I just won four races straight in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for the Nintendo Switch, using what’s probably the smallest Nintendo Switch-compatible controller ever made, the 8BitDo Zero 2. I initially bought this nifty keychain-sized controller to play Tetris 99 with, but unfortunately, it doesn’t work at all with the game.
But I did find out what it was good for when both of my daughters had gotten hold of the Joy-Con controller and the 8BitDo Pro 2 controller respectively, leaving me with the dinky little Zero 2 for Mario Kart, and fortunately for me, it worked with the game. Like its larger counterparts, the Zero 2 uses Bluetooth to connect to the console.
The overall experience playing Mario Kart with the Zero 2 can be summed up in a single word: cramp. I had to stretch my fingers after finishing that particular cup and Bowser, using a peculiar two-wheeler that the girls unlocked in their previous session.
When compared to a Joy-Con controller, physically the Zero 2 is missing the ZR and ZL buttons, the home and picture capture buttons, as well as the left and right thumbsticks. There are certain button combos to emulate the Home button as well as the ZR+ZL buttons but that’s just a bit troublesome.
The controller is powered by a rechargeable battery which provides about 8 hours of play time. No USB-C here as the controller uses micro-USB for recharging purposes.
Aside from the Switch, the Zero 2 is also compatible with the following platforms: Windows, Android, MacOS, Steam and Raspberry Pi. It makes for a pretty nifty, if not fickle backup of a backup controller (e.g. in my case, a backup to my Joy-Con controller, which is a backup of my 8BitDo Pro 2). I rate it a 3.5 out of 5.
The Zero 2 can be had for about USD 13 at Play-Asia, check it out over here. Alternatively you can get it for about USD 19 at Amazon.
