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If you take to get an other controller for your Nintendo Switch 2, you tin walk a batch — and get a batch successful return. Buying Nintendo’s ain $89.99 Switch 2 Pro Controller, for instance, volition nett you the console’s only wireless controller with a 3.5mm headphone jack, not to notation large rumble and a slick design. It’s not perfect, but it’s the full package.
But it’d beryllium a disservice to you to telephone it a time there. There are respective third-party offerings that are importantly cheaper, yet don’t marque excessively galore compromises successful presumption of features. I’ve spent clip investigating a fistful of them, and there’s a tiny batch of models that I deliberation volition fulfill astir people, with a scope of styles, prices, and features.
Every controller I’ve included successful this usher is compatible with some the Switch 2 and archetypal Switch (some tin adjacent remotely aftermath the Switch 2), arsenic good arsenic platforms similar PC and mobile. Each offering besides includes better, longer-lasting joystick exertion than you’ll get with Nintendo’s flagship controller; the Switch 2 Pro Controller’s potentiometer-based joysticks are prone to degradation implicit time, aft all, but our picks see either Hall effect oregon TMR joysticks.
The champion Switch 2 controller for astir people
EasySMX S10 Gaming Controller for Switch 2
Score: 8
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Where to Buy:
Supported platforms: Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PC, Steam Deck, mobile / Connectivity: Bluetooth, wired / Connector type: USB-C / Mappable rear buttons: Yes, 2 / Software customization: No / Rumble: Yes, HD / NFC: Yes / Motion: Yes / Power: Built-in rechargeable 1,200mAh artillery / Console wake-up: Yes
The EasySMX S10 is astir arsenic susceptible and comfy arsenic the Switch 2 Pro Controller, yet it’s $30 cheaper astatine $59.99. It’s afloat of surprises, too, including the champion adaptation of Nintendo’s HD rumble that I’ve felt successful a third-party controller. It’s besides 1 of the fewer options that tin remotely aftermath the Switch 2 from slumber mode via Bluetooth. Lastly, it includes amiibo enactment — different uncommon diagnostic to find successful a third-party gamepad.
However, the S10 isn’t a Switch 2 Pro copycat; it’s a batch grippier, some astir the grips themselves and connected its instrumentality caps. Button presses and trigger pulls consciousness antithetic from astir different controllers, too, yielding a softer property and shorter travel, which is apt to beryllium the astir divisive facet of the S10. One of my favourite aspects of the S10’s plan is its swappable eight-way (circular) D-pad, making diagonal attacks successful Hollow Knight: Silksong considerably easier to execute than with a four-way D-pad.
If I could alteration 1 happening astir the S10, it’d beryllium the system-level buttons (screenshot, GameChat, and home). They’re crammed awkwardly conscionable beneath the D-pad and close stick.
Honorable mentions
Gulikit ES Pro
Score: 7
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Where to Buy:
Supported platforms: Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PC, mobile / Connectivity: Bluetooth, wired / Connector type: USB-C / Mappable rear buttons: No / Software customization: No / Rumble: Yes / NFC: No / Motion: Yes / Power: Built-in rechargeable 950mAh artillery / Console wake-up: Yes
Gulikit’s ES Pro is simply a emotion missive to the Xbox controller, but for Switch 2. It’s conscionable $29.99, which is simply a bargain considering this gamepad features an eight-way D-pad that’s large for warring games, Metroidvanias, and retro titles wherever it’s an vantage to easy beryllium capable to purpose diagonally (a mounting tin marque it truthful that it lone registers inputs for the cardinal directions, if you prefer).
The ES Pro doesn’t request to bash overmuch to warrant its price, but it does truthful anyway. It features tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) joysticks that are resistant to drifting and connection improved powerfulness ratio compared to Hall effect tech, conscionable similar the EasySMX S10. Similarly, it tin beryllium acceptable up to remotely aftermath your Switch 2 oregon OG Switch console from crossed the country utilizing its ain acceptable of strange, one-time-only instructions that you tin presumption successful its acquisition manual.
I’ve got astir nary qualms with this controller, but for its atrocious rumble. It conscionable has nary subtlety, rumbling successful an all-or-nothing manner. I was happier utilizing the ES Pro with the vibrations off, which isn’t immoderate fun. Additionally, it’s acold little implicit than the S10, arsenic it lacks built-in amiibo enactment and a C fastener for GameChat; however, depending connected your needs, those omissions mightiness not substance to you.
8BitDo Pro 3 controller
Score: 7
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Where to Buy:
Supported platforms: Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PC, Steam Deck, mobile / Connectivity: Bluetooth, 2.4GHz, wired / Connector type: USB-C / Mappable rear buttons: Yes, 2 / Software customization: Yes / Rumble: Yes / NFC: No / Motion: Yes / Power: Built-in rechargeable 1,000mAh artillery / Console wake-up: Yes (but lone archetypal Switch)
8BitDo’s Pro 3 is simply a large yet pricey Switch 2 Pro alternate with a PlayStation-style instrumentality layout. At $69.99, it’s not arsenic affordable (nor arsenic value-packed) arsenic the apical contenders. However, the Pro 3 offers a batch of customization, immoderate being cosmetic, portion different aspects tin interaction gameplay.
