8BitDo just launched its new Ultimate 2 Wireless Controller - and it's leaving Hall effect thumbsticks in the dust

8BitDo has just launched its latest controller and the Ultimate 2 Wireless is packing some seriously slick sticks. Hall sensor thumbsticks have become the norm for gaming controllers in the last few years thanks to their immunity to drift, but a new player is entering the field that takes things a step further. Say hello to TMR (tunneling magneto-resistance) technology. It’s an advancement of the Hall sensor electromagnetics you might know from the best PC controllers, and it’s primed to be the thumbstick sensor of the future.

8BitDo is the latest peripheral maker to embrace it as such – the Ultimate 2 Wireless is just the third product available so far to use this futuristic thumbstick tech. The gamepad has only just launched at a solid $59.99 / £49.99 MSRP, and so far we’re seeing it stocked by Amazon in the US and UK.

The new controller joins the PB Tails Crush Defender and the GameSir Tarantula Pro as the only options currently available with TMR thumbsticks. Both of those options are compatible with Switch and PC, while the new Ultimate 2 from 8BitDo is only compatible with PC and Android. The first “Ultimate” from this brand is compatible as a Nintendo Switch controller, so perhaps the impending arrival of the Switch 2 has made the brand hold off on more products for the aging Nintendo system.

The 8BitDo Ultimate 2 comes with a magnetic charging stand and wireless 2.4GHz USB dongle. Intriguingly, the brand claims its 1,000Hz polling rate runs across both wireless and wired connections, which is a first for gaming controllers this year and seems to come from the brand’s engineered “8Speed” wireless connection.

The PC controller also packs trigger mode switches. These allow you to change the travel distance for a quicker press. You also get two back buttons plus an additional set of bumpers, all of which can be mapped to in-game actions of your choosing.

Of course, the standout feature for a lot of players will be the futureproofed TMR thumbsticks. These offer more sensitivity support than even Hall sensors can. Like Hall’s technology, they use small electromagnets to track your thumbstick’s position on a grid, but TMR sensors are equivalent to a jump to 4K resolution from 1080p when measuring that position. It can register significantly more points on a grid, allowing for even more accuracy, and potential for sensitivity. It can also report these positions faster than Hall effect sensors, meaning controllers that harness this new technology will be futureproofed for polling rates well over 1,000Hz.

Where to buy the 8BitDo Ultimate 2 Wireless Controller

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