
The Saturn may have lost out to the Sony PlayStation in terms of market share, but one thing it got right was its controller. Sure, the PS1 pad boasted a forward-thinking design complete with four shoulder buttons and ergonomic 'prong' grips, but its D-pad was a distant second to the lovely rolling pad on the Saturn's controller ā and this (twinned with a Capcom-friendly six-button face setup) made it the interface of choice for fans of 2D fighting games.
Retro-Bit has created licenced pads based on the legendary Saturn controller in the past, but its latest trick attempts to bring things bang up to date. The Sega Saturn 2.4GHz Wireless Pro Controller incorporates dual analogue sticks into the pad's iconic design, making it a viable option not just for retro gaming but for modern games, too.
But first, the basics. The big news is that the dual sticks use 'Hall Effect' sensors, which should ensure that they never suffer from dreaded drift. The sticks are roughly the same size as those on the Switch Joy-Con, which is to say they're somewhat on the small size, and that means precise control is tricky. We'd have liked to have seen slightly bigger sticks, but this would naturally have forced something of a redesign when it comes to the pad's overall shape. We're also a bit bummed out that the controller has a 'Sega Saturn' logo in the middle, rather than the simple 'Sega' that was on the original pad, but that's just us being picky.
The controller is wireless and utilises low-latency 2.4GHz connectivity rather than Bluetooth. Two receivers are included in the box ā one for the Saturn and the other for USB-ready systems. Input lag is virtually non-existent, from what we can tell ā although pairing the pad with the receiver can feel a little bit like trial and error initially (we had to totally reset the pairing on both of our review units in order to get them to play nice).
Throw in surprisingly decent rumble (which is reserved for non-Saturn systems using the USB receiver), 500mAh battery (good for approximately 20 hours of use) and 30ft range, and you've got a pretty compelling controller ā but what's it like to actually use?
The most important question most Sega fans will have is likely to relate to the controller's D-pad, and the good news is that it's an incredibly close match to the original. After spending some time with the likes of X-Men Vs Street Fighter, King of Fighters '96 and Street Fighter Zero 3, we are happy to report that this is a fantastic replacement pad if you love your 2D fighters.
The inclusion of analogue control means that you can use the left-hand stick to imitate the Saturn's optional '3D Pad', which was released alongside NiGHTS and is supported by a few other Saturn titles. Again, the small size of the stick is an annoyance; on the original Saturn 3D pad, the stick (which, coincidentally, also uses a Hall Effect sensor ā Sega was really ahead of the game on that score) is much larger and nicer to use. It's not that the sticks on the Retro-Bit pad aren't fit for purpose, but they do take some getting used to.

We're also a little disappointed that Retro-Bit wasn't able to include a physical switch for toggling between digital and analogue control in Saturn mode, which was possible on the Saturn 3D Pad. Instead, you have to hold 'Start' and 'B' to enable analogue input. Various other button inputs are required to get the controller to work on certain systems, so whatever you do, don't lose the instruction sheet.
It's also worth noting that, while we were unable to test it, there have been reports that the stick gives a false input when playing certain titles. According to YouTuber Shock Block, this issue impacts the 3D sections of Sonic Jam, with Sonic moving slowly forward even though the stick isn't being touched. Another YouTuber user, shleeve, reveals that the same issue is present in the Saturn ports of Duke Nukem 3D and Quake ā and also adds that when the pad is in 3D mode with these games, the shoulder triggers are disabled, meaning that it's impossible to strafe (a key mechanic in both FPS titles).
We'd imagine Retro-Bit will be able to fix these issues with a firmware update ā we've reached out to the company and will update this review when we get a reply. We're also looking into getting the games mentioned so we can test them ourselves; the titles we tested (such as Burning Rangers and NiGHTS) played perfectly.
Update: Retro-Bit got back to us with the following statement:
We are currently working on testing a update to resolve these issues and improve performance. We're currently testing a firmware build that addresses the issue with the trigger inputs causing problems as well as a test build of mapping for Virtual On.
Because the Saturn Pro Controller lacks Bluetooth, you can't pair it with consoles like the Nintendo Switch in the traditional way. Instead, you'll need to plug the bundled USB receiver into the Switch dock's USB port and make sure you've got the 'Wired Pro Controller Communication' option turned on in the system settings. The upshot is lower latency thanks to the 2.4GHz connection, but the downside is needing to keep that USB dongle handy at all times. While we're talking about Switch here, the pad should work on any other system which allows for USB controller input.
