8bitdo Failure Point (d-pad)

[{PK} HastyPixels]

8bitdo's controllers have been getting a lot of praise, and for a long time I've done the same. They've got a great look, and their multi-device connectivity makes them ideal... sort of. Unfortunately I've run into a rather serious issue that's only going to be discovered over time. How well do these devices stand up to continued usage?

 

Not well, as it turns out. For your information, I've been using an 8bitdo N30 Pro which I bought last year, about this time. Didn't use it until - in fact - my Mom adopted it to play Stardew Valley. She loves it, but we've run into an issue after about the 150 hour mark. That sounds like a lot, but not for a gamepad. Bear in mind I didn't use it at all except for configuration, prior. This means the controller has less than 200 hours of wear on its buttons. Well, the rubber under the d-pad has almost completely failed.

 

Two of the rubber buttons have lost their elasticity (not being very thick to begin with), and another of the buttons has nearly made a break for it - literally.

 

For reference, many of the controllers SNES controllers made in the 90s are still perfectly servicable even twenty years later. I don't know what the survival rate is, but you get the idea. These are undoubtedly cheap parts, but as the N30 retails for no less than $50 (I bought it from Best Buy for $90, yeah, I know...), I can't say I'm impressed.

 

Has anyone else had a similar experience?

 

Of course, the issue of replacing the controller is moot, and the alternative made by SteelSeries, the Stratus, is apparently no longer being manufactured. Amazon is just selling off old stock at an absurd price. I know, it's a niche product. I'll try contacting 8bitdo about this issue. If anyone is interested to hear more about this, I can update this post/thread as it develops.

 

Oh, yeah, I've probably bungled any easy replacement by gluing a replacement rubber pad to the PCB. It sort of works, but the glue is shorting two of the connections... but I'm sure I can clean that up with a little rubbing alcohol.

[{PK} HastyPixels]

Well, I suppose there's a good ending here, barring some patience. After contacting 8bitdo, they're going to send me the replacement part, though it is coming from China, so it'll take some time. I'm hopeful the new part will be more robust, but we'll see. I'll update this thread for reference.

[insidethishouse]

Hi. I have this problem as well. I'm very interested to know how did those replacement rubbers turned up. Did you find another solution or the replacements were enough?

It's quite a shame. While it's a good controller, it seems to be lacking in the quality control department.