8BitDo 64 Bluetooth: the best N64 controller on the market comes in Classic Gray color, and 2.4GHz
If you're looking for the ultimate Nintendo 64 controller to play your N64 ROMs, the answer is called 8BitDo 64. 8BitDo, the modern retro controller specialist, continues to enrich its catalogue with new colors and a 2.4GHz version, and Time Extension got its hands on it this week.
🎮 Why this controller is different from others
The problem with third-party N64 controllers is that they usually do one or the other: either they copy the original trident design (not very ergonomic in 2026), or they switch to a modern format that betrays the N64 spirit. The 8BitDo 64 does both at the time, and that's its genius:
- Single stick on the left, like on the original N64, but in Hall Effect anti-drift with anti-wear metal ring
- Large A and Bbuttons on the right, directional pad C (the famous yellow buttons), authentic layout
- Modern ergonomic form factor, not the trident, but recognizable at first glance
- LoginBluetooth (or 2.4GHz depending on version) with dongle included for N64 original
- Dual Z triggers in trigger, much better than the original
🎨 The Classic Grey colorway, the version we've been waiting for
The version Classic Grey is the most awaited by fans. It faithfully reproduces the color scheme of the original N64 controller from 1996: ash grey, red Start button, yellow C buttons, B green, A blue. For those of us who experienced the arrival of Super Mario 64, GoldenEye or Ocarina of Time in hand, it’s a plastic Proust madeleine. style="user-select: auto;">The price is $45 for this version ($5 more than black/white), available via the 8BitDo eShop and Amazon.
🔌 Compatible with everything, including Analogue 3D
The 8BitDo 64 is the official controller of theAnalog 3D, the FPGA console that runs the original N64 cartridges in 4K. But even without 3D Analogue, it works with:
- Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 (updated firmware required)
- PC Windows (USB-C wired)
- Android and iOS
- N64 original via 2.4GHz dongle or Retro Receiver Bluetooth
📥 Where to buy
Available on 8bitdo.com and Amazon. The 2.4GHz version with Retro Receiver is at $39.99, the Bluetooth Classic Grey version at $45.
Sources: Time Extension, GameSpot