You may be familiar with 8BitDo’s premium gamepads, which tend to stick with tried-and-true designs. 8BitDo isn’t just a gaming hardware company, though — it makes a lot of other stuff, too. Today marks the launch of the 8BitDo Micro, a keychain-sized controller that weighs just 24.8 grams (about half a pound) but offers a full selection of buttons, minus an analog stick. The 8BitDo Micro is primarily made for Nintendo Switch and Android devices, but it also offers a “keyboard mode” that opens some interesting possibilities on PCs and tablets.
If the 8BitDo Micro looks familiar, that’s because it’s a spiritual successor to the 8BitDo Zero lineup. It retains the basic shape and size of the Zero gamepad, though it adds L2, R2, Home, and Screenshot buttons, which should improve Switch compatibility — especially when playing SNES games, which use L2 and R2 to open the game selection and rewind menus. More notably, 8BitDo Micro uses a modern USB-C port to charge its tiny 180mAh battery (which lasts for 10 hours). In situations where Bluetooth isn’t an option, you can also use this USB-C port for wired connectivity.
Note that the 8BitDo Micro is incompatible with most 3D games, as it lacks an analog stick. It’s also incapable of waking up a Nintendo Switch from sleep mode, and it doesn’t support motion controls, rumble, Amiibo, or any of the other flashy features you’ll find in a Joy-Con.
A small switch on the bottom of the 8BitDo Micro lets you swap between Nintendo and Android devices. But there’s also a third connectivity option—the bizarre “keyboard mode.” You can use 8BitDo’s Ultimate Software to customize the gamepad’s keyboard mode, which may help you streamline tasks in creative or professional software. If you’re a digital artist, for example, you may treat the 8BitDo Micro as a control surface for common keyboard commands. I’ve seen people use the 8BitDo Zero 2 to glide through note card software and Photoshop shortcuts, so I have no doubt that the Micro is equally useful as a keyboard input device.
You can order the 8BitDo Micro today for $25. While it may not be the most comfortable game controller, it’s affordable, it gets the job done, and it’s ridiculously portable. And, of course, it can fulfill some unique tasks when in keyboard mode. Just note that 8BitDo Micro doesn’t support XInput, so using it to game on a PC or Steam Deck may be a bit of a challenge.
