8BitDo's Tomb Raider 30th Anniversary Edition puts new shells on the Ultimate 3 and Pro 3
8BitDo calls the pair an official Tomb Raider collaboration. Its landing page says the designs draw on Lara Croft and the Lost Valley level, and that they bring the journey to two special edition controllers: the Ultimate 3 Controller for XBOX and the Pro 3 Bluetooth Gamepad. The fan site Tomb Raider Chronicles reports that both controllers are part of Tomb Raider 30, a year-long programme organised around the 30th anniversary of Lara Croft and the Tomb Raider series. Crystal Dynamics is running that programme with partners from several industries.
The launch was teased first. Notebookcheck described a short teaser video that shows a person playing the first Tomb Raider game on a CRT TV, and then it pans out to show two controllers. It also said that at that point it is confirmed that they will be based on 8BitDo's Ultimate 3 and Pro 3 controllers. The full reveal and pre-orders arrived on September 24, and Notebookcheck dated the release for both models to October 24.
Each design covers a different era of the series. The Ultimate 3 has a golden-yellow shell with silhouettes of Lara Croft from different periods. It has black sticks and face buttons with yellow lettering, a gold D-pad, and black shoulder buttons, triggers and back buttons. Its wireless charging dock matches the controller and carries Tomb Raider symbols and the 30th-anniversary mark. The Pro 3 takes its look from Lost Valley in the 1996 original. On the Pro 3 page, 8BitDo says sandstone tones and ancient wall textures evoke weathered ruins, while creeping vines bring the jungle into the design. Tomb Raider Chronicles describes the split this way: the Ultimate 3 is intended to represent the series' present and future following three decades of releases.
Neither product page says either controller is a limited production run.
The Ultimate 3 Tomb Raider Edition is the Xbox and Windows PC pick
The Ultimate 3 is Xbox-licensed and made for Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One. On an Xbox or a Windows 10/11 PC it connects through the included 2.4GHz adapter or a USB cable. Android and Apple devices use Bluetooth instead. 8BitDo lists Windows 10 version 1903 and later, Android 13 and later, and Apple devices as supported.
Several of its best features only work on a PC. 8BitDo advertises polling rates up to 1,000Hz, wired or wireless, but its spec list says this is PC only and not supported on Xbox consoles. The 1,000Hz figure comes from what 8BitDo calls ideal-environment testing in its own lab. Six-axis motion control is also PC-only. It works in 2.4GHz mode and can be mapped to the left or right stick. Setup happens in 8BitDo Ultimate Software X, and the controller also works with Ultimate Software V2 Mobile. Anyone buying mainly for an Xbox console should expect the standard Xbox experience, not the full PC feature list.
The rest of the hardware is the same as the regular Ultimate 3. Its adjustable-tension TMR sticks sit on what 8BitDo calls a "Dual Force Ring." According to the company, it delivers a balanced, smooth-gliding feel, equipped with a 12-bit ADC sampling chip and powered by a 216MHz high-performance processor. The D-pad is made of zinc alloy and finished with gold-colored plating. You also get Hall-effect impulse triggers with two stop levels, two rear buttons, remappable L4/R4 bumpers that don't need software, four vibration motors, and a 3.5mm audio jack.
The dock does more than charge. It charges wirelessly with magnetic alignment, and the controller reconnects when you lift it off. If you leave the 2.4GHz adapter plugged into the dock and connect the dock to a Windows PC or Xbox by USB, 8BitDo says the setup extends wireless range and lowers latency. That's a vendor claim with no independent measurement behind it. Rated battery life is 20 hours from a 1,000mAh cell, with a 4–5 hour charge. The box contains the controller, dock, 2.4GHz adapter, USB cable and manual.
The Pro 3 Tomb Raider Edition connects to Windows over 2.4GHz or USB, not Bluetooth
The Pro 3 has "Bluetooth" in its name, but 8BitDo's connection list for Windows is 2.4GHz or wired USB only. Bluetooth is listed for Switch, SteamOS, Android and Apple devices. The Switch can also use 2.4GHz or USB. So a Windows PC user should plan on using the included dongle or a cable. It isn't an Xbox console controller at all: its supported platforms are Switch 1 and 2, Windows, SteamOS, Android and Apple.
The listed minimum versions are Switch system software 3.0.0, Switch 2 version 20.1.1, Windows 10 version 1903, SteamOS 3.7.13, and Android 13. Six-axis motion control is for Switch and Steam only, so Windows games won't use it unless they run through Steam. The PC boundary also applies to setup: 8BitDo says you need to connect the gamepad to the Ultimate Software using a wired USB or 2.4G connection on Windows or macOS. Ultimate Software V2 handles button mapping, stick and trigger sensitivity, vibration strength, macros and switchable profiles.