It has a batch going for it, with TMR joysticks, 2 backmost paddles, and a full of 3 enarthrosis buttons per broadside acknowledgment to caller customized M buttons. Its analog instrumentality caps tin beryllium popped disconnected successful favour of glossy arcade stick-style nubs, which were my preferred prime successful warring games (plus, they conscionable look cool). Its ABXY buttons tin beryllium suctioned disconnected with an included instrumentality to swap the layout arsenic needed, and for ocular flair, each controller includes colored buttons to evoke a retro Nintendo console. Also, it has trigger locks, letting you acceptable triggers to person a short, clicky propulsion oregon the default question distance.
However, I’d skip the Pro 3 if you privation bully rumble feedback. It’s beauteous lousy connected that front, to the constituent that I preferred to crook disconnected rumble wholly successful games. Also — and this is simply a tiny nitpick — but the Pro 3 can’t remotely aftermath up the Switch 2, truthful you’ll request to locomotion implicit to property the console’s powerfulness fastener earlier jumping connected the couch.
Read my afloat 8BitDo Pro 3 review.
GameSir Super Nova
Score: 6
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Where to Buy:
Supported platforms: Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PC, mobile / Connectivity: Bluetooth, 2.4GHz, wired / Connector type: USB-C / Mappable rear buttons: Yes, two/ Software customization: Yes / Rumble: Yes / NFC: No / Motion: Yes / Power: Built-in rechargeable 1,000mAh artillery / Console wake-up: No
GameSir’s Super Nova is simply a passable Switch Pro transcript that I had a pugnacious clip warming up to, adjacent if there’s a batch astir it that sounds large connected paper. It’s comfortable, with rubbery grips and decent rumble, and it uses Hall effect joysticks. However, it has, by a wide margin, my slightest favourite D-pad and buttons to property retired of each the controllers connected our list. The underlying tech is responsive, but it feels inexpensive to hammer on.
That’s a shame, arsenic it’s a slick-looking controller with a magnetic faceplate that pops off, allowing you to easy swap the buttons astir without the request for an other tool. The rear triggers besides person trigger stops, which tin trim the question of each pull, and the 2 backmost paddles are casual to press. It adjacent includes a charging dock — arsenic good arsenic a dazzling acceptable of RGB LEDs, which you tin crook disconnected — on with a USB-A 2.4GHz transmitter that lets you easy link the gamepad with your PC.
Gulikit Elves 2
Score: 6
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Where to Buy:
Supported platforms: Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PC, Steam Deck, mobile / Connectivity: Bluetooth, wired / Connector type: USB-C / Mappable rear buttons: No/ Software customization: No / Rumble: Yes / NFC: No / Motion: Yes / Power: Built-in rechargeable 800mAh artillery / Console wake-up: Yes
Gulikit Elves 2 is simply a compact, Sega Saturn-inspired controller I wanted to emotion a small much than I do. The affordable gamepad shares immoderate of the aforesaid benefits arsenic the identically priced ES Pro — including Switch 2 wake-up and multiplatform enactment — but it’s smaller, which could marque it a large prime for kids oregon small-handed folks who person a hard clip wrapping their digits astir larger gamepads.
There isn’t overmuch wasted abstraction successful this controller, either, arsenic it comes with a rechargeable battery, rumble motors, a gyroscope, and an eight-way D-pad that feels bully to use. Even for my medium-sized hands, its grips crook the tiny gamepad into thing that’s satisfying to hold. I don’t similar it arsenic overmuch for a fistful of insignificant reasons relating to semipermanent comfort, fastener and trigger consciousness preferences, and immoderate missing functionality. Compared to the ES Pro, it lacks TMR sticks (it has Hall effect), the Pro’s amended triggers, and swappable buttons.
What’s next?
A institution called GG-Gear (Good Game Gear) is sending america its GG wireless Switch 2 controller, and it seems similar it mightiness springiness the EasySMX S10 a tally for its money. It’ll outgo $44.99 and volition diagnostic TMR joysticks, a 1,000Hz polling rate, amiibo support, gyroscope support, a C fastener for GameChat, and what the institution calls “HD” vibration, among different competitory features. It besides comes successful an array of amusive colors, to boot.
The hunt continues for gamepad contenders that battalion successful a clump of features without breaking the bank. They’re rarer than you mightiness deliberation they are! For instance, PowerA precocious launched a $69.99 Switch 2 controller called the Advantage Wireless Controller. It features Hall effect joysticks, but seemingly lacks rumble and the quality to aftermath the Switch 2. Hori besides recently launched the Turbo Switch 2 successful immoderate bully colors, each with TMR joysticks. Its item diagnostic is simply a fastener that tin disable the screenshot, home, and positive / minus buttons.
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