If you still have your old NES and you want to play it, but your controllers are all dead and useless, or you have a setup where the wired controllers just aren't long enough, there's a new wireless Bluetooth solution that allows you to play with today's generation of peripherals, including a PS4 controller.
IGN is reporting that the company Analogue, the same one who recently made the 24-karat gold NES device, have teamed up with the peripheral company 8Bitdo to produce a Bluetooth plug-in for the original NES as well as Analogue's own aftermarket systems called the Retro Receiver.
The Bluetooth adapter allows gamers to use a wide variety of wireless controllers, including Analogue's custom NES arcade sticks and controllers, as well as 8Bitdo's mini-pads. But the real highlight is being able to use devices like the DualShock 4 and Wii U Pro Controller with the Retro Receiver through a class 2 2.4ghz connection.
The wireless adapter is compatible with PS3 controllers, PS4 controllers, the Wii U Pro Controller and even the original Wii-mote. The only major downside is that it appears as if the Xbox One controller, the Xbox One Elite and the Steam Controller are a no-go. That's really unfortunate because those happen to be my three favorite controllers out there.
Now given that the NES was pretty limited in terms of controller functionality, a common question would be what the other buttons are for? Well, if you're using anything on the NES through the Retro Receiver that isn't a traditional NES controller, all the additional buttons are mapped as turbo buttons, which is pretty cool.
According to the technical specifications, the adapter allows between two and four controllers to operate through it at a single time. It definitely cuts down on having to plug in a multi-tap and having a whole bunch of wires plugged into the device. It was always a miracle being able to get in a play-session with a multi-tap without someone tripping over the cords and yanking something out of its socket.
The adapter from 8bitdo and Analogue also supports USB connectivity, so they list on the main webpage the possibility of using it as a Bluetooth dongle for X-Input devices. So technically, if you have an Xbox One controller you might be able to configure the dongle to work with the controller.
Cross-platform adapters are nothing new, and some of the adapters allow for things like using Xbox controllers on PlayStation home consoles, or vice versa. These kind of adapters have been extremely popular on PC for a long time, like the adapters from Mayflash or Insten, where it's possible to use GameCube, PS2 or Xbox controllers on PC. The only difference this time around is that the adapter is to allow NES owners to play their games using PlayStation and some Wii controllers.
The Retro Receiver for the NES is available right now exclusively from Play-Asia for $19.99 and you can start using your DualShock 4 with it as soon as possible. If you were planning on getting the Receiver along with the Analogue NT, you're fresh out of luck because those aftermarket consoles are still sold out.
