The Nintendo Switch Pro Controller is a
game controller manufactured and released by
Nintendo
is a Japanese Multinational corporation, 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 produce ...
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 computer#Gaming tablet, tablet that can either be docking station, docked for use as a home video ...
video game console. It is an alternative controller to the
Joy-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 Regional lockout, regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major ho ...
's
Classic Controller Pro, but utilizes a staggered analog stick layout employed by the
GameCube controller and Microsoft's family of
Xbox 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 vaporization ...
which added support for the Pro Controller through a beta client update on May 9, 2018. The Pro Controller also supports
near-field communication 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, Ninten ...
line as well as
HD Rumble
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 ...
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
iPads 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'' 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.
''Super Smash Bros.'' is a Crossover (fiction), crossover fighting game series published by Nintendo. The series was created by Masahiro Sakurai, who has directed every game in the series. The series is known for its unique gameplay objectiv ...
'' logo design
*''
Monster Hunter Rise
is a 2021 action role-playing game by Capcom. It is the sixth mainline installment in the ''Monster Hunter'' series and was released for the Nintendo Switch in March 2021 and Windows in January 2022. An expansion pack, ''Monster Hunter Rise: Sun ...
'' 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.
See also
*
Wii U Pro Controller
*
Classic Controller
References
{{Nintendo hardware
Nintendo controllers
Nintendo Switch