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

My absolute favorite DPAD in 2020 on switch and PC. Thats in-comparison to 8BITDO SN30-pro (2nd favoite), switch pro, SNES classic, NES classic, xbox on, and ps4 dualshock. Seriously if you love the SN30/SNES d-pad, consider giving this one a shot. Easily and quickly transfers from SWITCH to PC. Switch paring (START + Y). PC Pairing (START + X) Buttons are fantastic. On switch, shoulder buttons are ZL and ZR with Z and C translating to L and R. Great for classic games like Collection of Mana or Megaman collections or something like Final Fantasy VII. Possibly awkward game depending. Does work with games like Animal Crossing, but lack of d-pad for shortcuts may be cumbersome. SN30-PRO with analog sticks is more featured - again depends on the game you wish to play. This is my go-to for 2D platform/shooters and turn based games.

I mainly use this for playing Sonic games on my Switch, but Nintendos controls feel a bit awkward with other games without button remapping so I think its best used as a PC controller if you want to get the full use out of this. I dont play a lot of fighting games but I know its set up very well for that, and the buttons and and controller overall feel quite comfortable.

The Sega Genesis was my favorite console back in the 90s and the 6 button Genesis controller was by far my favorite controller of all time. The D pad on that controller was simply the best. The only complaint that I had of that old controller was the overall size was a little small for someone with large hands. Still extremely comfortable though. Well, this controller from 8bitdo perfectly replicates the feel of that legendary controller. The directional pad is spot-on, perfectly replicating the texture, response and feel of the original. The layout, feel and response from the 6 buttons is also perfectly copied from the original. The size of this controller is larger than the original 6 button Genesis controller, somewhere around the size of a Saturn controller but a little larger, making it perfectly comfortable in hand compared to the original. And with the extra mode/select/home buttons and two shoulder buttons, this thing just about perfect. Works great with all emulated Sega games, making them play and feel just like the original console. I also use it for just about any game that doesnt require dual analog sticks. This controller is a must for anyone who plays retro games or was a huge fan of the Genesis 6 button controller.

I bought the 8bitdo M30 bluetooth controller while searching for retro-style controllers to play classic games on my Nintendo Switch. The controller is very comfortable and easy to pair with the Switch. The M30s d-pad is a welcome upgrade from the official Switch pro controller or the JoyCons directional buttons, and the Sega style feels great when playing games like Sega Genesis Classics or Sonic Mania, and the six face button style goes well with old school fighters like the Street Fighter Anniversary Collection or King of Fighter games found on the eShop. Though it is Sega inspired it isnt an exact copy of either the Genesis/Mega Drives Six Button controller or the Saturns standard controller, but seems to be more ergonomically designed and to have taken some cues from more contemporary six button fight pads. I found it to be a welcome improvement but this contrasts from 8bitdos more exact SNES controller replicas, so it might not scratch the same itch for someone who grew up playing the Genesis. It has the additional home and capture buttons that allow for easy navigation of the Switch, though it lacks the ability to awaken the console from sleep. Because it lacks the two analog sticks present in most modern controllers you can program the single dpad to function as one of the two sticks if required by holding minus(-) and either left or right on the dpad (corresponding to the stick you wish to emulate) for five seconds, holding (-) and up restores it to dpad functionality. It is important to note on the M30 the location of the A & B buttons and X & Y buttons are mirrored relative to their positions on Nintendo controllers, so holding (-) and down allows you to toggle between the Sega and Nintendo orders of the inputs. Following the classic Sega input order can be fun, but switching back to traditional Nintendo controllers took me a minute to readjust to the buttons inverted positions. Further the buttons labelled Z & C on the M30 correspond to Switchs L & R buttons and the M30s L & R shoulder buttons correspond to Switchs ZR & ZL and I dont think their positions can be modified via the controller itself.

I pre-ordered this controller after having a wonderful time with the SF30 PRO gamepad. As much as I love using the SF30 PRO for PC to play games its not very comfortable or as useful to play fighting games as a sega genesis controller would be. Which is why I went after this the moment I saw it and the price range was amazing. Favorite part about this controller is the build quality. The battery helps with the weight but the choice of plastic, texture, and silicone bumpers under buttons are the way youd expect. 8bitdo emulated the sega Dpad faithfully and it feels like the feedback from the SN30/SF30 controllers button mash feel was recieved because the ABC/XYZ buttons feel a bit more mushy and dont make that thump click the SN30/SF30 does. Only small issue I had from initial use straight-out-of-box was bluetooth connection quality. For some reason the first time I synced with my computer and played my first games my bluetooth signal was about 2ft-3ft in length. stretching out to 3ft resulted in input lag and not registering every button press, or itd just disconnect itself. Since then I have not noticed an issue.

