The new $84.99 Pro Controller for the Switch 2 will not be your concept of a pro-grade controller — maybe not by an extended shot. But it’s actually extra of 1 than Nintendo’s $69.99 last-gen controller. It has two additional buttons embedded into its grips (one on either side), which could be programmed on a per-game foundation, a 3.5mm headphone jack for listening to video games or GameChat chatter, and a extra premium feel and appear. It’s no DualSense Edge, nevertheless it’s professional sufficient for me.
I like that Nintendo stored virtually all the things the identical from its predecessor, besides the semi-transparent smoke black shell that hid a secret message: the Fisher Price-sized face buttons, the snappy directional pad, and the compact kind issue are all right here. I don’t wish to generalize, however its measurement could be good for a similar crowd who yearns for small telephones, those that sometimes expertise hand ache from utilizing the controllers that Sony or Microsoft put out. It has the opposite trappings that made the last-gen Pro controller price shopping for, like Amiibo NFC assist and movement controls.
In phrases of what’s new within the Switch 2-edition of the Pro Controller, I hope you weren’t holding your breath for eight years ready for Hall impact or TMR joysticks as a result of they aren’t right here. Instead, we have now drift-prone potentiometer joysticks once more, albeit a number of the smoothest and quietest ones that I’ve ever used. There’s so little resistance required to maneuver them, but they don’t simply register unintentional inputs. We’ll see how effectively they fare over time. For what it’s price, my authentic Pro Controller from 2017 remains to be kicking.
$84
The Good
- Small and cozy to make use of
- Great rear button implementation
- Audio through 3.5mm jack…lastly
The Bad
- Expensive
- No drift-proof joysticks
This controller, just like the Switch 2’s proper Joy-Con, incorporates a devoted GameChat button. This button launches the namesake function, which is free for all Switch 2 homeowners to make use of via March thirty first, 2026, when will probably be gated behind the Nintendo Switch Online paywall. The excellent news for this controller is, whether or not you wish to use GameChat now or ever, you may reprogram the “C” button to do no matter you’d prefer it to do. You gained’t lose out on GameChat performance, as there’s a devoted residence menu possibility for the function.
The new controller affords some conveniences not discovered within the predecessor, which can tempt you into upgrading. As talked about, the Switch 2 Pro Controller has a 3.5mm headphone jack, from which it may output sport and GameChat audio to wired headphones or a headset. The capability to stream audio wirelessly from the console to the controller is a giant deal for Nintendo, although it already figured it out within the Wii U Gamepad. Note: the LED participant indicator has been moved to the highest of the Switch 2 Pro Controller to make room for the three.5mm jack.
Another, albeit smaller, function is the flexibility to get up the Switch 2 console from sleep with the brand new Pro Controller. This looks like a sneaky means for Nintendo to bait gamers into upgrading their last-gen controllers. Wake from sleep is a fundamental function, one which shouldn’t be restricted to this controller. It’s useful should you sometimes play your Switch whereas it’s docked to your TV. Wake from sleep wasn’t utilized in most third-party controllers through the authentic Switch period, however 8BitDo discovered a option to allow it by shaking a few of its controllers. So, it’s all the time doable that there’ll quickly be cheaper options that determine a means round this annoying difficulty.
Yes, your DualSense can work on a Switch 2
If you purchase the 8BitDo USB Adapter 2, replace it through the corporate’s app, and plug it into your Switch 2, you may wirelessly join a DualSense, a brand new Xbox controller, or numerous older fashions to it. It’s a less expensive various to purchasing a brand new controller that will get you 75 p.c of the performance of a Switch Pro controller. There’s rumble, gyroscopic controls in video games that assist it (on DualSense, not the Xbox controller), and remappable controls. You’ll solely be lacking out on Amiibo assist, 3.5mm audio passthrough, and the wake to sleep function.
Both this controller and the brand new Joy-Con 2 function what Nintendo calls HD Rumble 2, an improved model of the tactile rumble launched with the unique Switch. I already thought HD Rumble was nifty in some use circumstances, and my opinion hasn’t modified as I’ve performed Mario Kart World and Switch 2 Edition of Tears of the Kingdom. HD Rumble appeared novel, if not a bit gimmicky, till the introduction of the DualSense and its sensible haptics in Astro’s Playroom and in a number of different titles since. The new Switch 2 haptics aren’t on the identical degree, at the very least within the launch video games.
1/2Image: Cameron Faulkner/The Verge
The GL and GR buttons are arguably my favourite implementation of rear paddles in a controller. While most firms put them on the bottom of the gamepad, a spot the place I not often relaxation my fingers, these are curved, wrapping across the grips the place my center fingers naturally relaxation. Pressing them requires primarily no effort — you don’t even have to arch your fingers to faucet the buttons. It’s simple sufficient to press them in with the meat of my second knuckle by making use of some downward stress. It guidelines.
If any of the aforementioned additions sound interesting to you, the Switch 2 Pro Controller might be price its price. Yes, I want it had extra futureproof joysticks, and maybe one other function or two to justify its tariff-boosted worth (it was initially $79.99). It’s very probably that third-party controller producers like 8BitDo, GameSir, GuliKit, and others will make choices with most, if not all, of the identical options at a lower cost – so whereas the Switch 2 Pro Controller is the best choice proper now, that may not all the time be the case.
