8Bitdo DIY Mod Kit For Snes Classic Controller

Game controllers have come a long way since the 8-bit era, but there’s still something satisfying about the classic gamepads of the early ‘90s.

- Will Greenwald

The rectangle of the NES and the dog bone of the SNES controllers are simple, functional, and incredibly sturdy. Of course, they’re also wired controllers that require an adapter to use with any modern system. You can use the NES Classic and SNES Classic Editions and their old-school controllers with more modern connectors, but they’re still wired. You can also use a classic-style wireless controller like the 8Bitdo SN30. The company has another solution, though, and it lets you breathe new life into your old, unused gamepads.

The 8Bitdo DIY Mod Kit line is a collection of kits for modifying your original or Classic Edition controllers. They’re inexpensive and easy to use, and they can turn your 8- or 16-bit gamepad into a Bluetooth controller like the SN30. 8Bitdo offers Mod Kits for both the original and Classic Editions of the NES and SNES controllers, along with a kit for the three-button Sega Mega Drive/Genesis controller. We tried out the Mod Kit for the SNES Classic Edition gamepad.

EVERYTHING BUT THE CONTROLLER

Each 8Bitdo mod kit comes with a new printed circuit board (PCB), which serves as the brain of the gamepad. This holds all the circuitry of the controller; everything outside of it is just a plastic shell. The buttons of the controller aren’t even mechanically actuated buttons, like you would find in a mouse or on a keyboard; they’re just plastic shapes with conductive foam that closes different circuits on the PCB, sending a signal through the board to your gaming device that the button was pressed.

A rechargeable battery is included, built into each PCB. Each kit also comes with a short USB-to-micro USB cable and a Philips-head screwdriver sized for the controller you’re modding. You get everything you need to mod a controller except the controller itself.

INSTALLATION