From the moment I took it out of the box and held it I knew if it performs like it looks and feel, I will be a very happy customer who hasnt purchased 8bitdo products in the past. I wish the bluetooth version of this controller was just a tad heavier, but not deal breaker to me. It is currently on the charger. Havent used it yet on my 2017 nvidia shield yet. The buttons on this controller isnt clicky. they kinda feel like button presses on a oem sega 6 button controller would feel to me. I have big hands and Im not finding controller too small in my hands. As I stated before, I havent used this yet, but if it connects by bluetooth and performs good and doesnt lose bluetooth connection then we will be golden. I can confirm that any usb-c cable will work, I tried a 6 foot long one, and no lag noticed on Controller. Will keep updated if changes. UPDATE: ORDERED SECOND ONE. *---------> UPDATE: GOT SECOND CONTROLLER. UPDATED BOTH TO NEWEST FIRMWARE. NOTICED AN ISSUE. WHEN TURN THE TURBO ON, TURBO IS SET TO HIGH, AND YOUR CHARACTER CANT MOVE WHILE TURBO IS ACTIVE AND HOLDING DOWN ANY BUTTON. HOPE 8BITDO FIXES THIS.**********

First, a couple of things. 1. It doesnt auto activate your switch so youll have to start up the switch manually or with your joycons/pro controller, then pair the 8bitdo controller. You have to do this every time you use the controller which can be a pain. 2. Youll have to look up a good way to remap the controller so the button layout lines up better. 3. The controller is a little on the small side. Although the buttons are nice and large like the original sega genesis controller, the overall size of the controller is noticeably smaller. This is a shame because one thing I loved about the sega genesis controller was how well it filled out my hands while holding it. 4. It has a nice finish on it that keeps it from smudging but the controller itself is very light. I prefer a little weight to the controller as it makes it feel more sturdy and of higher quality. I use this controller for my Sega ports on the switch. It is highly responsive with no noticeable input lag. It is comfortable to hold, though a little small as mentioned. Although this is a great controller, if your looking for a controller that looks and feels like a genesis controller, this is not your controller. This controller is more akin the Sega Saturn controller.

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.

I primarily bought this controller for the Sega Ages games coming for and on the Nintendo Switch. It pairs and works on different things like android, PC, Switch, and Steam similar to most of 8bitdos products. The build of the controller is as solid as I expected it to be, light but doesnt feel cheap. The buttons feel great, similar to the 6 button Genesis controller and the same can be said about the D-Pad (which is a major plus). This D-pad is fantastic imo, a HUGE improvement from the other controllers I have from them (the SN30Pro), barely any misread inputs from left or right going up or down instead. One main caveat for using this on the Switch is that it follows the Nintendo button layout (so A on this controller is B and X on this controller is Y, and the Z and C buttons are mapped to L and R while the L and R buttons on the controller are mapped to ZL and ZR). Plus the D-Pad is apparently detected as an analouge stick instead of a D-Pad/the 4 directional buttons so that might cause some problems with some games. This isnt a huge problem for the Sega Ages games since you can remap the buttons if need be but if you plan to use this controller for a game that doesnt let you remap your buttons then it could be a problem. (And the Z and C buttons are mapped to L and R while the L and R buttons on the controller are mapped to ZL and ZR) Using this controller on Steam works pretty great using X-input (and Big Picture Mode) too. Overall, this is probably 8bitdos best controller so far. I know that Retro-Bit are also releasing original cased wireless Sega Genesis and Saturn controllers in the future (who knows when) that will also work with the Switch, but for $30 this is hard to beat and is a great for all the Sega Ages games that are planned for the Nintendo Switch and Sonic Mania.

Im so happy to finally own a Bluetooth controller, especially one in a 6 button style like the Megadrive and Saturn. The build quality seems solid, and even though my box was a little banged up on delivery, the controller held tough. Connecting is easy and lag free on my phone. the only problem: Holding the Start Button for 2 seconds turns on&off the controller. This isnt a problem often, but some games (namely mortal kombat II) involve holding the Start button, controller disconnect. This means you need to remap the start button to something else if youre using a custom emulator. Also, in the same vein of remapping, for some reason, the star button (switch screenshot button) cant be remapped? even if Im not hooked up to the switch, it just acts like the button isnt connected? If I need to remap buttons away from start, I need every option I can get. I do not understand why the Start button needed to be the power button, when theres an unused(?) button on the top (presumably a sync button? but the controller has pre programmed sync instructions and does not need it) if theres a firmware update to allow an option to change this, itd be very appreciated.