How to use Macros on the Best Travel Controller for PC and Switch

The 8BitDo Ultimate Bluetooth controller is one of the best travel controllers because it doubles as Nintendo Switch controller and a PC controller. It's relatively small with snappy buttons. The only downside is the unclear but powerful Ultimate software. While it is easy to use, it is unclear in how your settings will affect your controller and lacks any real in-depth documentation. Read on to learn how to best take advantage of 8BitDo's Ultimate software.

The controller feels like a cross between a Switch and Xbox Series X controller. 

Check out the controller on Amazon: 

8BitDo Ultimate Bluetooth Controller

Important Details about the 8BitDo Bluetooth Controller:

• You only have a total of 3 profiles, regardless of whether you're using PC or Switch. The Ultimate software creates the impression that you can configure your buttons and macros for PC and then also configure them differently for Switch. This is not the case, if you configure your buttons/macros for Switch and then change them for PC, the PC settings will override the Switch settings for that profile. The Switch version will then behave with the default control scheme.
• Mappings only work for the configured platform (PC or Switch), meaning if you map/macro buttons for Switch, they will not work on PC and vice versa. For button mappings/macros to work you must be on the right platform and the right profile. This might seem obvious but the software gives the impression you can configure both the Switch and PC onto one profile, this is not possible.
• P1 and P2 can use macros when Null is assigned to them. You do not need to assign a standard hardware button in order to use the paddles for macros.
• Turbo: holding down a button will "press" it 15 times/second. After mapping Turbo in the Ultimate software, simply press and hold the button you want to be pressed repeatedly, then press Turbo. Whenever you hold down that button, it will behave as if it were rapidly pressed. More than one button can take advantage of turbo at time. For example, you can assign turbo to X, and then assign turbo to Y. When you press and hold Y Link will repeatedly swing his sword until you let go. When you hold down X, Link will repeatedly jump until you let go.
• Hold: will "press" a button 15 times/second without the need to hold the button down. In effect, it is holding down a turbo button for you. After mapping Hold in the Ultimate software, simply press and hold the button you want to be pressed repeatedly, then press Hold. Now let go and that button will be pressed repeatedly without any action from you. To turn off hold on a button simply follow the same steps. More than one button can take advantage of Hold at time. For example, you can assign Hold to X, and then assign Hold to Y. Link will repeatedly jump and slash with no input from you until you turn off the hold for each.
• Swap: will swap two buttons on the fly. After mapping Swap in the Ultimate software, simply press and hold the two buttons you want to swap, then press Swap. Repeat the same steps to reverse the swap.

How to Use 8BitDo Macros

• Time - The timing options determines how long the previous button mapping will be pressed. Time entered immediately after a button press determines how long that button is "held down". Time added after Null determines a gap between button presses.
• Null - Stops the input.

1. Select your platform (PC or Switch). Then select your profile.
2. From Macro, click the + icon to select the button you want to map (for example, P1, P2).

• To map one or more buttons, simply select each one then click +Add. You can select more than one button at a time in the software.
• To map a series of buttons, select a button then follow it with Null. Repeat this for each button in the sequence. Keep in mind, in some games such a quick succession of button inputs won't have any effect. In those cases you'll need to add some time between button presses. To do this, follow this recipe: [button} + [Null & time] + [button] + [Null & time] and so on. Note that each group of time and button mappings are separated by the + symbol. In this example the button is pressed, Null stops the button press, we wait for the set amount of time and then the same sequence starts again.
• To map a long press, select the button(s) then follow it up with time. The time entered is the time the button is "held down". Note that there is no + symbol separating the button and time in this example.
• To loop a macro, enter a macro with one or a combination of the options above, then press and hold your macro assigned button and press Hold. Hold will repeatedly "press" the macro button, in effect, looping it. 

Sample Macros

Zelda: BotW/TotK

Four slash attack: 

[Y] + [Null, (T:30ms), Y] + [Null, (T:30ms), Y] + [Null, (T:40ms), Y] + [Null]

If we take a look at the Link's standard four slash attack, you'll notice there is time added after each button press. If we didn't add this time the buttons would just be pressed immediately in succession of each other and would be registered by the game almost all at once, which would result in Link only slashing two or three times. By adding time between presses, we are allowing the game to perform it's animation before we send it another button press at the appropriate time. Alternatively for something simple like Link's four slash attack, you can just use the turbo option to repeatedly enter the attack button until his animation sequence is complete.

Shield Surfing:

[X] + [Null] + [B, L2]

For shield surfing we want Link to jump, stop the jump input, then simultaneously press the shield button and the item button.

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