8BitDo Lite 2

The controller works exactly as suggested, it seems to pair with Windows easily and input feels nice. The switch to Dinput instead of Xinput, and the sacrifice of triggers that handle nuance in pressing strength (think FLUDD in Super Mario Sunshine) I think is a bit of a poor choice for a company trying to sell largely to a retro-gaming crowd, but at the same time this model is marketed specifically to Switch users, so it makes sense.

My biggest issue, though, is when I try to get it to pair with my machine (running Manjaro) I can't get a solid response from the controller. My laptop is able to trust and pair the MAC address fine, it can connect to the controller via Bluetooth, but I have to do it in a roundabout way to make it work because it doesn't Just Work out of the box. Even then, after it's connected it will not send input. The error I keep getting is that it's unauthenticated, which makes sense: the controller never finishes pairing. I have to use it in wired mode with my machine. Granted, they don't explicitly support Manjaro so I can only be so upset, but it is a real hinderance on my experience, especially since my SN30 Pro+ works great with my Manjaro boxes.

Perfect for my kids under 10 that prefer joycons in a grip. Now I don't have to find a grip or deal with the typical joycon issues. They love it, I think it's pretty great but a tad small for my adult hands (so are joycons). 8bitdo has the solutions.

It works as intended. I got it as a portable controller. It’s okay but can be a bit finicky.

8BitDo Lite 2

Perfect for traveling I was worried about the joystick but turned to be impressed