The best Nintendo Switch controllers to buy right now

The champion Nintendo Switch controllers aren’t the ones that travel with it. While the removable Joy-Cons included with each non-Lite Switch consoles are convenient fixed they tin beryllium detached for wireless use, their tiny contourless plan isn’t that comfy for agelong gaming sessions oregon ample hands. And portion Nintendo has taken steps to code the dreaded Joy-Con drift and earlier prime power problems, immoderate issues persist.

In this buying guide, we absorption connected wireless controllers that are some comfy and reliable, arsenic good arsenic a fewer options that travel with unsocial features designed to lucifer your play style. We’re not covering wired controllers that plug into the Switch’s dock, arsenic they’re astir each the aforesaid and don’t connection important savings successful galore cases. (PowerA and PDP marque decent ones that volition bash successful a pinch, but they’re precise basic. Unless you detest recharging your controllers, it makes much consciousness to spell wireless.)

Also, if you bargain a third-party wireless controller (as in, 1 not made by Nintendo), determination are definite things that it apt won’t beryllium capable to bash unless different noted:

The champion Nintendo Switch controller for TV mode

Supported platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC, Steam Deck, mobile, Apple TV / Connectivity: Bluetooth, wired / Connector type: USB-C / Mappable rear buttons: No / Software customization: No / Rumble: Yes, HD / NFC: Yes / Motion: Yes / Power: Built-in rechargeable / Console Wakeup: Yes

More than 7 years down the road, Nintendo’s first-party Pro controller is inactive the champion gamepad for the Switch. It launched alongside the console successful 2017 arsenic a much accepted alternate to Nintendo’s quirky Joy-Cons, and successful galore ways, it rivals the modular models from Sony and Microsoft successful presumption of comfortableness and physique quality.

Aside from the Joy-Cons, the Switch Pro Controller is the lone wireless enactment that includes HD rumble, gyroscopic question support, and an NFC scholar for Amiibo cards and figurines. It’s besides the lone controller we’ve tested (again, speech from the Joy-Cons) that tin powerfulness connected the Switch without being plugged into it. The gamepad is built similar a tank, and its artillery beingness is truthful bully that it sometimes seems similar it’ll ne'er tally out. Nintendo says that it lasts astir 40 hours per charge, truthful it’ll apt instrumentality casual gamers a agelong clip to tally down the battery.

The buttons and triggers person a satisfying bounce, portion its directional pad is responsive and clicky capable to fulfill retro gamers. The controller charges via USB-C, conscionable similar the Switch, and it’s compatible with a slew of different platforms you mightiness crippled on, including PC, Android, and SteamOS. It besides works with Apple devices acknowledgment to its compatibility with the latest versions of iOS, macOS, and adjacent tvOS and visionOS.

Given the price, we privation that it had different features, similar programmable buttons oregon a 3.5mm headphone jack for audio, adjacent if wireless audio transmission from the Switch to a controller isn’t presently possible. (At slightest you tin link a brace of wireless headphones via Bluetooth, but lone if you person nary much than 2 controllers connected to your Switch astatine once.)

The champion Switch controller for handheld mode

Supported Platforms: Switch / Connectivity: Wired / Connector type: Joy-Con slots / Mappable rear buttons: Yes / Software customization: No / Rumble: No / NFC: No / Motion: No / Power: via Joy-Con slots / Console Wakeup: No

I’m definite determination are immoderate radical who bask utilizing Joy-Con controllers, but kids and small-handed folks aside, astir radical astir apt wouldn’t accidental they’re the astir comfy option. That’s wherever the Hori Split Pad Pro comes in.

The Split Pad Pro comes successful a assortment of colorways, and it some looks and feels similar a Switch Pro Controller that’s divided successful half. One-half slides into each broadside of the Switch console similar Joy-Cons, but dissimilar Nintendo’s default controllers, Hori’s gamepad features big, easy-to-reach buttons and generously sized triggers and analog sticks, each of which consciousness large successful play. It besides provides a batch of grip, which is peculiarly utile for radical who request to get a amended grip connected the console for accelerated gameplay oregon enactment comfy implicit longer play sessions.

The Split Pad Pro doesn’t person batteries oregon sensors — not to notation enactment for rumble, motion, IR, oregon NFC — truthful it’s wholly useless erstwhile detached from the Switch. It’s lone for handheld mode unless you acquisition the Split Pad Pro Attachment that turns it into a wired controller. We don’t urge astir radical spell that way since the attachment unsocial costs much than a Switch Pro Controller, which is simply a shame considering it doesn’t effort to adhd immoderate of the aforementioned elements (it does adhd a 3.5mm headphone jack, however).

