8BitDo DIY kits make old wired controllers wireless

By JC Torres/July 17, 2018 9:18 pm EST

8BitDo is famous for its wide range of Bluetooth game controllers sporting various designs. But what if you already have an old, beloved controller lying around just begging for a second chance at being useful again in today's modern, wireless gaming market? Fortunately, 8BitDo knows your controller's pain and dreams and has the perfect solution. Meet the 8BitDo, which turns NES, SNES, and even Mega Drive controllers into useful Bluetooth controllers for today's gamers.

OK, so 8BitDo is practically giving you the guts of its Bluetooth controllers to fit into the empty shells of your old controllers. Yes, you have to basically gut your NES/SNES controller, carefully unscrew and pull out the old PCB and its cable and put in 8BitDo's wireless version. It makes for a snug fit, so there shouldn't be any problems at all.

So why go through all that trouble when you can simply buy one of 8BitDo's ready-made controllers anyway? Well, some have a fondness for how the old controllers feel and work. Since all mechanical buttons and D-pads remain the same, you can relive that feeling plus have the ability to use the controller again even if the console itself no longer works.

Introducing 8BitDo DIY. Simple but powerful Mod-Kits designed by yours truly. Easily convert your original NES, SNES and Mega Drive controllers into Bluetooth controllers ( ◠‿◠ )

Available now at - https://t.co/suBGRKAoRa pic.twitter.com/TKhUqnB0qr

— 8BitDo (@8BitDo) July 17, 2018

The 8BitDo DIY costs $19.99 per kit, no matter the console, no matter the size. Amusingly, there's also a ModKit for both the NES Classic as well as the SNES Classic. Given it's half the price of a regular 8BitDo controller., it probably won't be long before someone takes these kits and designs some fancy shells around them. Either way, 8BitDo still wins.