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The 8Bitdo SNES30/SFC30 is the best (retro) controller I have ever owned.

The main thing I want to know about the SFC controller is how it feels compared to an authentic SNES controller. Does it weigh about the same? Do the buttons feel sturdy or cheap? If it's going to get used for retro games I need to make sure it's as durable as the original.

It's slightly thicker and feels a little heavier but the build quality is on par with the original.
 
Hey, is there any way to disable the auto-sleep function on these pads? Whenever I put the thing down for 10 minutes or so, the pad shuts off and it becomes a serious pain to reconnect it to whatever program I was using it with. It almost makes it not worth using due to having to close and restart programs just to get the pad working with it again.
 

Trojita

Rapid Response Threadmaker
I want to order one but want to make sure I don't get a bootleg (INB4 someone says this is one to begin with). I see they are available on Amazon from Third Party sellers. Is there any way to buy this from an official source?
 

Trojita

Rapid Response Threadmaker
I didn't see that they had an official ebay page

Also should I expect to arrive this sooner, because these ship times look terrible.

Wednesday, Aug. 5 and Wednesday, Sep. 9

lol
 

Mobius 1

Member
I got one, it really is so close to the genuine controller, even the purplish shade of gray on the plastic. The buttons feel wonderful, it's a very, very nice piece of hardware.

With that said, I'm having a hellish time setting this up to work with Retropie/Emulation Station. Just pairing it with the Raspberry Pi was an exercise in patience, now to map the buttons correctly its another uphill battle.

I also could not get it to work with OpenEmu on OS X, no matter what I tried. So if you're going to be using it in these same scenarios, proceed with much caution.
 

KiraXD

Member
I've been using this one:

41j1XOF-owL._SX300_.jpg


and it has been surprisingly awesome as well. Highly recommended.

jesus that controller looks beautiful! how does it feel? im thinking of getting it just because.
 

EricB

Member
In response to the above post:

Physically, it feels great. The buttons feel good and are of high quality. The analogs remind me of the Vita for better or worse: usable and high quality, but not really ideal. The shoulder buttons aren't the best either, since they are arranged horizontally rather than vertically (R1 is next to R2, not behind it), but again they are usable.

Overall, I wouldn't want to use it as my main PC pad, but for 2D, emulators, or mobile use I think it is a fantastic choice.
 
I would kill for a 8bitdo Saturn gamepad, the saturn gamepad is my favourite gamepad ever, how is the SNES controller d-pad? i would like to buy one to play fighting games in MAME but i need the d-pad to be responsive, anyone tried this gamepad with fighting games?
 

Rich!

Member
I would kill for a 8bitdo Saturn gamepad, the saturn gamepad is my favourite gamepad ever, how is the SNES controller d-pad? i would like to buy one to play fighting games in MAME but i need the d-pad to be responsive, anyone tried this gamepad with fighting games?

I use it almost exclusively with fighting games. It's fantastic.
 

nom

Member
That looks incredible.

Would it be possible to have 2 connected at the same time? I haven't much experience with bluetooth controllers.
 

Rich!

Member
Man I loved the look of the SNES so much.

fixed that for you

Super-Nintendo-Console-Brand-NEW-PAL.jpg


The Super Famicom design was used in every single region in the world apart from the Americas. In fact, the US snes design is the odd one out. When I think "SNES", I think of the image above and the SNES console in my OP.
 

krpiper

Member
Payday is today! I think I will grab a SNES one and if I love it another one for the future. They look super solid, but how is the d-pad? I have a knockoff USB SNES controller and the d-pad is squish-er than Santa Clause. Just wanted to make sure as a squishy dpad = impossible to play contra ;)
 

Rich!

Member
Payday is today! I think I will grab a SNES one and if I love it another one for the future. They look super solid, but how is the d-pad? I have a knockoff USB SNES controller and the d-pad is squish-er than Santa Clause. Just wanted to make sure as a squishy dpad = impossible to play contra ;)

it's less squishy than the official one I have
 
Payday is today! I think I will grab a SNES one and if I love it another one for the future. They look super solid, but how is the d-pad? I have a knockoff USB SNES controller and the d-pad is squish-er than Santa Clause. Just wanted to make sure as a squishy dpad = impossible to play contra ;)

they feel like brand new snes pads, quite stiff actually.
 

XaosWolf

Member
I may be crazy, but I bought the coloured SNES one and one of the NES analog stick ones.