The hardware is a retro-style pad with TMR sticks, wear-resistant rings and a 12-bit ADC chip. It also has Hall-effect triggers with a mode switch, two back paddles, remappable L4/R4 bumpers, turbo and vibration. The main PC feature is the magnetic ABXY buttons. They're styled with Atlantean symbols and swap between Switch and Xbox layouts, which matters if you move between Nintendo's button order and the Xbox layout most Windows games expect. The box includes a button puller, a charging dock, a 2.4GHz adapter, a USB cable, two themed stick caps and two ball-top caps.
The official Pro 3 page links to pre-orders on 8BitDo's eShop worldwide and Amazon in the US. It doesn't show the price. The $79.99 figure and the October 24 date come from Notebookcheck, and no other outlet has confirmed the Pro 3's price yet.
The Tomb Raider tax on the Ultimate 3 and Pro 3 is about $20
The price premium is easy to measure. Notebookcheck says the Ultimate 3 Tomb Raider Edition has the same features as the Lavender and Mossy Lagoon versions, which cost $99.99. The anniversary version costs $119.99. For the Pro 3, the site's earlier teaser coverage said the standard model was currently available on Amazon for $59.98, about $20 less than the reported $79.99 for the Tomb Raider version. That $59.98 is a current Amazon price, not necessarily list price, so the gap could shrink or grow with sales.
Both editions come with themed docks and, for the Pro 3, themed stick caps. Nothing in either spec sheet points to better electronics. As one early write-up said before the reveal, buyers can expect the standard functional features of the Ultimate 3 and Pro 3, with the Tomb Raider branding applied to the exterior. Per Notebookcheck, the Pro 3 is also the first special edition 8BitDo has tied to a game.
This table sets out the published differences for buyers who use Windows alongside other devices.
| Ultimate 3 for Xbox – TR30 | Pro 3 Bluetooth – TR30 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $119.99 (8BitDo eShop) | $79.99 (reported by Notebookcheck) |
| Standard-edition price | $99.99 | $59.98 at Amazon (teaser-era figure) |
| Xbox Series X|S / Xbox One | Yes, 2.4GHz or USB | Not listed |
| Windows connection | 2.4GHz or USB, Windows 10 1903+ | 2.4GHz or USB, Windows 10 1903+ |
| Bluetooth | Android and Apple | Switch, SteamOS, Android, Apple |
| 1,000Hz polling | PC only, not on Xbox | Not advertised |
| Six-axis motion | PC only, 2.4GHz mode | Switch and Steam only |
| Configuration app | Ultimate Software X / V2 Mobile | Ultimate Software V2 (wired or 2.4GHz on PC) |
| Distinctive extras | Wireless magnetic dock, 3.5mm jack, gold zinc-alloy D-pad | Swappable magnetic ABXY, themed and ball-top caps |
| Release | October 24, 2026 | October 24, 2026 (per Notebookcheck) |
Which Tomb Raider controller fits your Windows setup
Pick based on where you play most, then decide if the $20 theme premium is worth it to you. If you split time between an Xbox and a Windows PC, the Ultimate 3 is the only one of the two that works on a console, and its 1,000Hz polling and motion aiming only work on the PC. If your gaming covers a Windows PC, a Steam Deck or other SteamOS device, and a Switch, the Pro 3's Bluetooth support, Steam motion control and swappable face buttons make more sense. It just won't use Bluetooth on Windows. If you already own a standard Ultimate 3 or Pro 3, the anniversary version adds nothing you can use in-game.
- The Ultimate 3 Tomb Raider Edition costs $119.99 at 8BitDo's eShop, ships October 24, 2026, and works on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and Windows 10 version 1903 or later over 2.4GHz or USB.
- The Ultimate 3's 1,000Hz polling and six-axis motion control are PC-only, so don't count on them on an Xbox console.
- On Windows, the Pro 3 Tomb Raider Edition connects only through its 2.4GHz dongle or USB, and 8BitDo's configuration software on Windows needs one of those connections too.
- The Pro 3's motion control is limited to Switch and Steam, and it isn't listed as compatible with Xbox consoles.
- The Pro 3's reported $79.99 price and October 24 date come from Notebookcheck. 8BitDo's own page confirms pre-orders on its eShop and on Amazon in the US but doesn't show the price.
- Neither edition is listed as a limited run, so there's no need to rush a pre-order for fear it will sell out.
These controllers exist for Tomb Raider fans, and 8BitDo priced them that way: the same hardware as the standard models, with themed shells and docks on top. Buyers get something concrete in return. The spec sheets are clear enough to show that the Ultimate 3 belongs with an Xbox-plus-PC setup, and the Pro 3 with a PC, SteamOS and Switch setup. Once the controllers ship on October 24, the claims still to be tested are 8BitDo's lab-measured 1,000Hz polling and the latency benefit of the Ultimate 3's dock. So far, only the vendor has published those numbers.