8Bitdo M30 Bluetooth Controller for Switch, PC, macOS and Android with Sega Genesis & Mega Drive Style

Great quality and I like the 8Bitdo products but I was mislead by the word windows so I assumed it would work for microsoft and the xbox but it does not. But is a good product.

I have bought many OEM and third party controllers over the years. I remember my 6 button genesis controller fondly. I have the 8bitdo nes and snes pro controllers and I can say this thing is just as good, which is amazing. Pairs with my switch, then quickly can change modes and pair to my retropie. Amazing. The dpad feels just like an original Sega dpad. The buttons as well. Im a fan of the ergonomics and the fact that you can switch the dpad to act as either the switch left stick or dpadis amazing. I love 8bitdo and cant wait to see what they release next!

Now theres something you dont read everyday. This controller is an improvement on the original Genesis/Mega Drive controller in so many ways. The original controller could feel too big, hollow, occasionally clunky and often marred by a thick cable. This wireless bluetooth controller is nice and smooth in your hands, compact but not too tiny. There is an added weight to it, likely due to the internal battery, that really gives it a quality feel. Best of all is the big beautiful mushy buttons and 8-way directional pad that are perfect for Segas iconic brawlers like the Streets of Rage and Golden Axe series and run and gun classic Gunstar Heroes. Highly recommended for any retro Sega fan.

Good controller now that I figured out how to get it to work. Was about to return it too. But after reading a review about how to change the dpad from analog to digital it made a big difference. Also I changed the button format as well. Also got to make it work on PC. Theres no noticable lag. Hopefully this controller keeps up. Movement is so smooth on SF3, Alpha 2 and SF 2 for the Switch. Tekken 7 on the PC played well too.

Really easy to set up and has a wide range of compatibility for retro gaming (pre-3d). The controller is very comfortable (and familiar) to hold and the dpad is one of the best you can experience on a modern controller. The buttons are snappy and satisfying. There are special settings for the dpad and buttons behavior. Look those up here in the reviews or somewhere else online. The manual and website do not mention these special commands. Firmware is updatable but seems unnecessary unless you are using this with the Switch. The only disappointment is that the M30 is not fully compatible with PS1 controller layouts. Theoretically, it should work with no issues (only one PS1 game requires analog sticks as far as I know). One button (usually the R button on the controller) acts like it doesnt exist when trying to map controls. So all buttons are configurable except one.

I purchased two 8Bitdo controllers, the M30--this controller--and the SF30--the SNES version--and there are huge differences. Ive reviewed the SNES version, so you can check that out if you want. The short version is that the button press feels unacceptably stiff. This controller, however, is fantastic. Its a lot smaller than an actual Genesis controller, and better shaped. More comfortable than the original. It feels high quality. It isnt too light, and the plastic feels sturdy. The battery life seems to match the advertised claims. Best of all, the buttons feel great. Not too stiff, not spongy. There is a smooth, decisive feel. But it got the buttons for a Genesis. Sure, but in most emulators you can customize the buttons. Its worth the small hassle for a good controller.

All of the 8bitdo controllers are amazing and this one is no exception. Its great for playing classic sega games on the switch. There is even an adapter to use it on original hardware but that is sold separately FYI