The amount of Spelunky I'll play with these things! =D
 

EricB

Member
I finally had a chance to play around with my NES 30 Pro a bit more. A few things I figured out:

1. To use xinput, hold start with R1 while the controller is not plugged in. When the led flashes yellow, plug it in via USB and it should work. I tried it with several games with perfect results: Volgarr, Ys Oath, Ultra Street Fighter IV, and Nights into Dreams (analogs worked great!)
I could not get it to work at all with Metal Gear Rising Revengeance or Castlevania Lords of Shadow. Didn't try very hard to troubleshoot.
It worked with Devil May Cry 4, but the buttons were all mapped incorrectly. Did not attempt to fix it.

2. The pad also works with PS3 and has a special firmware at 8Bitdo's website. I played wired without the firmware (Soul Calibur V) and everything was perfect except no PS button. However, when I tried bluetooth my X and O buttons got messed up and became unusable. I have a Korean PS3 with reversed X and O and I'm thinking that might be the culprit. I'll try again with the PS3 firmware installed if I have time.

3. In case anyone didn't realize, the NES 30 Pro is not an mfi controller. In fact, 8Bitdo even removed support for jailbroken ios devices in the most recent firmware. The only ios support is for icade supported games.

4. For Wii remote mode (after downloading special Wii remote firmware), hold power + y, then sync with Wii or Wii U. Unfortunately, as far as I can tell this only works as a Wii remote (sans Classic Controller) with no pointer controls. This means that it can only be used with Wii/U games that use the controller held sideways as a gamepad. It also means that it will not work with virtual console games that require a Classic Controller so nothing beyond NES. Rather disappointing for Wii owners, but I didn't buyit expecting it to work on Wii in the first place so it doesn't really bother me that much.

Overall, my impression of the controller is still very strong. It feels great to use - especially the dpad. It really makes me wonder how companies like Microsoft have such a difficult time creating a decent (or even usable) dpad. This is the first pad I recall using that gave me flashbacks to using an old NES pad. The analogs work much better than I thought after my initial use. I still haven't really played anything too analog heavy other than Nights, but it worked well there. I also haven't tried anything requiring the right stick. I'll try to give more impressions if I have the time.
 

C-Sword

Member
Anyone knows why my controller is lagging? Is it because bluetooth is weak on my Alienware Alpha or does it have something to do with the game? Lag is gone when plugged in. To me, the dpad is nowhere near as good as the Snes's pad, I'm currently using the ASCii pad via a usb adapter, much better.
 

Rich!

Member
Anyone knows why my controller is lagging? Is it because bluetooth is weak on my Alienware Alpha or does it have something to do with the game? Lag is gone when plugged in. To me, the dpad is nowhere near as good as the Snes's pad, I'm currently using the ASCii pad via a usb adapter, much better.

I don't get any lag on my setup - with my Pi, Wii U or windows 10 PC. And considering the fuss I kicked up over the Wii U N64 VC's horrendous lag, I should know.

It's odd. Maybe your bluetooth setup? My Wii U Pro controller suddenly has lag with the newest build of Windows 10 which is a damn shame
 

DeepEnigma

Gold Member
fixed that for you

Super-Nintendo-Console-Brand-NEW-PAL.jpg


The Super Famicom design was used in every single region in the world apart from the Americas. In fact, the US snes design is the odd one out. When I think "SNES", I think of the image above and the SNES console in my OP.

Yeah, I was always envious of the PAL and JPN SNES design.

Also need to check out the SNES pad in this thread. Seems perfect for emulators.
 

mattiewheels

And then the LORD David Bowie saith to his Son, Jonny Depp: 'Go, and spread my image amongst the cosmos. For every living thing is in anguish and only the LIGHT shall give them reprieve.'
I bought the Famicom controller from these guys and it broke my heart that I had to return it. It wouldn't pair with anything except my tablet, and even that would lose pairing whenever one or the other shut off. But the controller was absolutely beautiful. Everything was original, or at least was a perfect replica of it, besides the four buttons and new triggers. It would have been my favorite little wireless ever if it actually worked with any of my devices...
 

MercuryLS

Banned
I've been playing through Super Mario World on the Retron 5 with the SFC30 the last few days and I love this thing. With the firmware update, it pairs perfectly with the machine and has absolutely no lag whatsoever. The feel of the controller is spot on, everything about it is amazing. If you're looking for a great wireless controller for the Retron 5, this is a no brainer.
 

Captain Awesome

Neo Member
FWIW, I have the NES30, SNES30 and SFC30 controllers.

For build quality, the SFC30 and SNES30 are much better than the NES30 (although the NES30 is no slouch)

- I play A LOT of fighting games and platformers. The NES30 right shoulder button ran into issues twice, and I am not hard on controllers.
- I have a Buffalo SNES USB controller that I adore. The SFC30/SNES30 beats it in quality and performance by a wide margin. They have noticeably better D-pads and "clickier" buttons. Quality is on par with my offical SNES controllers.

