo Wireless Adapter, which lets you use a number of wireless controllers on your Switch, such as the DualShock 4. And it works remarkably well!
You need to plug the 8Bitdo adapter into your Switch, and hit the pairing button. Then, put your DS4 into pairing mode. On your Switch, you have to enable Pro Controller wired communication, as this adapter actually enables rumble and gyroscopic controls for the DualShock 4. There are other controllers that the adapter works with, but the DS4 is the only one that supports the full array of control options.
You can also use other 8Bitdo controllers, the DualShock 3, the Wiimote, Wii U Pro Controller, the Switch Joy-Cons, and the Switch Pro Controller. While those last 2 you’d just use straight with the Switch, the adapter has multi-system compatibility, including Windows with Xinput compatibility (where it appears as an Xbox controller), Android, Raspberry Pi, and Mac. In fact, just as a way to use your existing wireless controllers with other systems without pairing each time, this adapter works quite well.
How well does the DualShock 4 perform as a Switch controller? Quite well. I couldn’t detect any perceptible lag, and button inputs for games worked quite well. On Splatoon 2, with the motion controls, I noticed that sometimes the motion controls were a bit finicky, and not as smooth as the Joy-Cons, but this only happened occasionally, and might have been from having the controller under my desk, blocking a direct line of sight to the adapter. You will miss HD rumble, as any vibrations go full tilt on the DualShock 4.
The face buttons and triggers all correspond exactly with the Switch’s controls, though you will need to mentally translate the buttons on your controller to the Switch’s layout. The PlayStation button on the DS4 is the Home button, and clicking the trackpad functions as the screenshot button.
I’m a big fan of the adapter, but that’s in part because I have a spare DualShock 4, and do not want to pay $70 for the Pro Controller. My one concern going forward is if Switch firmware updates break this adapter, but 8Bitdo seems to have a good track record with firmware updates on other controllers, so I’m pretty confident in my $20 purchase. At worst, this makes for an exceptional extra controller for multiplayer, or if you rarely play in docked mode, then it’s a cheap primary controller so you never have to detach your Joy-Cons. Plus, it’s a reliable way to use your DualShock 4 or other Bluetooth controller on your PC.
You can pick up the 8Bitdo Wireless USB Adapter from Amazon.
News
Kirby Star Allies demo now in the US
Good news if you’re looking to try Kirby Star Allies, as the demo is now in the US so you don’t have to register an EU account. The game has the same core mechanics as a Kirby platformer, but you can toss stars at enemies to make them your friend, and go through levels with a crew of four, combining different abilities to interact with the environment and unleash special attacks, such as a big Kirby curling rock! There are two levels to try, and while the “Hard" level is not really that hard, there are some interesting mechanics in play here. I haven’t played a good Kirby game in a while, so I’m intrigued by this one. Give it a shot!
Iron Galaxy wants to port Monster Hunter World
The studio that ported Skyrim to the Switch, Iron Galaxy, is publicly calling out Capcom asking to do the Switch port for Monster Hunter World. Previous Monster Hunter games did well on the 3DS in particular, but World’s design for top-flight hardware makes it a tough title to port to the Switch. Iron Galaxy has a ton of experience with these kinds of ports (also they made the rad Divekick), so hopefully this gets the gears turning again for the Switch port for this game.
Dear @monsterhunter team at Capcom – we understand that porting the game to Nintendo Switch is challenging (https://t.co/0JrAIQgcft) but this is exactly what @IToTheG does. Give us a shot & we won’t let you down 😉
— ᴀᴅᴀᴍ ʙᴏʏᴇs (@amboyes) March 3, 2018
I do wonder if the Switch’s meteoric rise will affect game design in the near future. Combine that with the graphics card market for gaming running into a brick wall thanks to cryptocurrency miners buying the most powerful cards, making games designed for the best hardware a tougher proposition. Maybe games need to scale down their intentions a bit in order to work on the Switch and lesser PC hardware? Or perhaps cryptocurrency is a bubble that pops soon and multiplatform Switch releases don’t prove to be worth it for publishers?
Darkest Dungeon now on sale
($22.49 from $24.99 for standard, $31.49 from $34.99 for Ancestral Edition, until March 12th) One of the first sales for the Switch port of Red Hook Studios’ psychological, turn-based roguelike. Both the standard edition, and Ancestral Edition with both DLC packs are on sale for 10% off. This one’s only a few bucks on the iPad, so I’d probably pick the game up there if you’re looking to save the most money, but if you prefer it on your Switch, or with the DLC, this is the way to go.
Keep an eye out every weekday for more SwitchArcade Roundups! We want to hear your feedback on Nintendo Switch coverage on TouchArcade. Comment below or tweet us with your thoughts!
