Retro-Bit Legacy16 Wireless Controller

Not perfect

In general, this is good. The quality is typical Retro-Bit: generally well made but with a slight feeling of cheapness. But two things are killing me. The analog sticks are too slippery and the A, B, X, Y buttons do not have enough height! The second is the biggest problem. The comparison with the original is in the shots. As we can see, the Legacy has slightly lower buttons. But when pressed, they do not protrude above the surface. I can't play comfortably with any game where I need to press A+B or B+Y. I hope in the next revision the height of the A, B, X, Y buttons gets fixed.

Great for SNES SMW hacks

Grand Poo World 3 is out!! Super Mario world hacks are a lot of fun. Since they are really fast paced I needed either a corded controller or a no lag controller (no Bluetooth).

This controller works great! Feels a little cheap in the hand but plays absolutely GREAT! Plays like the original SNES controller (I played years of that system as a child when it first came out). Can't feel any lag even though it's probably around 4ms. I've never had a button not register.

I have only played about 4 hours at a time so I don't know how long it lasts. Seems like any usb-c will charge it, even my high speed 100watt usb-c PD charger will charge the controller.

An amazing SNES controller! I'll probably buy a second for when this breaks.

I haven't used any other functions like macros or home/screenshot button.

1:05

Only Works Sometimes

This controller only works with some games. 50/50 chance of it working. Not helpful for date night where we were supposed to be playing video games together.

It does have a glitch

So the only thing that I’ve noticed is because I use it on my steam deck in the works perfectly fine, but if I put the steam deck to sleep and I turn it back on the controller and the steam deck controls, don’t work so I have to exit out of the game and started back up other than that it’s amazing

Great concept but lacking quality.

The design is very similar to the original SNES controller. But the controller is made with

very cheap materials. Definitely not worth 35 dollars. Over all it works good with my SNES and there no latency. I like the fact that it come with its own dongle for SNES and USB.

0:02

Calidad precio

Muy buen mando, tal vez la calidad del material no es lo más top pero es aceptable

Kiyo M.

August 19, 2021

Retro-bit vs 8Bitdo

I give it more of a 3.5/5.

The 8Bitdo feels better and is overall better quality (not to mention bluetooth).

However, if you need 2.4 Ghz or want to connect directly to your SNES, this would be more for you.

The 8Bitdo also has force feedback and this one doesn't.

Scott

August 8, 2021

Amazing SNES/PC controller!

It's so hard to find good replacement controllers for older game consoles, and this Retro-Bit controller knocks it out of the park. It comes with a receiver for both the original SNES console as well as one for PC/Raspberry pi etc. systems so you can use it just about anywhere. It charges via USB-C just like most modern devices which is also included.

The controls feel nice and responsive and I haven't seen any issues so far with delay or syncing with it being wireless. Since it has thumbsticks and the additional shoulder buttons it can be used in place of most modern controllers too which is great. I really love this thing!!

Spicy Lea

August 3, 2021

Excellent for a retro gaming

The buttons are responsive and it is comfortable to hold. It really does feel like playing with a classic Super Nintendo controller. If you have a classic game emulator, this controller really helps bring authenticity to the experience.

This is a good controller for modern gaming but the control sticks are in more of an awkward placing. I like that it has two sets of L and R buttons for more game compatibility. Although it is nice to be able to play newer games with it, the retro games are where this controller really shines.

Richard R

August 2, 2021

Works well for SNES and Raspberry Pi. analog sticks get in the way a bit, though

Retrobit, I have a number of their Sega Genesis controllers, so I was curious to try this wireless SNES style controller from them. The packaging is nice, and within the box you get the controller, instruction manual, a USB receiver, an SNES controller port receiver, and a USB-C charging cable for the controller.

The wireless for the controller uses RF, so no need to worry about line-of-sight as with the way-old style IR controllers (I had some for my NES, way back when!). Using these controllers I noticed no lag, seemed to be about as responsive as wired controllers. The instructions are informative, and I especially like that they included a table, showing what buttons default to, that was handy.

The buttons feel like that of the original SNES controllers, and respond similarly. The only thing that felt slightly off was the texture on the D-Pad, but it's close enough. The addition of the analog sticks is somewhat welcome, however, I find they do get in the way a bit, and I bump into them here and there. Still, the analog stick can be useful for some movements when I've used this hooked up to an SNES. The analog sticks getting in the way a bit, I think that's just because I stopped playing many console games after the 16-bit era. Console video games on systems after the 16-bit era, I'd use a joystick when available, and that was mostly to play older games on newer systems, such as Capcom Classics, King of Fighters, Road Rash for PS1, etc.. The analog sticks do have their place, though, this controller works just fine with Smash TV played through a Raspberry Pi...

Retrobit, I have some experience with other products of theirs, and I've been happy. I have numerous Sega Genesis controllers from them, in USB and SG controller port versions. Never had any issues with them. These controllers are nice, however it takes some getting used to the placement of the analog sticks. I'll be using these controllers more with Raspberry Pi, than the SNES. This controller won't take the place of my normal SNES controllers that I use with extension cords, but it's nice to have another option.

Kiyo M.

August 1, 2021

8Bitdo vs Retro-Bit

I give it more of a 3.5/5.

