8Bitdo M30 Bluetooth Controller for Switch, Windows and Android, 6-Button Layout for SEGA’s Classic Games (Black)

I primarily bought this controller for the Sega Ages games coming for and on the Nintendo Switch. It pairs and works on different things like android, PC, Switch, and Steam similar to most of 8bitdo's products. The build of the controller is as solid as I expected it to be, light but doesn't feel cheap. The buttons feel great, similar to the 6 button Genesis controller and the same can be said about the D-Pad (which is a major plus). This D-pad is fantastic imo, a HUGE improvement from the other controllers I have from them (the SN30Pro), barely any misread inputs from left or right going up or down instead.One main caveat for using this on the Switch is that it follows the Nintendo button layout (so A on this controller is B and X on this controller is Y, and the Z and C buttons are mapped to L and R while the L and R buttons on the controller are mapped to ZL and ZR). Plus the D-Pad is apparently detected as an analouge stick instead of a D-Pad/the 4 directional buttons so that might cause some problems with some games. This isn't a huge problem for the Sega Ages games since you can remap the buttons if need be but if you plan to use this controller for a game that doesn't let you remap your buttons then it could be a problem. (And the Z and C buttons are mapped to L and R while the L and R buttons on the controller are mapped to ZL and ZR)Using this controller on Steam works pretty great using X-input (and Big Picture Mode) too.Overall, this is probably 8bitdo's best controller so far. I know that Retro-Bit are also releasing original cased wireless Sega Genesis and Saturn controllers in the future (who knows when) that will also work with the Switch, but for $30 this is hard to beat and is a great for all the Sega Ages games that are planned for the Nintendo Switch and Sonic Mania.

A very, very nice 6-button Genesis/Saturn-style controller. Very sturdy, feels great to hold, and seems to have a pretty long battery life from what I'm seeing. I bought this because I recently got the Genesis Classics collection on Switch and thought this would help compliment that and add a layer of authenticity. And it does, to a degree. This is no fault of the controller itself, but the button inputs don't work exactly as you'd expect in this particular case. This acts as a Pro Controller when connected to the Switch, and the Pro Controller is emulating a Genesis controller when playing games on the collection (Y, B, and A on the Pro stand in for A, B, and C on the Genesis). What this means is that when you press A on this controller, the Genesis game you're playing thinks you're pressing C. If that sounds confusing, that's because it is.Honestly though, I find it's only an issue with Genesis games that fully utilize a 6-button layout rather than 3; and thankfully the vast majority of games in the collection are the latter. It's very easy to wrap your head around in that case, and in something like Sonic it doesn't matter in the slightest since all the buttons do the same thing. I figured I'd bring this up because I wouldn't be surprised if other people also want to get this for the collection on Switch. As for the controller itself, the only gripe I had was that I had some trouble connecting it to my Switch at first. I followed the directions step by step and it just wouldn't connect for more than a couple seconds. Finally I rebooted the Switch, tried again, and that apparently did the trick.And of course, this is also compatible with most other Switch games (I don't see anyone using it to play Breath of the Wild, but playing Sonic Mania with this puppy feels like a dream) as well as computers and phones, so you're bound to find a good use for this. I find $30 to be a pretty reasonable asking price considering its overall quality. It's a definite recommend for retro enthusiasts!

I bought one of these because I was so pleased with the 8Bitdo SF30, which I am using with my Rpi 3 B+ Retropie. Being a Sega kid growing up, having the Nintendo controller without a Sega counterpart felt something like treason. The M30 very closely resembles the Sega Saturn mk-80116 controller; this was very similar to the 6-button controller that came with the model 2 Genesis, with added R/L bumpers and a more ergonomic design. Needless to say, the similarity to the 6-button MD controllers makes it a de facto choice for this purpose.By virtue of quality, the M30 is a reasonably faithful representation of the original Saturn mk-80116, and works nicely as an amalgam for the Genesis/Mega Drive/Saturn generation of controllers. The unique three button A-B-C array of the Sega controllers from this period was fairly unique, and it immediately feels much better when playing Genesis games (where SNES replicas require an awkward mapping configuration to work).The D-pad feel of Sega controllers from this time - which I always felt was a little bit of a "deeper" action than the SNES controllers - seems to be bang-on, and reminds me very much of the original 3-button Genesis controller I used to play on as a kid. The A, B, and C buttons have a nice action and also feel very similar to the original models. When it comes to feel and performance, I take no issue with this model at this point. If anything, it feels better than the originals.The unit came in a decently nice chipboard box, which was sadly damaged. I like keeping boxes to store electronics, even though most electronics come in crappy packaging that isn't worth saving. The fact that this one came ina very nice little box that was damaged was a slap in the face, but that's on Amazon and not 8Bitdo. Fortunately, the controller itself wasn't damaged. It also comes with a USB type-C charge cable and an instruction booklet. Pairing it up with the Rpi was a breeze. Mapping was a bit annoying, but that can mostly be attributed to a Retropie controller quick-configuration scheme that favors Nintendo hardware. I imagine that more advanced exploration/configuration within Retroarch could ease these issues, but it's not yet enough to push me to such an undertaking. I've seen some issues with unusual D-pad/analog stick association, as well, but have not personally run into any issues thus far.Without too many miles on it, this is a great controller. It replaced a higher-end wired MD 6-button replica, and seems to have one-upped it considerably. 8Bitdo appears to be the quality standard for bluetooth/wireless retro controllers. My wallet is cowering in fear, as it knows I'll probably buying another one in the future. If you find yourself reaching for your retro consoles/emus more than your Xbox One/PS4/PC games, investing in something like this is well worth the coin.