Key Takeaways
- The 8Bitdo Micro is extremely small, making it perfect for traveling with you.
- It works great for gaming on your phone or as a macro keyboard.
- Some may find it too small and restrictive to play on a television.
Controllers have generally gotten bigger over time. Outside of rare controllers like the Duke, controller sizes have evolved in a fairly linear fashion. But what if you want something smaller? What if you want something literally smaller than what came with your console? The 8Bitdo Micro does just that.
The controller itself is about the size of a pack of Tic Tacs. With a controller this small, one important question arises: Why? Why would you need a controller this small? Why is it more useful than a regular controller? You might be surprised, but these questions have a pretty good answer.
8Bitdo Micro
The 8Bitdo Micro is an incredible novelty, but its usefulness is diluted by anything other than absolute portability.
- Incredibly portable
- Multi-purpose
- Awesome Button
- Very small
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Pricing, Availability and Specifications
Bringing new meaning to the concept of lightweighting
The 8Bitdo Micro is small. Really small. It’s very small, measuring 72×40.7×14.1mm. It’s really small compared to the 8Bitdo SN30 Pro, and even when placed next to a Joy-Con it’s still tiny. 8Bitdo Adapter According to 8Bitdo, the controller weighs just under 0.9 ounces, compared to the PlayStation 5 controller’s massive 9.8 ounces. Dual Sense .
The 8Bitdo Micro can be purchased from third-party retailers such as Amazon and Target. It retails for $25 and comes in blue and green. The controller is compatible with the Nintendo Switch, as well as Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS. The 8Bitdo Micro box also includes an attachable wristband for carrying the controller around, and a tiny USB-C charging cable.
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What I like about the 8Bitdo Micro
Extremely portable and incredibly comfortable
Out of the box the 8Bitdo Micro is a fantastic controller. Its size is astounding and it actually looks very good too. It looks more or less like a smaller version of the 8Bitdo Lite. Beautiful looking 8Bitdo devices are nothing short of amazing, but looks aren’t everything. Does the 8Bitdo Micro offer anything other than looks? The short answer is yes. The longer answer lies in the two main uses of the controller.
Controllers have gotten bigger over time and at the same time more versatile. Controllers are no longer exclusive to the console you bought them for. Nowadays, all modern controllers are compatible with just about everything except for PvP consoles. So using a controller to play games on your phone has become very simple and easy.
The 8Bitdo Micro, on the other hand, is extremely convenient to have with you at all times. For the past week, I’ve been keeping it in my pocket whenever I go out, and I barely notice it.
There’s just one problem with this, though: Carrying a controller around is a pain. Unless you have a bag or giant pockets, there’s no good way to carry a controller around. This is where the 8Bitdo Micro comes into play. It’s so small that it easily slips into your pocket. For this very specific purpose, the 8Bitdo Micro might be the best controller on the market. I usually care a lot about what fits in my pocket, and the 8Bitdo Micro is probably the most pocketable controller ever. But what makes it so portable? The answer is spontaneity. With a plethora of options on Android and some good choices on iOS, emulation on your phone has never been easier. It’s easy for anyone to set up. However, there are plenty of retro games that just don’t play well with touchscreen controls. In an ideal world, you’d carry a Backbone One or an Xbox controller with a grip to play games on your phone. But neither option is convenient enough to carry around all the time. The 8Bitdo Micro, on the other hand, is very convenient to carry around all the time. For the past week, I’ve made it a habit to carry it in my pocket whenever I go out, and it barely bothers me.
If you have a bit of free time, you can fill it by propping your phone up on something and playing a game on the 8Bitdo Micro. The buttons on the controller feel great and you can play retro games like Super Metroid, Super Mario Bros. 3, Contra, and more in one go. It’s a bit small, but it’s a lot more convenient than using the on-screen controls.
But that’s not all that the 8Bitdo Micro excels at. Believe it or not, the 8Bitdo Micro has other uses outside of gaming too. Interestingly, the 8Bitdo Micro also doubles as a macro keyboard. Using the 8Bitdo Ultimate software, you can program each button on the controller to perform different keystrokes and combinations. The controller has a switch to set it to keyboard mode, so this doesn’t confuse your control scheme. Plus, when setting up your controller layout, you can create separate profiles with different mappings for each button.
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What I didn’t like about 8Bitdo Micro
Its greatest strength is also its greatest weakness
The flip side of the 8Bitdo Micro’s incredible portability is that it’s very small. Airpods The case is great for slipping it into your pocket, but the novelty wears off when it comes to actually using it — the case is a much better way to emulate games on your phone than using on-screen controls — and it’s hard to use the 8Bitdo Micro for further gaming otherwise.
While the novelty of being able to play some of the greatest games of all time from the comfort of your phone is unmatched, playing something on a TV with the tiniest controller you’ve ever owned just feels silly.
I’ve played quite a few games with this controller on my phone, but when I play a lot of Switch games I can’t help but ask myself why I’m not using a bigger controller. The 8Bitdo Micro is very useful on the go, but its usefulness is entirely situational. I’m willing to put up with the cramped button layout for a great portable experience. Sure, I’ve made some pretty silly mistakes in Super Mario World with the 8Bitdo Micro, but I mostly play on my phone. The novelty of playing some of the greatest games of all time comfortably on my phone is unmatched, but playing something on a TV with the tiniest controller I’ve ever had feels silly.
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Should I buy the 8Bitdo Micro?
For portability purists around the world
Essentially, the 8Bitdo Micro is a highly portable and convenient option for playing retro games on your phone. There are tons of games that you simply can’t play without an actual controller, and the 8Bitdo Micro opens those up to you. If this is important to you, the 8Bitdo Micro is a great buy. If portability is the most important factor to you, the 8Bitdo Micro is an absolute must. The macro mapping is a nice bonus to the overall controller package, but not enough on its own to justify the purchase of the 8Bitdo Micro.
But if you own a Backbone One or a more traditional controller for your phone, the 8Bitdo Micro will feel inferior. Plus, if you carry a bag a lot or don’t mind adding one to your daily carry, it’s much more convenient to carry a PlayStation or Xbox controller.
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