The best wireless adapter for your GameCube controller and Switch
- nov
- 09
We have been into gaming since before Mario first jumped onto our screens and we invest hundreds of hours making sure you get the best hardware and software to make gaming time the best it can be.
The 8bitdo Wireless adapter is a beautifully crafted wireless adapter to allow you to use your original GameCube controller with your Nintendo Switch.
Our pick
8bitdo wireless adapter
Retro styling at an affordable price is a winning combination
The 8bitdo wireless adapter is a beautifully designed product that fits an exact need. It allows you to use your retro games controllers to play retro games on the Switch as well get you ready for Super Smash Bros..
Perfect for the nostalgic
The Switch is giving us the perfect way to satisfy our longing for the classic consoles of our youths, but we can't always replicate it completely — not with the Joy-Cons. With the 8bitdo wireless adapter, you can take that one step further and use the actual controllers you used as a kid, if, like me, you kept all your controllers. It allows you to play games the way they were meant to be played rather than relying on the Joy-Cons, which are great but feel very different compared to a GameCube controller.
Is it a good time to buy?
With the imminent launch of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate on the Switch, now is the best time to get yourself ready with a decent GameCube controller. Perfectionists will tell you it's the only way to play.
Reasons to buy
- Use your original controller
- Room for other classic controllers
- Wireless range for comfort
- It's just so pretty
Reasons not to buy
- Only one GameCube port
The perfect combo of function and form
One of my favorite parts of the Switch is its seemingly endless diversity. There always seems to be multiple ways to play a game and multiple controllers to use in those games. When Nintendo announced that they had baked support into the console for the original GameCube controller as well as releasing its own Controller Pro, a world of possibility opened up for third-party developers to make some unique things.
The beauty of the 8bitdo wireless adapter is in its simplicity and its beauty. Made to mimic the exact tone and color scheme of the original GameCube Controller, it offers a wireless connection to your Switch for the controller and other controllers too.
The beauty of the 8bitdo wireless adapter is in its simplicity and its beauty
The adapter also works with the classic NES, SNES, and Wii controllers to allow the maximum amount of nostalgic play whilst adding a few helpful and modern buttons, including a Home button and a Screenshot button, to the device itself, making modern gaming and retro gaming much easier.
Alternatives to the 8bitdo
Whilst the 8bitdo is something unique in terms of style, there are alternatives you could explore. You could opt for the Switch official Controller Pro but it doesn't have the same flair as the GameCube controller, or you could opt for a wired four port GameCube adapter. This has the advantage of letting you connect four controllers to a single Switch but, you won't be able to do it untethered.
Runner-up
Nintendo Switch Pro controller
A current generation controller
The Nintendo Switch Pro controller is the perfect controller for the Switch. It has all the modern motion controls, Amiibo access, and haptics you expect from a modern day controller. It's not as pretty as the old style controllers though is it?
If you want to have the best of the best and you aren't worried about nostalgia, the pro controller will do the job admirably, but when nostalgia is important, why not try this four-port instead?
Value pick
4-Port GameCube adapter
For a cheap, tethered, multiplayer experience
The wired four-port adapter is going to be perfect for your Super Smash Bros. parties that I'm sure are going to be happening as soon as the game launches.
The four-port is a cheap alternative to the 8bitdo with none of the latter joy and beauty. Yes, it is functional, and yes, it is cheap, but it doesn't tug at my heartstrings as the 8bitdo does. It's going to be great for playing with friends, though I did notice this only works when plugged into the dock, not into the Switch itself. The 8bitdo connects directly so it allows for more freedom of movement.
Bottom line
The 8bitdo Wireless adapter is the perfect companion for the GameCube controller you want to use on the Switch. It matches the aesthetic of the GameCube to a tee and makes me feel all warm inside for a time when teeny tiny discs were going to be the future and purple and yellow looked amazing together (although they still do).
The alternatives are functional but are drab and perfunctory. The 8bido has all the function and does it in a stylish, retro soaked, beautiful way. You should get one.
Credits — The team that worked on this guide
James Bricknell is a gadgeteer and lover all things retro. He can be found emulating Nintendo consoles on anything he can get his hands on.
Russell Holly is a Contributing Editor at iMore. He's a passionate futurist whose trusty Nintendo Switch is never far from reach. You can usually find him chasing the next tech trend, much to the pain of his wallet.