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Hello and welcome to this installment of Nerdy Culture. This week’s topic is on the emergence of modern peripherals for retro consoles. The most impactful of these innovations has been the controller variety.
Traditional
As controllers age, we often feel something is being lost in the progress. In the case of retro controllers it can be literal. Trying to find an OEM replacement though can often be a challenge.
First party controllers can be expensive or simply in worse shape than the one you have already. Many third party controllers try to fill that hole by simply being available. AKA THEY SUCK. However that can’t be said about every controller brand. A good example is Retro Bit’s line of Sega Controllers.
These controllers actually use the same molds Sega used for making controllers back in the 90s. If it wasn’t for the longer cable length, you’d be hard pressed to tell the difference between an (paid link) original controller and a (paid link) Retrobit. If you’re not used to the new membranes, you can often use your old membranes from your old controller to give it that natural feel.
Wireless
Modern wireless is by all means the greatest improvement for several consoles. Prior to the Xbox 360, wireless controllers were consistently crap. Nowadays wireless is the standard. My favorite example of a wireless controller is the 8bitdo line.
8bitdo offers 2.4GHz & Bluetooth versions for many systems. My favorite is the SNES line they have. It lets me play my SNES from several feet away and can be used across multiple devices.
Since wireless is prone to interference, I recommend using a wireless controller based on your needs. Below is a simple way to look at it.
-2.4 GHz is arguably the best since it offers the least lag, but is most prone to interference. The less populated an area, the better they work.
-Bluetooth is slower than 2.4GHz, but is more stable. I’d recommend this if you’re in a more populated area.
Replacement
Some controllers are made to fill a need, others are permanent replacements. The best example of this is the Retrofighter (paid link) controllers. They offer a modern feel to a controller, but are compatible on older systems. My favorite is the Bladedual (paid link) for GameCube.
Although it is for the GameCube, I don’t actually use it for said games. I use mine for the Gameboy Player. I can use a wireless controller with a better Dpad to play GBA games on my TV than the official means.
Conclusion
I have purchased and used many of these controllers for several years. I hope this blog will help you improve the quality of life for your systems and ultimately lead you to playing more games. Thank you for reading this blog and special thanks to Amcdaniels for letting me post a blog on your website.
As Always Stay Frosty!❄️
Your friendly neighborhood nerd with a passion for games, anime and New York Yankees
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