One of the best Father’s Day present concepts beneath $50

The 8BitDo Ultimate 2.4G Controller is a flexible various to a standard Xbox gamepad that works simply throughout Home windows PCs, Macs, Steam Deck and cell gadgets. It connects over Bluetooth, wi-fi dongle or USB cable and notably makes use of magnetic Hall effect sensors in its joysticks, which suggests it’s a lot much less prone to creating the dreaded “stick drift” than conventional controllers. Whereas it’d really feel a little cramped for these with notably giant palms, its form doesn’t have any bizarre curves or quirks, and all its inputs are appropriately crisp to press. Battery life is first rate at 15-ish hours, too, and the entire thing comes with a slick charging dock.

If dad desires to get hardcore, 8BitDo’s companion software provides a wealth of customization choices, similar to adjusting the sensitivity of the triggers or assigning macros to sure buttons. 8BitDo sells just a few totally different variants of this controller, which may get complicated: That is the very best one with an MSRP beneath $50, however another model works with the Nintendo Swap and makes use of that console’s button format, whereas the newer Ultimate 2 pad provides just a few additional buttons and options for $60. — J.D.