General Information
So here we are today with their newest in the lineup, licensed by Xbox, sadly wired-only, budget offering. Is it as easy of a recommend for Xbox users as the Ultimate C Wired Controller for Xbox and the GameSir G7 SE, or is this smaller offering not even worth considering?
General Impressions
As expected from 8BitDo's Ultimate lineup, the general shape, quality and feel of plastics are great. This controller uses transparent plastics on all three of its colorways that are very frosted and hard to see the internals through, just like on their Pro 2 and SN30 Pro transparent colorways. This controller does have RGB rings around the sticks, just like its larger Xbox licensed sibling, and the transparent plastics amplify the amount of RGB you get. Also like its larger Xbox sibling, this controller is very much so wired-only.
Firstly, it has the same size buttons and sticks as the other models, just closer to each other. The face buttons are the same conductive membranes you're used to on all the other models, although they look prettier. It has the same relatively quiet clicky dpad you can find on the Ultimate 2C and the Ultimate C Xbox, and the shoulder buttons are, just like the Ultimate C Xbox, a relatively quiet clicky version of the narrow shoulder buttons you can find on the older Ultimate models. It comes with the same Hall Effect sticks and triggers you can find on the Ultimate 2C, although the metal stems of the joysticks are missing. There are no extra back or top buttons, so no remapping stuff like the Ultimate 2C or other models. Furthermore, it has a 3.5mm headphone jack for audio and the USB C port on the back is recessed, presumably for a more robust connection. It comes with a fully white USB C to A cable which is about 2.5 meters long (8 feet for the Americans).
Lastly, the part I personally care the least about: How does the RGB function? The manual, which is included in the box and on the 8BitDo website, includes all of the shortcuts so I won't bore you with that. The three modes are: Light trace, where the rings trace the movement of the joysticks and triggers, a spinning mode that I personally hate as you cannot adjust its brightness, and a static mode. They have a bunch of colors available, including a rainbow ring one and a few color matching ones for the three available colors.
Fortunately, this controller remembers your last setting when you unplug it, so no fiddling around with RGB controls after you have set them up, or better yet, disabled them.
Comfort
This is probably the most controversial part of this controller: size and comfort. As I know many people who already find the existing Ultimate models on the smaller side, this one is even smaller. My hands are below average, and judging by the pictures, i think medium sized hands are definitely the upper limit of this controller.
Supported Platforms
As I have a wide variety of platforms at my disposal, I have went beyond what 8BitDo's product page lists and have tried this wired controller on a bunch of platforms. I do not have an Xbox One or Series X|S, but considering the licensing and everything I assume it works there. Here are the platforms I can confidently list the controller to be functional on:
- Windows 10 and 11, Including support for firmware updates on the Ultimate Software X, and including a functional 3.5mm headphone jack for audio.
- SteamOS/Bazzite, No support for firmware updates or audio.
- Android (I have only tried Android 14), No support for firmware updates or audio, and you need to have a device that supports USB OTG with an appropriate adapter. I myself used an adapter that came with a different controller.
How does it game?
My standard methodology for when I get new controllers has also applied for this Ultimate Mini, which I will walk you through.
Contra
Firstly (credit to Russ from RGC <3) I take out my controller to to the Contra test. I press as far down on the controller, and then push the the down tip left and right to see if I get any accidental diagonals. As for this controller, it is very easy to get a diagonal by doing this, which means it fails the Contra test. I cannot say they are accidental diagonals though, as being clicky means you feel the diagonal being pressed. I was able to play Contra perfectly fine with few to no accidental diagonals, and I definitely did not miss any diagonals as its very light and easy to press. With the the good pivot this controller has, this also means I really enjoy it for these reasons in a game like Tetris.Celeste, Street Fighter III and Plok!
