The Nintendo Switch Pro Controller is a

game controller A game controller, gaming controller, or simply controller, is an input device used with video games or entertainment systems to provide input to a video game, typically to control an object or character in the game. Before the seventh generatio ...

manufactured and released by

Nintendo is a Japanese multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It develops video games and video game consoles. Nintendo was founded in 1889 as by craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi and originally produced handmade playing cards ...

for use with the

Nintendo Switch The is a hybrid video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. The console itself is a tablet that can either be docked for use as a home console or used as a portable device, making it a ...

video game console A video game console is an electronic device that outputs a video signal or image to display a video game that can be played with a game controller. These may be home consoles, which are generally placed in a permanent location connected to ...

. It is an alternative controller to the

Joy-Con Joy-Con are the primary game controllers for the Nintendo Switch video game console. They consist of two individual units, each containing an analog stick and an array of buttons. They can be used while attached to the main Nintendo Switch con ...

Design and features

The Nintendo Switch Pro Controller incorporates a button layout similar to that of the

Wii The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America and in December 2006 for most other regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major home game console, ...

's Classic Controller Pro, but utilizes a staggered analog stick layout employed by the

GameCube controller The GameCube controller is the standard game controller for the GameCube home video game console, manufactured by Nintendo and launched in 2001. As the successor to the Nintendo 64 controller, it is the progression of Nintendo's controller des ...

and Microsoft's family of

Xbox Xbox is a video gaming brand created and owned by Microsoft. The brand consists of five video game consoles, as well as applications (games), streaming services, an online service by the name of Xbox network, and the development arm by the ...

consoles, with its overall design being highly similar to that of the Xbox Wireless Controller. Up to eight Pro Controllers can be synced to the Nintendo Switch. Additionally, the Pro Controller can also be paired with or connected to a PC for use with PC games, such as those on

Steam Steam is a substance containing water in the gas phase, and sometimes also an aerosol of liquid water droplets, or air. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporizatio ...

which added support for the Pro Controller through a beta client update on May 9, 2018. The Pro Controller also supports

near-field communication Near-field communication (NFC) is a set of communication protocols that enables communication between two electronic devices over a distance of 4 cm (1 in) or less. NFC offers a low-speed connection through a simple setup that can be u ...

for use with Nintendo's

Amiibo (, ; officially stylized as amiibo; plural: ''Amiibo'') is a toys-to-life platform by Nintendo, which was launched in November 2014. It consists of a wireless communications and storage protocol for connecting figurines to the Wii U, Ninte ...

line as well as HD Rumble and motion controls. The controller takes approximately 6 hours to fully charge. When fully charged, the battery duration for the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller can last approximately 40 hours. The controller also features a USB-C connector, as well as coming with a USB-C to Type-A charging cord, which can be connected to the USB-A 2.0 ports on the Switch dock. Official Nintendo Switch Pro Controller support was added to iPhones and

iPad The iPad is a brand of iOS and iPadOS-based tablet computers that are developed by Apple Inc., Apple Inc. The iPad was conceived before the related iPhone but the iPhone was developed and released first. Speculation about the development, ...

s as part of its iOS 16 update.

History

The Nintendo Switch Pro Controller was unveiled along with the Nintendo Switch on October 20, 2016, and was released on March 3, 2017.

Special editions

The Nintendo Switch Pro Controller is available in black, and also in the following special editions: *''

Splatoon 2 is a 2017 third-person shooter game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. It was released on July 21, 2017, and is a direct sequel to ''Splatoon'', which includes a new story-driven single-player mode and various onli ...

'' edition: green handle (left), pink handle (right) with an ink splat design *'' Xenoblade Chronicles 2'' edition: pink handles with a Pyra-inspired design *'' Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'' edition: white handles with a white '' Super Smash Bros.'' logo design *'' Monster Hunter Rise'' edition: black with a gold Magnamalo design *''Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak'' edition: black with a silver Malzeno design *'' Splatoon 3'' edition: blue handle (left), neon yellow handle (right) with an ink splat design A special ''Splatoon 2'' edition Pro Controller with golden handles was awarded to the winning team of the PAX East 2019 Inkling Open. A special Pro Controller imprinted with the ''Super Smash Bros.'' logo was awarded to the winners of the ''Super Smash Bros.'' tournament at PAX East 2019, as well as to Shuto Moriya, the winner of the ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'' tournament at EVO Japan 2020.

Secret message

On the controller's

motherboard A motherboard (also called mainboard, main circuit board, mb, mboard, backplane board, base board, system board, logic board (only in Apple computers) or mobo) is the main printed circuit board (PCB) in general-purpose computers and other expand ...

, if a player holds down on the right stick and looks closely into the transparent plastic surrounding its socket while shining a light on it, there is a hidden message that reads "THX2ALLGAMEFANS!". The message was discovered by Japanese Twitter user Geo Stream on March 4, 2017, one day after the Switch's launch.

References

{{Nintendo hardware Nintendo controllers Nintendo Switch

Design and features

History

Special editions

Secret message

See also

References