🕹️ 8BitDo Super Buttons, Super ABXY & Super Stick

The 8BitDo Super Stick, Super Button, and Super ABXY weren’t designed with the Xbox Adaptive Controller (XAC) in mind—they were originally built as modular accessories for 8BitDo’s Retro Mechanical Keyboard. But I was curious if they could be adapted for accessible gaming, so I decided to try them with the XAC. With a bit of tinkering, I was able to get them working as digital inputs. The buttons are satisfying and easy to press, and the joystick has a light, arcade-style feel that requires minimal force to move—great for low-effort directional input. It’s not a plug-and-play setup, but once everything’s wired correctly, they work reliably for basic functions.

Wiring & Adapter Setup

Because these were designed for the keyboard, both the Super Stick and Super ABXY come with a cable that splits into two stereo male plugs. To connect them to the XAC’s 3.5mm input jacks, each stereo plug needs to be broken out into two mono outputs using stereo-to-mono adapters—so you end up with four outputs per device. From there, each mono plug can be connected to individual XAC ports. There’s no labeling on the plugs, so expect some trial and error to figure out what maps where. Once everything’s in place, though, the inputs register correctly.

Using the Super Stick

The Super Stick doesn’t work with the XAC’s X1 or X2 joystick ports, which are designed for analog input—something the Super Stick doesn’t provide in this setup. Instead, I had the best results plugging its four mono outputs into the XAC’s D-pad directional ports: up, down, left, and right. For games that use the D-pad for movement—like 2D platformers—this setup works right out of the box with the default XAC configuration. For other games that expect movement from the left or right analog stick, you’ll need to remap the D-pad inputs to correspond with stick directions. This allows the joystick to function for movement, but only in eight directions since each input is digital. Despite that limitation, the Super Stick is satisfying to use. It has light tension, a short throw, and a nice, tactile click when a direction is activated—offering great feedback without requiring much force. That combination makes it a solid option for low-effort setups where precise, deliberate movement is more important than analog sensitivity.

Using the Super ABXY

The Super ABXY uses the same stereo-to-mono adapter setup as the joystick, splitting into four mono jacks—one for each button. When I plug those into the XAC’s A, B, X, and Y inputs, everything works as expected. The buttons are relatively low force—more than the Logitech Adaptive Kit’s light touch buttons, but noticeably less than the larger buttons in that kit. Each press delivers a crisp, tactile click that feels solid without requiring too much effort. Things get a bit trickier when trying to remap. If I move some of the button outputs to other ports—like RT and LT—they’ll still register, but weirdly, some of the original buttons (like A and B, which remain in their original ports) stop working. I’m not sure if it’s a wiring issue, a shared ground, or something else, but it’s been consistent in my testing. For now, keeping the ABXY buttons mapped to their labeled ports seems to offer the most stable performance. Let me know in the comments if you have any ideas as to what is going on there.

Using the Super Button

The Super Buttons are the most straightforward of the three to use with the XAC. No adapters needed—they plug directly into a 3.5mm port and register like any standard switch. In terms of feel, they’re solid and responsive, but the travel distance is on the longer side—more than I personally prefer. Because of that, I wouldn’t rely on them for rapid or frequently used actions, but they’re fine for occasional inputs or secondary functions. Mine came bundled with the 8BitDo Lite SE 2, so it’s hard to complain. For a no-fuss switch option, they do the job.

Final Thoughts

All three—Super Stick, Super ABXY, and Super Button—are well-built, thoughtfully designed, and look great when used together. A standout feature is the magnetic edges that let them snap into place side by side, making alignment easy and keeping your setup neat. I’m a big fan of 8BitDo in general, and even though I wish these worked a bit more seamlessly with the Xbox Adaptive Controller, they still offer a lot of value—especially given the price point. With a bit of adapter wrangling and some patience, they can become a functional (and good-looking) part of an accessible gaming setup. For tinkerers on a budget, they’re worth a look.

Anyone else have experience using these in their setup? Let us know what you think in the comments.