Firmware updates are a must. Easy to do and should resolve most problems.

I prefer the SFC30/SNES30 controllers by a wide margin in comparison to the NES30. They are much more comfortable, the buttons are nicer and the shoulder buttons are much better.

For compatibility, all three are near perfect. They work great paired with my Galaxy S4. Pairing is easy. (Turn the phone bluetooth on before turning the controller on for a more successful connection if you have issues)

I also use these playing PC games, with no issues on USF4, King of Fighters XIII, Skullgirls, etc. Even though they lack a few buttons, if you play fighting games, you should have all the buttons you need. For games that need additional buttons, I use a keyboard/mouse or a 360 controller.

TBH, the SNES/SFC is probably my favorite controller ever, and I am more than happy that 8bitdo has bluetooth versions of these.

If you need a bluetooth controller, I recommend these. If you like the SNES/NES controllers, I recommend these.

However, if you are just looking for a controller in general, I would recommend something else that has the extra buttons you may require...Logitech, 360, etc.
 

XaosWolf

Member
Okay, got my SFC30 in and it looks and feels amazing.

However I cannot upgrade the firmware! The utility has the button greyed out no matter what.

On top of this I can't seem to get Spelunky to pick up the controller despite it working in the windows gamepad settings.

Anyone had any similar setup issues and can help me out here?
 

Crub

Member
Will the SNES30 work with NES games ie roms? Sorry new to Retro gaming/emulators.

thanks!

Sure.

Okay, got my SFC30 in and it looks and feels amazing.

However I cannot upgrade the firmware! The utility has the button greyed out no matter what.

On top of this I can't seem to get Spelunky to pick up the controller despite it working in the windows gamepad settings.

Anyone had any similar setup issues and can help me out here?

The controller must be unplugged as you press and hold START+L+R. Then you have to insert the controller into the computer relatively fast. I had to do this a few times before I got it right. If you hold down the buttons for too long you might miss this time frame.

The reason why it doesn't work with many games is because they only support Xinput properly and the controller only has a Direct Input mode. Hopefully they add an Xinput mode in the future. For now, your best option is fiddling with 360 CE, sadly.
 
I'll be honest. I really didn't have good results from the NES30. The sleep/wake/pairing buttons were shared with actual game buttons, which broke compatibility with a number of games. Having the pairing buttons being combinations of actual game buttons seemed like a mistake.

Pairing it was a chore, configuring it was a chore. Especially for something that looks so simple.

RIght now I'm using an ugly Red Samurai gamepad. $10 from GameStop, but it pairs and configures effortlessly. I want an good FC/SFC-style bluetooth gamepad for retro gaming, but the NES30 was a headache.
 

fwpx

Member
Not thrilled with the SNES30 right now. Can't seem to get the DPad to work with any games (I wanted to play Shovel Knight with it). It only wants to map Up and left, right and down don't register. I see them work in windows' utility. Dunno why this has to be such a pain. I'd rather have a toggle on the back than deal with dumb paring stuff.
 
As far as I can determine, the only way to get these controllers (or at least the nes30 pro) in x-input mode is to have it plugged in and press power + R1. There is no way to do it wirelessly, which is a bummer because the SP3 which I bought this for has only one USB which has to be used by the external hdd which houses all my emulation and game stuff since the internal storage is so small,but oh well. I can only hope for a firmware update.


What is x input and why is it important?
 

Captain Awesome

Neo Member
Not thrilled with the SNES30 right now. Can't seem to get the DPad to work with any games (I wanted to play Shovel Knight with it). It only wants to map Up and left, right and down don't register. I see them work in windows' utility. Dunno why this has to be such a pain. I'd rather have a toggle on the back than deal with dumb paring stuff.

Have you tried this?

http://www.8bitdo.com/xpad.html

Xpad might help?
 

BadRamen

Member
I got the SFC30 and ran into similar problems with The Binding of Issac: Rebirth not registering the dpad directions in the controller config screen, but a firmware update and when I re-pair the controller with my computer while pressing start+r, it acts, in Windows 8.1 anyway, as a gamepad joystick (which allowed correct controller config in BoIR) instead of a gamepad that corresponds to keys on the keyboard, which I guess annoys games that switch control inputs based on what device is currently being used.
 
I ended up picking one up and I've been very happy with the choice. Feels so very, VERY close to the original. Like, I can't tell a difference, but something feels off, maybe the new-ness of it?

It syncs up with my Amazon Fire TV, so I've been playing Earthbound on the couch with my wife, but I have to manually add it every time I wanna play.
 

emag

Member
I'm not sure whether to pick up either controller, though they're tempting. I have a Buffalo USB SNES clone that is mostly okay for classic-style games, a decent arcade stick for fighters, a Bluetooth clip-on controller for mobile gaming that I never use, and a 360 gamepad for everything else.