The institution besides sells the Split Pad Compact, which is simply a smaller mentation of the Split Pad Pro that costs astir $50. It mightiness beryllium worthy a look if you privation thing arsenic functional arsenic the Split Pad Pro but person successful size to a Joy-Con.

The champion Xbox-style controller for the Switch

Supported Platforms: Switch, PC, Steam Deck, mobile, Apple TV / Connectivity: Bluetooth, wired / Connector type: USB-C / Mappable rear buttons: No / Software customization: No / Rumble: Yes / NFC: Yes / Motion: Yes / Power: Built-in rechargeable / Console Wakeup: Yes

The GuliKit KingKong 2 Pro rivals the Switch Pro Controller successful physique quality, but it feels much similar a modern Xbox controller, and its textured rear grips mightiness springiness it the borderline for some. Unlike astir third-party controllers, it retains Amiibo support, though immoderate users have reported issues with inauthentic Amiibo products. The KingKong 2 Pro tin link via Bluetooth to the Switch and to PC, macOS, iOS, Android, and different platforms. And due to the fact that it uses GuliKit’s Hall effect sensors for its analog sticks, it’s immune to drift.

We urge checking retired this video astatine iFixit to spot a thorough mentation of however it works, but successful essence, Hall effect sensors usage magnets to change electrical existent alternatively of physically rubbing connected (and yet wearing down) a sensor to nutrient an input. While we haven’t heard wide reports of chronic analog instrumentality drift issues connected the Switch Pro Controller frankincense far, controllers with Hall effect sensors volition never encounter it, and the bid of caput is worthy the added cost. (The 8BitDo Ultimate Bluetooth Controller beneath also uses GuliKit’s sensors.)

Control-wise, astir everything astir the KingKong 2 Pro feels conscionable right. The look buttons, bumpers, and D-pad each onslaught a equilibrium betwixt travel, tactile feedback, and feel. The analog sticks are incredibly fluid yet easy drawback backmost into their default positions. Clicking the sticks doesn’t necessitate overmuch force, either, adjacent erstwhile they’re off-axis. And portion we can’t afloat recognition GuliKit for the fantabulous ergonomics afforded by the Xbox-inspired shape, we tin grant points for the sturdy materials utilized and nailing a well-balanced weight.

The controller provides exhaustive customizability options, too. You tin swap fastener layouts, programme macros, and rhythm done preset levels of rumble strength and trigger sensitivity (which whitethorn not use erstwhile utilizing it with the Switch, arsenic it doesn’t enactment analog triggers). However, managing these settings is little than ideal, arsenic you tin lone alteration them by inputting fastener combinations. Sure, the combos are simple, but memorizing them each is challenging. Thankfully, GuliKit intelligibly spells everything retired successful the broad manual you’ll person with the gamepad.

It’s worthy noting that GuliKit precocious released a KingKong 3 Pro and KingKong 3 Max. The KingKong 3 Pro builds upon the premium controller by adding 4 slots for detachable rearward buttons oregon paddles (two travel successful the box) and a 1,000Hz polling complaint for improved responsiveness. The KingKong 3 Max is akin but includes 3 pairs of backmost buttons (including abbreviated and agelong styles) and a 10-minute macro signaling bounds (versus 10 seconds connected the KingKong 3 Pro). There’s besides a dedicated trigger mode switch, RGB lights astir the analog sticks that awesome which sensitivity mode you’re in, and NFC for Amiibo support.

A Switch controller for PC and Steam Deck

Supported Platforms: Switch, PC, Steam Deck, mobile, Apple TV / Connectivity: 2.4GHz, Bluetooth, wired / Connector type: USB-C / Mappable rear buttons: Yes / Software customization: Yes / Rumble: Yes / NFC: No / Motion: Yes / Power: Built-in rechargeable / Console Wakeup: No

8BitDo’s Ultimate Bluetooth Controller feels similar a Switch Pro Controller successful shape, with a likewise abbreviated grip illustration that larger hands whitethorn not prefer. Both stock Switch and Windows PC support, but 8BitDo gets a limb up with afloat Steam Deck compatibility. Its haptics are decent but not arsenic bully arsenic Nintendo’s, and it’s missing Amiibo support, though it does diagnostic question controls and customizable backmost paddles. It besides comes with a charging dock, which stores the 2.4GHz dongle erstwhile not successful use. The included dock is useful for charging the 22-hour battery, which is inactive beauteous generous but comes good abbreviated of the 40-hour people acceptable by Nintendo’s authoritative controller.

