This Device Will Help You Play Video Games With Almost Any Controller You Want.
If you play video games, you probably have a lot of controllers. It’s just part of the deal: every console you buy has at least one new controller to try out, if not more (looking at you, Nintendo). You may even have a favorite controller of all, but don’t use it as often as you would like because it doesn’t work with your other consoles. But here’s the thing: it probably is.
Controllers have changed a lot over the years
In the past, controllers have been largely proprietary (ignoring some key differences). For example, think about the connectors on the ends of your PS2, GameCube or OG Xbox controllers. Each was unique to the console, and it was not possible to insert a flat PS2 connector into the GameCube’s round ports, or vice versa.
But times are changing and controllers are mostly wireless these days. This makes it especially easy to connect a Switch Pro controller or PS5 controller to your Mac or PC: if you look up how to put the controller into pairing mode, you can connect via Bluetooth just like any other wireless device.
But it’s not the same story on consoles. You cannot put the PS5 controller into pairing mode and connect to the Switch. It’s like we’re back to flat and round jacks, which makes it seem like you can’t just mix and match controllers to your liking.
Wireless adapters are a great controller equalizer
But all you need to make this possible is a wireless adapter. You connect one of these adapters to your consoles and connect a controller to it . Your console can communicate with it and accept its input as if it were a proprietary controller.
What got me thinking about these adapters this morning was a story from IGN about a new adapter from 8BitDo. This company makes a lot of interesting and useful video game accessories and their wireless adapters are no exception. This time , 8BitDo is releasing an adapter for PS1 and PS2 , which looks like it might be the official Sony peripheral of the time. Plug the adapter into your retro PlayStation and you can use just about any wireless controller you want. You can play on your 90s PlayStation with a PS5 controller. So cool.
But it’s not limited to PS1 and PS2. While the proprietary port doesn’t connect to any other consoles or devices, the USB-C port makes it a handy adapter for connecting a wireless controller to a Windows PC. Sure, your PS5 is easy to connect, but older controllers might not be.
8BitDo also makes other adapters , if you don’t get much use out of retro PlayStation compatibility. They make similar adapters for the NES , SNES , Sega Genesis and Master Drive . (Imagine playing Super Mario Bros. on NES with a Switch Pro controller.) This universal USB adapter works on Switch, PC, Mac, Steam Deck, and Raspberry Pi, making it a great emulation tool. Otherwise, you can use this Switch Game Adapter with classic wired Nintendo controllers, from GameCube to NES.
8BitDo is far from the only company making these adapters. A quick search on Amazon brings up a lot of options. But what I love about 8BitDo is their attention to detail: if you’re going to plug a peripheral into your console, it’s even better if it looks official.