Review: 8Bitdo PCE 2.4G Wireless Gamepad and 8Bitdo NEOGEO Wireless Controller

I had a chance to sit down and try out two of 8Bitdo's slightly older controllers and felt they were interesting enough to do a write-up on what exactly I think of them. As I don't think there's really enough here to separate them into two different articles, I'll compare and contrast them together along with a review of the details for each.

All images except that of the NES controller were pulled right from 8Bitdo's website to emphasize specific parts of the controllers.

Connectivity

PCE is 2.4GHz only for wireless, via a USB dongle. It doesn't support Bluetooth at all. It can also be used over USB and appears  as a Wii U Pro Controller when connected over USB. This controller predates 8Bitdo's switch to USB-C and unfortunately uses micro-USB for the controller. This is a pretty major drawback.

NeoGeo is both 2.4GHz and Bluetooth, and can also be used over USB. It uses a USB-C connector on the controller like all of their more modern controllers.

Directional Input

The 8Bitdo PCE controller uses a standard 8-way directional pad and doesn't have analog sticks. While it has a very similar form factor to NES/Famicom controllers, one way it differs from an NES controller is that the directional pad is closer to the bottom left corner of the controller. This makes it a bit more suitable to smaller hands at the cost of being somewhat less comfortable for larger hands. The directional pad is also spherical with raised cardinal directions, so the feel is somewhat more like a smaller version of a Sega Genesis directional pad than the cardinal direction-focused NES pad.

Here we have a NES pad and a PC Engine pad for comparison. You can see how much closer to the bottom left corner the PCE controller's directional pad is.

The NeoGeo controller has a microswitched digital stick with eight directions. The throw distance is longer than you'd expect, so you have to move the stick further to get a directional input. This is especially true on the diagonals, where you have to move your finger quite a ways to get the desired diagonal input. It does have a very pleasing microswitch click on directions. You can feel and hear exactly when a direction is triggered in a way very much like an arcade stick, if quieter.

Contra Test

One of the more important tests you can run for a directional pad is the Contra test— the game often requires fast and precise ducking to avoid enemy fire. If you get a diagonal instead of straight down, you'll run to the side aiming downwards, and probably run right into the bullet you were trying to avoid. Typically this test is done by holding down and then gently shifting your fingers to the side to see how far off center you need to be to trigger a diagonal input.

The PCE controller was about on par with a NES controller. While you can trigger diagonals from the straight down position, you have to move your finger fairly far to the left or right. I didn't experience any unwanted diagonals in several minutes of testing, so I'd consider that a passing score.

The NeoGeo controller fails the Contra test, but not in the way you'd expect. The longer throw on diagonals means you have to move your finger quite far to get a diagonal and you may find your reaction timing on diagonals to be sluggish as a result. I imagine this is something you can eventually get used to, but expect some frustration with this at first.

Buttons

The 8Bitdo PCE controller's buttons are concave and a bit larger than those of a modern DualSense controller. They have the same rough outer edge that the NES pad has, so you may find them uncomfortable if you're prone to pressing buttons off-center a lot or have very large fingertips. There are dedicated Select and Run (the PCE has a run button instead of start) buttons. While the controller may appear to have four buttons, the upper two are dedicated turbo button versions of the lower two.

This makes the controller particularly great for NES, Gameboy, Sega Master System, or PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16 games, but you won't be playing SNES or Genesis games on it.

The 8Bitdo NeoGeo controller's buttons are so mildly concave as to be almost entirely flat. They're quite large compared to modern controllers and will require getting used to the size and relative positioning. Additionally, the NeoGeo controller includes L and R bumpers at the top that the original NeoGeo controller did not have. These feel more than adequate, and with the semi-dogbone shape of the section around these bumpers, you'll have no problems getting a very solid and accurate response out of them.

Feel

The 8Bitdo PCE controller has a rounded back and sides, which makes it a much more comfortable hold than the original NES pad. If you're comfortable with the relative positioning of the directional pad, this might end up being a better controller for NES games.

The 8Bitdo NeoGeo controller feels very comfortable with the overall shape and size; where you may have some issues is the directional joystick and the slightly larger buttons. These are not insurmountable but they're something you need to be aware of before buying. If you're already familiar with the NeoGeo CD's controller, then this won't be a problem at all and you'll be used to it in short order.

Overall

8Bitdo PCE Controller

Positives

• Directional pad feels great and passes the Contra test.
• Dedicated turbo buttons built into the controller.
• Rounded edges make the controller more comfortable than the original NES pad.
• Relatively cheap by controller standards.

Negatives

• No Bluetooth support.
• Directional pad may be a little too close to the corner for players with larger hands.
• Micro USB is one of the worst connectors ever created; you'll probably want to leave the cable plugged in as permanently as possible, even if you're playing wirelessly, so you don't risk plugging and unplugging the cable every time you want to charge the controller.
• This controller seems to be out of production, so getting your hands on one may be difficult.

8Bitdo NeoGeo Controller

Positives

• USB-C connector on the controller.
• Six buttons is enough to handle a lot of retro systems besides the NeoGeo
• Very comfortable to hold for longer periods of time.
• Supports Bluetooth and 2.4GHz dongle.
• The digital joystick has a very good tactile response— you will definitely feel and hear when you've triggered a direction.

Negatives

• Longer throw length on the digital stick will be problematic until you adapt to the controller.
• The larger face buttons may require some adapting to as well.

Having only used both controllers for an afternoon, I can't say that I have a concrete opinion just yet but I've found both to be very decent controllers. The PCE one is hampered by the micro-USB and the fact it appears to be out of production, but still has enough positives that I'd reccomend it for many retro games. The NeoGeo controller will have more of a learning curve but still has a lot of positive points in favor of trying to learn it.