The Ultimate controller comes successful respective variants, but we urge the Bluetooth exemplary implicit the 2.4GHz oregon wired options due to the fact that it includes 2.4GHz connectivity and GuliKit Hall effect sticks, which the 2.4GHz-only mentation lacks. The analog sticks connection conscionable the close magnitude of absorption and athletics a comfy concave top, but they’re conscionable a tad abbreviated connected the sides. All of the buttons connection large travel, though, and the analog triggers person a satisfying magnitude of absorption erstwhile pulled.

As for tweaks, you tin customize fastener mapping profiles, macros, vibration intensity, and instrumentality and trigger sensitivity utilizing the Ultimate Software app connected mobile oregon PC. The controller has a dedicated fastener that lets you swap betwixt 3 profiles connected the fly, positive an other turbo fastener you tin either reconfigure oregon remap. When it comes to Switch controllers, 8BitDo sets the modular for the breadth of these options and however to entree them, which is different crushed it’s precocious connected our list.

A well-rounded Switch controller that looks similar a DualShock

Supported Platforms: Switch, PC, Steam Deck, mobile, Apple TV, Raspberry Pi / Connectivity: Bluetooth, wired / Connector type: USB-C / Mappable rear buttons: Yes / Software customization: Yes / Rumble: Yes / NFC: No / Motion: Yes / Power: Built-in rechargeable / Console Wakeup: No

The 8BitDo Pro 2 is different large enactment with Hall effect sticks for the Nintendo Switch, particularly if your hands are happiest with a PlayStation-style controller. The Pro 2 has a comfy grip, a crisper D-pad than the Switch Pro Controller, and 2 easy-to-press paddle buttons connected the underside. It has rumble enactment (though not HD rumble) and question power for games like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Overwatch 2, some of which let for gyroscopic aiming. PlayStation gamers volition besides admit that the near analog instrumentality is located toward the bottommost — conscionable similar connected Sony’s controllers — alternatively than supra the D-pad arsenic connected the Switch Pro.

With 8BitDo’s Ultimate software on a mobile instrumentality oregon a Windows computer, you tin customize the Pro 2’s fastener mapping and the sensitivity of its triggers and analog sticks. You tin adjacent prevention up to 3 power strategy profiles and rhythm done them with a fastener located betwixt the analog sticks. On its rear, there’s a power that lets it toggle betwixt Nintendo Switch, X-input for PC, DirectInput, and macOS modes, each with its ain power customizations and Bluetooth profile. This controller offers a lot for $50 (or $54.99 if you privation the incredibly cool translucent purple version).

An adapter that lets you usage your ain controllers

There are galore other devices that let you to usage third-party controllers, but 8BitDo’s mightiness beryllium the champion value. Instead of spending $70 connected aggregate Switch Pro Controllers, the $19.99 8BitDo Wireless Bluetooth USB Adapter 2 lets you crook a Bluetooth controller you already ain into a wireless Switch controller. It plugs into your Switch dock and supports a wide assortment of models, from the latest Xbox and DualSense controllers to last-gen gamepads for the Wii and PlayStation 3. (Note: the first-gen exemplary can’t link to astir Xbox Bluetooth controllers owed to a Bluetooth incompatibility, truthful marque definite you get the latest model.)

To our surprise, the PS5 DualSense controller we tested it with worked incredibly well, with better-than-average rumble and much responsive question controls than galore dedicated Switch controllers offer. What’s more, truthful agelong arsenic you’re utilizing 1 of the newer Xbox Series X oregon S controllers, an Xbox One Bluetooth controller, a DualSense, a DualShock 4, oregon the Switch Pro Controller, you tin customize their fastener mapping, analog instrumentality sensitivity, and much wrong 8BitDo’s machine and mobile app. 

8BitDo has an extended enactment page that lists the steps required to acceptable up your circumstantial controller, arsenic good arsenic which features of those controllers it supports. That said, it’s champion if you cognize the Switch’s fastener layout by bosom if you program to usage either a PlayStation oregon Xbox controller with this adapter, arsenic the layout connected your controller volition not lucifer the on-screen prompts successful games.

If you already person a controller you truly similar and don’t caput jumping done a fewer tiny hoops to link it, 8BitDo’s affordable adapter deserves a spot successful your amusement center. If you program to usage much than 1 third-party controller astatine a time, you’ll request an adapter for each controller (and a USB hub), but if you person a batch of controllers sitting around, it mightiness beryllium worthy it.

Other Switch controllers you should cognize about

Update, June 28th: Updated to see details connected respective caller models we’ve tested, including the Gamesir T4 Cyclone Pro and PowerA’s GameCube Style Wireless Controller.