Flydigi Direwolf 4 vs 8BitDo Ultimate 2 Wireless: Best Mid Range controllers

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Flydigi Direwolf 4 is one of, if not the best controller you can buy under $40. And if you get charging dock bundled along, you get it for $50. But for just $10 more, you land at the 8BitDo Ultimate 2, which also comes with a dock. This puts the Direwolf 4 and 8BitDo Ultimate 2 within striking range of each other.

They both have some really good, unique features; and their performance and feeling are at the top of their price segments. So in this comparison, we’ll see which one is the right controller for you.

PRICE
Ergonomics
Aesthetics
Analog Sticks
Triggers
Shoulder Bumpers
D-pad
Face Buttons (ABXY)
Back Buttons
Gyroscope
Haptics
Connectivity & Latency
Software
BATTERY
Accessories
Other eXTRAS
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Flydigi Direwolf 4
Check Prices
– Only controller : $40
– Charging Dock separately : $15
– Controller + Dock bundle = $50

– Genshin Impact Yoimiya Special Edition : $99 (comes with dock and few accessories)
– Weight : 235g
– Xbox-style shape (wider, flared handles)
– Plastic grips with slight texture. Not ideal grip for large hands, but it’s not too bad.
– Feels more comfortable to hold with my large hands, mostly due the flared handles.
Available colours :
– White
– Yopimiya Special Edition (extra cost)
– Flydigi FORCEFLEX Hall Effect Sticks
– Removable top
– Tension Adjustment mechanism
– Feels excellent and smoother due to internal restriction ring
– Hall Effect analog triggers
– Micro-switch trigger stops (satisfying mouse click)
– The mouse click trigger stops here have a little bit of pre-travel for a less fatiguing and bouncier experience.
– Mechanical bumpers
– Deeper “thocky” sound
– No extra shoulder buttons
– Mechanical micro switch dpad
– Central pivot is great and there is no wobble.
– More bouncy feel due to a little bit of pre-travel. Feels great.
– Accuracy is good and performance is good. Diagonals are excellent.
– Membrane ABXY buttons
– Average feel. Nothing spectacular, but not particularly disappointing.
– Glossy material makes the buttons feel a little slippery which I don’t like.
– 2 back buttons
– Comfortable positioning and actuation force. No complaints.
– Remappable
– 6 axis gyro with mapping function
– Works on multiple platforms
– 2 asymmetric motors in the handles
– Feels detailed and pretty good.
– Trimode: wired, 2.4ghz, bluetooth
– 1000hz in wired and 2.4ghz mode, 250hz in bluetooth mode
– good latency numbers. No qualms in experience. Bluetooth latency could have been better but it is good enough for Nintendo Switch.

Compatible with Windows, Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch
– Flydigi Space Station 4.0 on PC
– Excellent experience with extremely granular cusomization.

– Flydigi android app is okay. It gives you a good amount of customization but it’s not as granular as the PC app.
– 800mah
– about 17 hours with rumble enabled
INCLUDED :
N/A

AVAILABLE SEPARATELY :
– Wireless charging Dock
– 2 Styles of D-pads
– Interchangeable height sticks
– Elite accessory pack (Case + D-Pads + Sticks)
– no RGB
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8bitdo Ultimate 2 Wireless
Check Prices
Two variants available :
– $59.99 (the one in this review)
– $69.99 (compatible with nintendo switch)

Charging dock included
– Weight : 250g
– Nintendo Switch Pro controller shape (boxy, less flared handles)
– Stippled, textured plastic on back of controller for grip. No rubber.
– Feels less ergonomic for my large hands due to boxy shape. It’s still comfortable, but less comfortable compared to the G7 Pro.
Available colours :
– Green(AKNES)
– Black
– White
– Purple
– WUCHANG Edition
– Honkai: Star Rail – Evernight Edition

(Note that the special editions come with accessories like custom themed charging dock, etc. They also cost different prices)
– TMR sticks
– Non-removable top
– No tension adjustment
– Good feel, no complaints
– Hall Effect analog triggers
– Micro-Switch trigger stops
– The mouse click trigger stops here have less pre-travel, resulting in a more precise feel, albeit a little tiring at first till you get used to it.
– Mechanical bumpers
– Lighter, “clacky” sound
– 1 extra paid of programmable shoulder buttons
– Mecha-Tactile d-pad
– Central pivot is great and there is minimal unwanted wobble.
– Stiffer feel, but not bad at all.
– Good accuracy, and performance is good. I’ve had some accidental diagonal inputs when I try to press a diagonal directly, instead of rolling to the diagonal from the central pivot. I got used to this within a day and haven’t had any misinputs since then.
– Membrane ABXY buttons
– One of the best feeling membrane dome buttons I’ve used.
– Matte material, no complaints.
– 2 back buttons
– Comfortable position and feel. No complaints.
– Remappable
– 6 axis gyro with mapping function. – Works on multiple platforms
– 2 asymmetric motors in the handles
– Feels nice, hefty, and detailed. Better haptics here IMO.
– Trimode: wired, 2.4ghz, bluetooth
– 1000hz in wired and 2.4ghz mode, 125hz in bluetooth mode
– good latency numbers. No qualms in experience

Compatible with windows, android, iOS

– Bluetooth variant is also compatible with Switch and Switch 2
– 8BitDo Ultimate software on PC
– No mobile app
– Great experience. Slightly less customizable, but still more than sufficient
– 1000mah
– 20+ hours with RGB and Vibration disabled
– 7-8 hours with RGB and Vibration enabled
INCLUDED :
– Smart charging dock


(yeah there’s not much out there for this controller)
– no audio jack
– RGB rings around the sticks, somewhat customizable with multiple pre-made animations and reactive animations

Which controller should YOU pick?

Choosing between these two really comes down to what you prefer in a controller. I’m a sucker for the flared shape of the Direwolf, and the tension adjustment is a real neat feature too. But the grip on the Ultimate 2 feels nicer and it comes in some really cool colors.

On one hand, I love the mechanical D-pad on the Flydigi, but the glossy face buttons leave a little to be desired. Similarly, I love that the Ultimate 2 has 2 extra shoulder buttons, but then I miss out on the looooong battery life of the Direwolf 4.

They’re both quite excellent controllers. The choice comes down to which feature you use more and what you prefer.

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Fang
Tech reviewer | [email protected] | Website

Hello! 🥰 I'm Fang.
I like gaming and related tech. I enjoy learning more, and sharing my experiences through my review videos and blog posts. Have fun! 💖

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