To further test the dpad, I played Celeste, Street Fighter III: Third Strike and I randomly decided to try Plok!. In Celeste, I was able to complete the second level with no issues other than my own skill. Again, because the dpad is so light and easy to get diagonals on, I did not miss any diagonals, and accidental diagonals for me were rare. The face buttons held up as well as I'm used to from their other controllers, so no surprises here. Street Fighter, while not a game I am good at, I was able to get a decent amount of hadokens and shoryukens off. While not the best dpad for fighting games, this one gets a pass from me. Plok! as shown below felt great with SNES emulation but the game is too hard for me~
ULTRAKILL, CarX Street, Rivals of Aether 2
Lastly, I tried this controller in more joystick and trigger oriented games: ULTRAKILL, CarX Street and Rivals of Aether 2.While I have grown used to using controllers in ULTRAKILL with gyroscopic controls and digital triggers, which this controller does not have, the Ultimate Mini performed great. I was able to clear 1-1 quite easily as usual, the deadzone on the sticks felt great and with a game as frantic as ULTRAKILL it was able to keep up. I can imagine with large hands this controller might feel cramped in a game like Ultrakill with its asymmetrical layout, but this was not an issue for me.
In CarX Street, or any racing game for that matter, this controller performed really nicely. The amount of resistance and small deadzone really elevated the preciseness of the steering (for a regular gamepad at least) and I was able to give as much gas and brake with the triggers as I desire for a controller, not unlike the other Hall Effect options in this price segment.
Lastly, one of my favorite games to test controllers with, Rivals of Aether 2. A game where I feel latency often more so than others, this controller was completely fine as it's wired. I was able to get my directional analog inputs out as well as any other Hall Effect joystick, and the tactile conductive membrane face buttons just mean I really enjoy this game. In this game specifically, I prefer the more narrow clicky shoulder buttons of this controller compared to the new design of the Ultimate 2C, because they are lighter to press and have a bit more of a pop when releasing the press.
General thoughts on gaming
All in all, I am satisfied with the controls of this controller, and for me the things I personally miss are an option for digital triggers or better yet trigger locks (which 8BitDo to this date never has), and maybe extra back buttons would be nice for a game like Rivals of Aether 2, where I often map the jump and special attack buttons to. As with any Xbox controller, no gyroscopic controls are also something to miss for first person shooters (or racing games if you feel quirky).Competition
Fortunately, 8BitDo is not the only option in the budget price range of Xbox licensed controllers. I myself own a few competing options, and I will also talk about two other options I don't own.8BitDo Ultimate C Xbox
Firstly, its larger brother, the Ultimate C Wired Controller for Xbox. This is the exact same thing, but with more standard color options and the normal size for the Ultimate-lineup. My thoughts on this controller are the exact same as this Mini, except it is easier to recommend to people with larger hands. Pricing is also similar, and on this model the cable you get is color matched to whichever color you choose.GameSir G7 SE
Secondly, the direct competitor of the Ultimate C Xbox, the GameSir G7 SE. The model I have is a special version I cannot recommend, but otherwise this controller is very recommendable. The dpad is a bit worse than 8BitDo's offerings and has no RGB, but it has nicer shoulder buttons and larger trigger travel distance, and has a more Xbox-like shape. This one does come with back buttons, so if you are looking for the best value option among these alternatives, this is probably the one to go for.HyperX Clutch Tanto Mini WD
Another smaller alternative is the HyperX Clutch Tanto Mini WD (what a name). This one is more stubby shaped, does not come with Hall effect, and has a more clean and serious design to it. Its dpad feels exactly like the steam deck dpad, which is not as good as 8BitDo's, but it has nicer and larger face buttons. Overall the design is a bit more cramped, but this one may be available for cheaper depending on the country. Quality wise its on par with 8BitDo. It also has a wired Android mode specifically, which may mean it might work better on older versions of Android, and comes with a USB OTG adapter. Worth considering depending on local pricing.
Other alternatives
Lastly, the three alternatives I can in no way recommend: any offering by PDP, PowerA and Hori. The quality is worse than all other controllers mentioned in this review, the pricing is similar, and there has been a good track record of people having them break quickly. My personal PowerA micro-usb option does not see any use for good reason.
Conclusion
All in all, 8BitDo made a really solid smaller version of an Xbox licensed controller they released a year ago. Same exact features, same exact controls, just smaller, a good alternative for Xbox children. As I love the comfort of this controller, my hope is that they release a, likely PC/Android like the Ultimate 2C, wireless version of this controller. The colorways are pretty, and in this price segment there aren't really any Hall Effect alternatives at this size.