We've got some very mixed emotions about the Retro-Bit Saturn 2.4GHz Pro Controller. While the foundations are solid ā the Saturn pad is one of the greatest ever made, no argument there ā Retro-Bit's attempt to bring it up to date isn't without its problems. The sticks feel awkwardly tacked onto the controller, and while it would have resulted in an even less visually appealing product, we'd have liked to have seen larger ones (like those shown on the early prototype a few years back).
However, it's not a complete write-off. While the sticks do initially feel a little misplaced and dinky, you do get used to them ā and the size trade-off is arguably worth it if you're looking for a controller which can be used with fighting games, modern games and your original Sega Saturn. This pad covers a lot of bases, for sure, but we'd say it's going to be more appealing to fighting game fans and hardware Sega lovers than it will be to those who are simply looking for the best 'all-round' wireless controller for multiple systems.
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Comments 14
I have seen some videos already on this pad and it seems it's main selling point was supposed to be a modern day replacement for the Saturn analog controller and from all accounts they haven't managed to get that functionality right. Personally I would have thought if they were aiming for that it should have been their priority to get that right above anything else. It almost seems to me like it wasn't actually tested on real hardware when it was being developed. Because as of right now it is more of a PC controller with analog sticks that no one will get much use from because of their size and placement.
i wish this wouldve been a (copy of a) saturn 3d controller with a small "joycon stick" added to the right side for compatibility.
another idea would be a normal saturn repro controller with the 3d pad stick in place of the dpad, and a smaller dpad in the secondary position. bit niche, but id buy that in a second.
as it is i cant quite imagine the use case for the sticks on this controller, unless theres a fighting game that uses the sticks for taunts or something. i think if i were going to play a saturn 3d pad game without the pad, id rather use almost any controller with a full sized left stick and deal with whatever face button config that controller has. š
Another major selling point to me was having 6 face buttons + 4 shoulder buttons + L3/R3, in the hopes that I could custom map those extra buttons with unique functions.
However here the L1/R1 and Z/C buttons are functionally the same input from the receiver's point of view, so in effect you are buying more mechanical buttons than the firmware allows you to use.
Saturn is my smallest game library but I will have to get this controller.
My only issue is that the ZL/ZR triggers are not analogue.
I know Retro-Bit wasn't making a 3D Control Pad replacement, but it would've been great for modern PC games. And a 3D Control Pad replacement is just a neat bonus.
A buddy and I have been wondering for a while now why no one has made a licensed Dreamcast controller for the pc, wired or wireless. Hell, we'd even take one of those DIY kits 8bitdo does for various controllers. Mayflash made a usb adapter years ago, but its existence has been seemingly scrubbed from the internet.
It's weird.
It's kind of pointless as a 3D Saturn controller if it doesn't work properly for those games, if the triggers are disabled then that renders Panzer Dragoon Zwei unplayable with this.
Have they fixed the battery drain issue from their previous Saturn controllers? On those you have to manually turn them off before turning off the console, otherwise they appear off but the battery will be dead before being able to play them again
@GeneJacket retrobit themselves showed off one a few years ago which looked closer in design to the Saturn 3d pad
@carlos82 That's my point! There are options out there for every Nintendo and Sony pad, a whole bunch of other retro pads, and every Sega controller...except the Dreamcast. With how much people love the DC, it's super super weird that there is no option to use original DC controllers on PC.
@GeneJacket Mayflash did make an adapter for Dreamcast controllers to work on PC, I've no idea if it's still available though. It's certainly the forgotten one by and large
@carlos82 As far as the internet is concerned, it doesn't exist. You can find pictures of it and out of stock listings on long-dead sites, but in two years of searching I've never actually found one for sale.
@GeneJacket that's weird, I just remembered seeing pictures of it when I bought their Saturn adapter a while back. I wonder if it just got cancelled then
iād love to know what the point of dual analogue sticks are on Saturn games.
I just got this controller for christmas. The face buttons and dpad are better quality then the retrobits original wireless saturn pad and feel closer to the 90s original. The pro just feels like its a better build quality as well.
I can attest to the reports being true about the shoulder buttons not functioning properly when in you put it in analog mode. So as it stands you can't even use it to play Saturn games that use the analog stick. The analog stick works but the shoulder buttons don't. So you can't straffe in 1st person shooters, hit the gas in racing games, or do acrobatics in nights.
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