So from what Ive been reading, a vintage Japanese Sega Saturn controller is considered the ultimate gamepad for shoot-em-ups. Some people prefer the arcade stick, but I think the Saturn controller is more popular in the SHMUP community. Its also considered the best gamepad for retro fighting games, though an arcade stick is favored over the traditional gamepad for fighting games. However, there arent any adapters that will let you use a real Saturn controller on the Nintendo Switch, so I decided to give this a try. Well, my SHMUP skills shot through the roof as soon as I tried out this pad. I never got seriously into the genre, but Im now starting to since I have the proper equipment for it. I found modern analog sticks terrible for SHMUPS. There are many instances where youll need to slowly move in one direction with the bullet patterns(or in some games like Radiant Silvergun or Ikaruga, to get through tight corridors), and this can only be accomplished on an analog stick by tapping the stick to one side over and over again, which works horribly because its an analog stick, not a button. The Sony/Microsoft/Nintendo d-pads work for moving slowl, but theyre still bad for SHMUPS since its hard to move diagonally or in a circle. However, the 8-direction Sega-style d-pad is perfect. You can move slowly to one side by clicking the d-pad repeatedly and easily move in 8 directions. I wish I could compare this to a vintage Saturn controller or the officially licensed Retro-bit Saturn controller for Switch, but I havent used either. I cant say if those are better or worse than those. All I know is that this blows away trying to play SHMUPS on a a DS4, Xbox One controller, or Switch Joy-cons(some people do actually like the DS2 for SHMUPS though, try if if you want :Þ). Games Ive tested on it include Radiant Silvergun in Retroarch, DoDonPachi Dai-Ou-Jou in Retroarch, Ikaruga on PC, Touhou 16 on PC, Danmaku Unlimited 3 on Switch, Gunbird 2 on Switch, and Aero Fighters 2 on Switch. All controlled beautifully. A few things to note. For Retroarch I had to put it into Android mode(start+B). Windows mode(start+X) had a glitch where the R-button was just a duplicate of the Z-button and L wasnt recognized at all. For Touhou I had to put it into Windows mode and to use Joy2Key, since Joy2Key would not recognize Android mode. Both Android and Windows mode work with Steam, however, in Windows mode LB is mapped to L on the gamepad, LT to R, RB to Z, and RT to C. With Android mode its mapped like it is on the Switch where L is LB and R is RB, which makes way more sense. But the bottom line is, if Windows mode is not working right on PC then use Android mode, Windows will recognize either(note that I do not know if Android mode works in wired mode, I tested with bluetooth mode). Apparently one is Xinput and one is Dinput, hence the different compatibility. And of course, Joy2Key is always an option for games that refuse to recognize the gamepad like Touhou. I had no issues with it on Switch since the Switch lets you remap controls now. However, the manual doesnt tell you how to change the D-pad from emulating the left analog stick to emulating the D-pad, even though it does have that feature. Its so typical of retro stuff to put features in and not tell you they exist. The pad also worked great in the Sega Genesis classic collection on Switch with Sonic 2 and Streets of Rage 3, and it worked well with Sonic Mania. Ill have to try it with Streets of Rage 4 soon. So bottom line, I cant compare it to the officially licensed Retro-bit controllers for the Nintendo Switch, I just know this a really good gamepad on its own. And of course a vintage Saturn controller and an adapter is probably superior if youre serious about PC SHMUPS, but they wont work on Switch and will cost you more than this gamepad and lack bluetooth and the extra buttons. Also, while Retroarch, Steam, Joy2Key, and Switch all worked perfectly with this gamepad in the end, it did take some trial and error(that is the norm for anything other than Xbox controller/Windows and pro controller/Switch). Ill just say if you want a gamepad for PC and Switch thats great for SHMUPS and fighting games and classic Sega games, this works great.

Built like the timeless Sega Genesis 6 button controller; Works perfectly with Steam on PC via Bluetooth X-Input. I use it for SFV/SF Collection and other fighting games. Button layout matches with default Capcom Type A Controller settings. Many hours of strenuous use on my PC without any issues whatsoever... unlike my Retro-Bit Sega Saturn 2.4 Ghz controller. I had many issues using the Retro-Bit Saturn controller on my PC where the 1st defective item received had the d-pad shut off randomly, and the 2nd defective item received had the button layout randomly change. It was also a pain in the ass to map the buttons on Steam. 8Bitdo > Retro-Bit

Probably one of the best controllers I’ve ever used. Pros: - Buttons are the best and satisfying to press - D-Pad is excellent and works with no issues - Very comfortable to use especially with it’s lightweight feeling. - A/B X/Y are can be swapped - No lag or latency over Bluetooth Cons: - Not practical for every game. - Instructions on remapping should have been on the Manual, but a quick Google search can fix that. - Navigation through menus can be confusing since the buttons are in non-modern locations Although I really love this controller, I can’t see myself keeping it because it’s very specific for certain games like retro and 2D fighters. I mainly play 2D fighters, but not all 2D fighters play the same way, and it just made it a bit inconvenient for me. Also, I’m so used to the 4-button layout that the 6-button layout can confuse me at times especially since I play both in docked and handheld. I don’t really want to re-learn everything. I’ll just stick with 8bitdo’s modern controllers. If 8bitdo can put the M30 buttons on a modern day controller (with either the M30 or Pro 2’s D-pad), I don’t think I’ll buy any other controller. I like the Pro 2’s D-pad more, but either is fine with me.