How to add a Bluetooth controller to the NES Classic Edition

8BitDo NES30 2.4G Wireless Controller

If you were lucky enough to get your hands on the refreshed NES Classic Edition before they sold out (again), you're soon going to realize that you have to sit right in front of your 77-inch TV in order to play Metroid because the controller cord is only 2.5 feet long. Talk about immersive gameplay!

Our parents told us that it'll ruin our eyes if we sit too close to the TV, though. So, to make them happy, you can get a wireless Bluetooth controller for your NES Classic Edition, so you can play all those pixelated picks from anywhere in the room. Your parents and your eyes will thank you.

The revised 8Bitdo NES30 2.4G Classic Edition Set with Bluetooth Retro Receiver is a replica of the classic Nintendo gamepad. It comes with a Bluetooth dongle that is compatible with the console's controller port. Connect the receiver and then turn on your NES CE. Press Down and Select on the gamepad to enable it.

The NES30 2.4G is not officially licensed by Nintendo, but the company is known for its retro replica controllers. It's been redesigned with a dedicated Home button, a darker color scheme, and a square ABTATB button layout instead of the cross pattern on the original model.

The NES30 2.4G for the Classic Edition won't be available until August 20, but you can preorder it now on Amazon for $24.99. If this unit is even one-fifth as popular as the NES Classic Edition itself, you'd better reserve yours now, or you might have to wait months before you have a chance to get one again. That, or pay hundreds of dollars on the resell market.

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Lory Gil

Lory is a renaissance woman, writing news, reviews, and how-to guides for iMore. She also fancies herself a bit of a rock star in her town and spends too much time reading comic books.  If she's not typing away at her keyboard, you can probably find her at Disneyland or watching Star Wars (or both).