I also own the 8Bitdo SNES bluetooth controller and while it looks similar, I feel the 8Bitdo is better quality than the Retro-Bit. The joystick is more convex than concave on the 8Bitdo; to me, it feels better on the 8Bit.

It's a shame this doesn't have bluetooth support and requires the dongle. The advantage though is that you can use this with the original SNES.

The 8Bitdo also has force feedback and this one doesn't.

Overall, it's nice if you still play on the original SNES console, but overall, the 8Bitdo is a way better buy if you play on PC/Android roms.

Immovable World

July 27, 2021

Really great controller

This review is for the Retro-Bit Legacy 16 Wireless 2.4GHz Controller. It can be used with pretty much anything that has a USB slot which includes PC, Switch, Mac, Raspberry Pi or other small computer. It also comes with a SNES connector so you can use it for your old console. The one thing it does not have that I wish it did was a way to use the controller with a wired connection, just in case I run out of battery.

It is a good quality controller. All of the buttons feel really solid to me and do not jiggle much. When playing on the SNES both shoulder buttons are the same button which is nice and makes it easier to hit. It connected easily yo the SNES and my computer. I had no latency issues. I like that they include the home and screenshot buttons so that using it with the Switch is pretty seamless. Nice to play your retro games with a retro controller and it being wireless is the cherry on top.

The joysticks can both be clicked down/pushed in and they feel nice and smooth when spinning them around and in general usage. The controller feels a little lighter than I want but there isn't much to it other than a little circuit board and some plastic. Overall a great controller and good alternative to more expensive and less available options on the market. The battery life is good too and I bet you could make it even better if you replaced the internal battery. This would void your warranty though.

Great SNES controller

The Legacy 16 is a great wireless controller option, and works perfectly on my SNES, and Super Famicom. While I do wish they offered a wireless controller without the extra buttons as I'll never use this controller on anything other than the original consoles I never found the analog sticks, or extra buttons to get in the way. Also unlike the 8bitdo SN30 Pro I was using this doesn't register false diagonals in normal use. The only thing I wish was different is the size of the wireless receiver, and the extremely bright RED LED on it.

Update - I have now moved from original hardware to the Super NT, and purchased a 2nd controller. Both are great. An easy 5 stars, but damn those LEDs on the receivers are bright!

Works great

This controller works great with my retro duo system. Instructions are good, although it was easy to figure out without the instructions. Pairing is a breeze.

All the buttons do what they are supposed to, and there wasn't any lag. Definitely beats having to sit on floor a foot away from the TV, really glad I ordered this controller.

the eliminator

July 14, 2021

A great retro controller

The Super Nintendo was my first video game console growing up, so I've always loved the design of that controller. This one uses that design but brings some modern upgrades, like dual sticks and triggers, and wireless connection with USB-C recharging. It comes with both a USB receiver for your PC, Pi or Switch, and an actual SNES receiver for use with your original hardware.

The controller for the most part feels great, and much like an original SNES one. The buttons and D-pad feel good. The one lacking point is the joysticks... they function, but they're a lot like the ones on joy-cons... not great, but useable. One of the competitors of this product, 8bitdo, has a similar controller with better joysticks. However, their product is more expensive and is Bluetooth, which isn't as good a connection as the 2.4 GHz wireless used on this. I do not notice any input lag on this while I can tell it's there with bluetooth controllers.

Since this one comes with both types of receivers it's really a great value and can be used for almost any type of SNES related retro gaming and modern stuff. We will see how well it holds up over time but so far so good, and I think it's a great way to play almost any game and it's helping extend the life of my original SNES hardware as well.

Insomniak1

July 12, 2021

Amazing -when it works.

The look is totally faithful to the original SNES controller, right down to the ergonomics. The only differences are the additional shoulder buttons and Switch home buttons. It is 2.5Ghz wireless and pairs with any USB-A device. It is also quite versatile and works mostly well, albeit not perfect for every situation.

Of course, this controller is perfectly suited for retro-gaming. Sadly, my original SNES would not start. However, since I am still able to enjoy retro-gaming with the Switch’s Classic catalog, I gave the Retro-Bit a try. Well, it worked well for the most part, but I did experience disconnects, the controller went into sleep mode unexpectedly, and, in some cases, did not want to connect immediately. Maybe this is just my unit, but I experienced many inconsistencies depending on what device I wanted to play. On my windows laptop, it worked 90% of the time. On my desktop, there were a couple of times I could not even connect. The Switch, which is supposed to be designed for, was 50/50. It worked best on my iOS tablet with a USB-C adapter. Still, when it did work, I did not notice any significant lag -especially in platformer games and racing titles, where precision counts. However, I found the analog sticks too tight to turn and difficult to get a sweet spot in the latest games.

I would not recommend it for PC gamers that play mostly the latest titles. However, this could be a game-changer for the avid retro gamer -if it works when you want it to. For the asking price, I think it’s still certainly worth trying.

Bryan Licona

June 25, 2021

Great for SNES games on the Switch and nostalgic

Looks and feels good. A bit on the bulk but it works great. Feels like the old controller as well. Great for playing those SNES games on the Switch and not dealing with cables.

Came with a USB C cable which is neat. Already have some at home.

Downsides

- will not work if you just plug a cable to the console. Only USB or SNES adapter.

Pretty good though.