It's not necessarily a novel observation to say how reminiscent the boxy form factor of Valve's Steam Machine is of Nintendo's GameCube console of yore. After all, the GabeCube startup memes were rolling in within about two days of the hardware's announcement.
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As is clear from his 8BitDo Pro 3 review, our James really dug this wireless controller. Though it doesn't grace the loftier ranks of our Best PC controllers guide, James still uses the 8BitDo Pro 3 as his everyday controller—and, take it from someone who also sees a lot of hardware pass through her hands, sticking with a bit of kit after you've filed the review is high praise indeed.
So, what's to love about this gamepad—besides the nostalgic colourway, I mean? Well, for a start it boasts symmetrical analogue sticks, so those like myself who dabble with the dark side of modern day PlayStation gaming will feel right at home.
Speaking of the DualSense, the 8BitDo Pro 3 is also a comparable, well-balanced weight at 242 grams, though James notes that in the hands this purple controller feels a little more akin to the DualShock 3 controller.
He writes, "The weight, feel, and look align it most closely with the PS3's DualShock controller. This means it can feel a little narrow if you've gotten used to a chunkier controller."
And just like some PS3 controllers I've handled in my time, James also observed a little rattle from his review unit during more animated moments of gaming. Also disappointing is that, despite the 'Pro' billing, this pad is only packing a polling rate that maxes out at 250 Hz. As James notes, "Even the Ultimate 2C has a 1,000 Hz polling rate at half the price of the Pro 3."
To be fair, that price difference can probably be traced back to the fact that the 8BitDo Pro 3 is offering TMR sticks, rather than just Hall effect like the 8BitDo Ultimate 2C wireless controller—which, in a lilac colourway, happens to be my everyday controller. Still, I think the 8BitDo Pro 3 has plenty to offer—such as the charging cradle thrown in as part of the price.
Rather than just take up space and collect dust, you can charge the cradle and game at the same time. You can plug the gamepad's 2.4 G dongle into the cradle's underside, then plug that into your PC, or just cut out the middleman and plug the dongle straight into the PC. As James keeps saying throughout his review, it is, in a word, neat.
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