The 8BitDo Arcade Stick is an ultra-moddable controller for taking on the classics

You could claw your mitts around a gamepad before tackling fighting game classics – but to punch people’s faces off in a properly authentic manner, you need an arcade stick. Specifically, you need the 8Bitdo Arcade Stick (£81.99, available 30 October). This feature-packed beauty supports PC and Switch, and will let you get button-mashy for up to 40 hours between charges. The buttons can be mapped and the system lets you create macros with any button combo. (There are two dedicated macro buttons as well.) You can create profiles to switch between, and the device visually changes the button labels as you move between Switch and PC (X-Input) modes. The entire unit is moddable too – you cans swap out the buttons, and the universal joystick mountain plate reportedly supports virtually every arcade stick ever made. If that’s not enough to get you punching the air at the thought of punching Blanka, Ken, Chun-Li and chums, nothing will.

Craig Grannell Contributor

About

I’m a regular contributor to Stuff magazine and Stuff.tv, covering apps, games, Apple kit, Android, Lego, retro gaming and other interesting oddities. I also pen opinion pieces when the editor lets me, getting all serious about accessibility and predicting when sentient AI smart cookware will take over the world, in a terrifying mix of Bake Off and Terminator.

Areas of expertise

Mobile apps and games, Macs, iOS and tvOS devices, Android, retro games, crowdfunding, design, how to fight off an enraged smart saucepan with a massive stick.