8Bitdo Micro Bluetooth Gamepad Pocket-sized Mini Controller for Switch, Android, and Raspberry Pi, Supports Keyboard Mode (Blue)

When I travel, I often bring my Steam Deck, and sometimes it's nice to have bring a controller. But obviously space in bags and luggage tends to be at a premium on travel, so hauling around a bulky, hefty console controller isn't ideal. So I picked up the 8BitDo Micro. It works great!And it's called a "Micro" for a reason! It weighs barely anything and it can literally fit in the palm of a single hand, it's that tiny. It's even smaller, width-wise than a Switch JoyCon. If you have bigger hands, that might be something to consider. I'm a smaller person, with smaller hands, so it doesn't bother me so much using this tiny controller. But if it does, 8BitDo has larger-but-still-small controllers. Strongly recommend taking a look at other buyer's pictures to really get a sense of the size. Either way, it's better than having no controller.Pairing was a little confusing, since there are a few different ways to pair, depending on what device you're using (Nintendo Switch vs an Android device, for example) so make sure to read the included manual. But once it's paired, you don't have to worry about that anymore.Battery life is excellent. You can go hours and hours on it, before the need to charge via USB-C cable.Obviously there are no analog sticks. There are also no L3/R3 buttons. If the games you play need those, consider using a different controller like the 8BitDo Lite 2. But otherwise, it has all the rest of the standard buttons, including L1 & L2 and R1 & R2. It does have the Nintendo button layout by default. I prefer the Playstation/Xbox button layouts, so I remapped that on my Steam Deck. Not sure how that works on other devices (phones, tablets, etc).It comes with a little silicone wrist strap and a really short USB-C-to-USB-A charging cable (any cable with USB-C on at least one end should work with it).Again, it's a great little controller for gaming on the go. I might even try pairing it with my phone one of these days and seeing if I can use it with the Steam Link app.

I absolutely love this controller. The color pops in person even more than in the pictures, the build quality feels solid and satisfying, and the small size is exactly what I was hoping for — truly pocket-ready without feeling cheap or fragile. It’s the perfect little travel companion for quick gaming sessions, emulator setups, or just tossing into a bag without a second thought.8BitDo nailed the balance here: lightweight but durable, stylish but not flashy, and insanely convenient for anyone who wants serious function in a compact package. If you’re even thinking about picking one up, do it — it’s better than you expect in all the ways that matter.

First, I want to mention that if your controller is having disconnection problems, immediately check the firmware and update it. v1.04 resolved these problems for me so I encourage you to try that first.Pros:+ The buttons are surprisingly good. It's a little bit scrunched but I was able to play most retro games on an iPad Air 5 and iPad Mini 5. It's far superior to touch screen controls+ Lightweight. With the lanyard attached it's 29 grams. Without, it's 26 grams. The portability factor means that I don't mind bringing it along for travel or commuting.+ USB Type C charging is incredibly convenient+ Battery life seems to be solid and I've been able to get several hours of usage over the course of a week.+ For iOS and iPad OS, the DirectInput option seems to play best with most emulators like Delta. Keyboard mode works well as a fallback option for other games.+ The companion app on mobile lets you customize the buttons and use the controller as a keyboard with several profiles to change the mappings. I used this a ton with iDOS for old MS-DOS games and to also use with different iOS apps. It worked surprisingly well for me on iOS.Cons- Out of the box I did have many disconnect problems on an iPad Air 5. The controller shipped with Firmware v1.03. After connecting it to a PC and using the updater tool to update the firmware to v1.04, the connectivity problems have been resolved. Make sure you try a firmware update if you experience disconnection problem.- The ergonomics are going to depend a lot on your hand size. I find this is okay for short sessions but it may cramp up your hand if you play too much.- Sometimes I find it far easier to press L2 and R2 on the inside of the controller than the outer L1 and R1 buttons. This is a fairly minor concern.

The 8Bitdo Micro is a tiny controller. At times, it's a little too small. The shoulder buttons in particular can be a little uncomfortable to use. But in certain situations, it's absolutely fantastic.I personally use it as a presentation remote and teleprompter controller in my day to day life, both functions it serves excellently. Some games play great on it, particularly those with simpler control schemes, and having a controller that's this small is such a massive benefit.Battery life is absolutely great. I had connectivity issues on earlier firmware versions, but the latest firmware appears to have patched most of these.My biggest issue is that remapping the keyboard profile cannot be done with the desktop software, but can only be done with the mobile companion app. Being able to more conveniently remap might've opened up some additional possibilities, but considering the low price I'm more than satisfied with what's available.