Skip to main content

8BitDo created a console-agnostic controller for players with limited mobility

8BitDo, a Hong Kong-based gaming hardware company, has announced that it is launching the 8BitDo Lite SE, a Bluetooth controller specially designed to make gaming more accessible to gamers with limited mobility.

The controller was made possible by a collaboration between 8BitDo and Andreas Karlsson to help his son Oskar, who has spinal muscular atrophy type 2 (SMA2), a rare neuromuscular disorder that affects the nerve cells controlling motor neurons. In other words, the disorder doesn’t allow him to stand or walk independently, so he uses a wheelchair as a means of navigating the world around him. It also makes playing video games with regular controllers difficult, so Andreas reached out to 8BitDo, who helped the father-son duo test out various prototype controllers before settling on the Lite SE design shown in the video below.

8BitDo Lite SE. Made for Gamers with Limited Mobility.

The Lite SE controller took everything the Xbox Adaptive Controller had and shrunk it down to the size of the iPhone SE. Instead of the DJ turntable-esque gamepads, the compact controller still has the analog sticks but makes up for it with every individual button being placed on the face. The L2 and R2 buttons that are usually embedded on the shoulders of a regular controller are respectively placed above the D-Pad and letter buttons. The L3 and R3 triggers, which are normally activated by pressing down on the analog sticks, also have their own special buttons just above the analog sticks to make it easier to press with less physical resistance and more sensitivity.

The one thing the Lite SE controller has in common with the Xbox Adaptive Controller is the non-slip rubber matt, which allows players to place the controller on a flat surface, like a table or tray, without it sliding off if they press on the buttons too hard. The matt can be removed if they intend to hold the controller in their hands the whole time.

Despite the earlier size comparison to the iPhone SE, the Lite SE controller is only compatible with the Nintendo Switch and Android devices. It’s available to pre-order for $35, and is expected to ship out July 15.

Editors' Recommendations

Cristina Alexander
Cristina Alexander has been writing since 2014, from opining about pop culture on her personal blog in college to reporting…
The best Lenovo laptop Cyber Monday deals we’ve found so far
Lenovo Legion Pro 7i on a desktop surface outside.

Lenovo offers everything from affordable Chromebooks to powerful gaming laptops, so if you need a new computer, this is one of the brands that you should consider. You can get any of these devices with huge discounts through Cyber Monday deals, and to help you narrow down your choices, we've gathered our favorite Cyber Monday laptop deals from Lenovo and placed them below.

We've pulled offers directly from Lenovo's website, which will give you opportunities to customize your new laptops. However, there are also some amazing bargains from Best Buy Cyber Monday laptop deals and Amazon Cyber Monday deals, so you can also check out for more Lenovo laptops.
Best Lenovo laptop Cyber Monday deals

Read more
The best superhero games of all time
Spider-Man from Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered.

Video games already make us feel superhuman, giving us ways to jump across tall buildings, replenish health with the press of a button, and even slow down time. But superhero video games take this idea to a new level, letting us play as heroes from some of our favorite characters from films and comics. Since the medium began, there have been hundreds of superhero video games spanning various genres, from fighting to action, platformers, and even massively multiplayer online games (MMOs).

If you want to get that true power fantasy of playing as a superhero, these are the top picks.

Read more
Best gaming monitor Cyber Monday deals — from $130
Digital Trends Best Black Friday Gaming Monitor Deals

If you're building a gaming PC with a cutting-edge CPU and GPU, you should pair it with a gaming monitor that will give justice to the awesome processing power. If a new gaming monitor is on your Cyber Monday deals shopping list, you don't have to go anywhere else because we've gathered all the best deals we could find from brands like Samsung, Lenovo, Razer and more.
Best 165Hz gaming monitor Cyber Monday deals

A monitor's refresh rate determines how often the images on the screen are updated -- the higher the refresh rate, the smoother your gameplay will be. A 165Hz refresh rate is just above our computer monitor buying guide's recommended range of 120Hz to 144Hz, and it's great for gamers on a budget as you'll still be getting proper support for your video games' higher frame rates. Size and resolution are other factors to consider though, so you should be going for the monitor that your budget allows.

Read more