Retro gaming may arguably be at one of its most popular points in history, with everyone from third-party companies to Nintendo themselves cashing in on the fad’s latest peak. And while playing your favorite classic titles is a blast, giving up the modern comforts like wireless controllers takes away from the nostalgic fun. At least that’s the thought process behind 8BitDo’s latest retro release, which offers gamers the ability to convert their beloved classic controllers into fully wireless versions.
Many of 8BitDo’s retro-themed releases in the past have been geared towards adding some of that nostalgic classic flair to your modern-day consoles. With the company’s latest endeavor, they’re looking to mix thing up by up-cycling the classic controllers you already own with a new line of do-it-yourself kits.
Aside from being a novel way to breathe life into older controllers, the new kits’ main goal is to bring wireless functionality to your retro console of choice. The do-it-yourself upgrade cuts the tether on your retro controllers and introduces Bluetooth into the mix that works with the Nintendo Switch, Windows, Mac, and Raspberry Pi.
If you’re scared off by the idea of a DIY kit for tinkering with your controllers, 8BitDo has made the entire process as straightforward as it gets. The way that the new kits work is pretty simple; first you open up the controller you’d like to upgrade and swap out its circuit board with the new one included by 8BitDo. So while the controller’s shell remains practically unchanged, it’ll be powered by an all-new set of internal hardware. At the end of the day you’ll have a new, wireless controller, and there’s no soldering required.
The kit includes all the tools you’ll need to perform surgery on your controller, and also packs a rechargeable Lithium-ion battery.
As of now, 8BitDo has made DIY conversion kits for three different controllers, one for the NES, SNES and Sega Genesis. In total though, there are five different kits up for purchase, with two additional ones for Nintendo’s recent Classic Mini console releases.
Each of them will only set you back $20, which is a pretty affordable price all things considered. And the premise that just about anyone, regardless of technical expertise, can upgrade their controllers is even better.
If you’re looking to pair your Switch or any other Bluetooth-compatible gaming machine with some retro style, 8BitDo’s new DIY Controller kits are available now for purchase.
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