8BitDo Ultimate 3 and Ultimate 3E - Two Solid Options for PC Gamers

I'll be brutally honest: I've lost track of 8BitDo's 'Ultimate' controller lineup over the past year or two. The company's prolific release schedule makes it feel like they announce a new pad almost weekly, so you'll have to forgive me for losing track.

However, the Ultimate 3 (£89.99) and Ultimate 3E (£139.99) are totally new entries in the range, so they caught my attention. While both are officially endorsed by Xbox and support the Series X and S consoles, they also have support for mobile devices and Windows-based computers.

Starting with the cheaper Ultimate 3, it's easy to see how the design language of the original Ultimate controller has been retained and refined here. The big changes are the rolling D-pad (great for fighting games) and the Force Rings around the base of the two TMR analogue sticks.

These allow you to adjust the tension of each stick to suit your play style; you can keep them loose if you favour fast input, or tighten them up if pinpoint accuracy is required.

Elsewhere, the pad offers trigger stops, 6-way motion control, and customisable rear paddles. Connectivity comes via the bundled 2.4G dongle, but you can also connect the pad wired for lower-latency gaming.

Finally, 8BitDo has reimagined the charging dock, removing the pin connectors for a more elegant design. I also like the fact that lifting the pad from the dock powers up your system if it's in standby mode – a really cool touch.

The Ultimate 3E has many of the same features as the Ultimate 3, with a higher price tag.

The headline enhancements are the ability to customise the D-pad, buttons and sticks, and the inclusion of LED lighting around the base of the sticks, which reacts to your inputs. It also has a 3.5mm headphone socket for voice chat, but the Ultimate 3E lacks the Force Rings on the standard Ultimate 3.

Both of these controllers are fantastic options for anyone gaming on their PC, and while the premium features of the Ultimate 3E make it the better of the pair, I found the cheaper Ultimate 3 to be almost as agreeable – and I absolutely love the 'Lavender Dusk' colour it comes in.

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