The sideways Wiimote functionality is actually kind of appealing for use on my Wii, but I don't know how often I'd really use it, and I have a big box of gamepads and controllers that I never use as it is. :/

What is x input and why is it important?

X input is the Xbox 360 compatibility mode. Most modern PC games that support gamepads work best with Xbox 360 controllers (default button mappings, in-game button prompts).
 

blazeaire

Member
Does it work with Wii U? That's the deal breaker for me since I can't really stand using the Wii Mote awful dpad for Wii games and Smash :(
 
Does it work with Wii U? That's the deal breaker for me since I can't really stand using the Wii Mote awful dpad for Wii games and Smash :(

It works as a sideways Wiimote replacement, but not as a classic controller.

I'd grab one immediately if it also worked as a classic controller so you could play SNES VC games with it.
 

blazeaire

Member
Awesome thanks! Also saw that it might work for PS4 too whuch would be a godsent for the fighting games but I guess we'll see. Was debating weather to get the nes30 pro too for additonal outputs but figured I could just hook up my DS4 controller for that stuff anyway lol
 

Dambrosi

Banned
fixed that for you

Super-Nintendo-Console-Brand-NEW-PAL.jpg


The Super Famicom design was used in every single region in the world apart from the Americas. In fact, the US snes design is the odd one out. When I think "SNES", I think of the image above and the SNES console in my OP.
Off-topic piece of trivia - before the SNES was officially announced in the EU, NOE were planning to ship the US design in PAL territories, just like they had with the NES. However, a letter-writing campaign in various computer magazines of the time, including the original print version of C+VG, convinced NOE to use the original Super Famicom-style case and controllers instead, simply because they looked cooler. They kept the SNES branding, though, obviously.

On-topic, this pad works on iPad, right? It should, if it says so on the box. Can anyone testify as to how well it works with an iPad, and how it feels to play with?
 

SOLDIER

Member
Does the SFC controller come with a bluetooth dongle, or do you need your own?

How is the latency? I tried using a PS4 controller on my PC, and I was disappointed over the amount of latency I got with certain games.
 

blazeaire

Member
So I got the SFC30 today and it's pretty good, took a while to hook it up to the Wii U though and since some of the controls are mixed around from the normal 4 face buttons of the gamepad and Pro controllers, it took a little adjusting. Also, when playing Smash, at the character selection screen there's a bug where the dpad moves at a snail pace for some reason but strangely works fine for menus and actually playing.

Additonally, I was unable to play as player one Wii games since they require motion control to enter and exit the Wii settings. There's a way to play on the gamepad by pressing + but so far can't seem to see a way to play on TV :(

Also, the PS4 does reconize it and can connect but unfortunetely only the dpad works and none of the face buttons nor L or R seem to have any input at all so there goes my hope of playing fighting games on PS4 :(

Everything else like Android and Windows works perfectly so no complaints there, I just wished there was better support for actual game consoles controls but I understand the main audience is the Android/Windows crowd anyway~

Does the SFC controller come with a bluetooth dongle, or do you need your own?

How is the latency? I tried using a PS4 controller on my PC, and I was disappointed over the amount of latency I got with certain games.
No dongle in mine and I assume not for any of them~
 

deleted

Member
Woah, this thread is great!

Two questions though:
1)Can you use the full 8bitdo for vWii SNES emulators - not only the Wiimote? And while we're at it, can you use the Wii U Pro Controller for any vWii stuff?

2)How accurate are the emulators for the Pi 2? Is SNES full speed? Any games that won't work? I have no experience with case modding or the Pi whatsoever, but that looks like a lovely project and I'd like to try it myself sometime. How difficult is a project like this - okay for beginners?
I already have SNES and Wii U Pro PC Adapters and wonder if that takes me anywhere... I can't use those for the Wii U vWii, can I?

Edit: Oh and how long do the batteries last?
 
2)How accurate are the emulators for the Pi 2? Is SNES full speed? Any games that won't work? I have no experience with case modding or the Pi whatsoever, but that looks like a lovely project and I'd like to try it myself sometime. How difficult is a project like this - okay for beginners?
I already have SNES and Wii U Pro PC Adapters and wonder if that takes me anywhere... I can't use those for the Wii U vWii, can I?

get to the RetroPie thread with these questions,
www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=996887

There are a lot of different options for emulators for the Pi. Helpful tutorials too so not terribly difficult to install. Tweaking emulators and binding controllers, especially bluetooth ones is harder.
 
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