Review on 🎮 Enhanced 8Bitdo Xbox Remote: Long Edition Infrared Media Control for Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S by Richard Rob

Let me first say that I'm a big fan of 8bitdo products. I have several of their controllers and other devices and when I see one of their products that interests me, I buy without hesitation. However, anyone interested in this product should definitely check out the reviews to make sure you understand what you are buying. As mentioned in other reviews, the first thing you need to understand is that this is NOT Bluetooth. The product description should state this specifically as I bought it believing it would. Heck, even some of 8bitdo's cheapest devices have Bluetooth, so I just figured it would be natural. The important point here is that unlike IR, Bluetooth does not require line of sight. You need to make sure your Xbox is in sight and that nothing is in front of its IR sensor. Second, this is NOT a programmable remote control. To control the volume and other features of your stereo or TV, it uses a protocol over HDMI connections to send commands. For the most part, this works great, but it can be a little weird depending on the device. For example, my Xbox, stereo, and TV all turn on at the same time, but for some reason my Xbox's audio is playing through the TV's speakers instead of the stereo. I've checked every setting I can find (I'm not new to audio/video) and can't find the problem. I know of an issue with my Samsung TV that I can't disable the "TV" input and even if I set it to always use the HDMI audio connection, it toggles the sound when my HDMI -Switch does not work in time back to the speakers TV. This is definitely a niche issue that many people won't have, but it's an example of a quirk you might encounter when relying on an HDMI connection rather than programming the remote for your devices. Still, I prefer to use an HDMI connection instead of IR, it just takes some patience to resolve some of the weird issues you might be having with your hardware. This happens more often in devices of different brands. I also read a few reviews here where people had trouble disabling the back of the remote. This is one of the few things that is really helpful in an instruction manual. The entire rear section lifts up to reveal the battery compartment. I really like this design because it makes the build more solid and has a clean look. If you understand these little issues (the biggest one is IR, not Bluetooth) and they don't pose any problems for you, you can rest assured that this is a well built product.