The best Nintendo Switch controllers to buy right now

The champion Nintendo Switch controllers aren’t the ones that travel with the console. While the removable Joy-Cons included with each non-Lite Switch consoles are convenient fixed they tin beryllium detached for wireless use, their tiny, curveless plan isn’t 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. The institution claims that the Switch 2 Joy-Con 2 controllers volition beryllium much durable, but we’ll person to hold and see.

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 akin to each different 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), they apt won’t enactment HD rumble, question controls, NFC for Amiibo, oregon beryllium capable to crook connected the Switch remotely. However, determination are exceptions that we diagnostic below!

If you’re playing your Switch portion docked, it’s hard to spell incorrect with the authoritative Nintendo Switch Pro Controller. It’s the lone accepted gamepad that includes each diagnostic mentioned above, and it’s 1 of the astir satisfying controllers we’ve tested. The GuliKit KingKong 3 Pro and Max, meanwhile, marque for large Xbox-style controllers with exhaustive customization, portion the Hori Split Pad Pro is large for those who similar to play successful handheld mode. Then there’s 8BitDo’s PC-friendly Ultimate Bluetooth Controller and DualShock-esque Pro 2 controller, some of which are worthy checking out.

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

Ever since the Switch launched, Nintendo’s first-party Pro controller has been the champion gamepad for the console. In 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 1 of a fewer controllers we’ve tested (aside from the Joy-Con and 8BitDo’s Ultimate series) 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. If you conflict with manus symptom erstwhile you usage the Switch, 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 fractional 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 — oregon 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 seen supra 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 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 $50 (you tin besides get it with an Attachment Set for $74.99). 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.

Read our Hori Split Pad Pro review.

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: Yes / Software customization: No / Rumble: Yes / NFC: Yes / Motion: Yes / Power: Built-in rechargeable / Console Wakeup: Yes

On the surface, the GuliKit KingKong 3 Pro and KingKong 3 Max are akin to the last-gen models they replaced, which took plan cues from Microsoft’s modular Xbox controller but rivaled the Switch Pro Controller successful presumption of physique prime and features. We tested them connected the Nintendo Switch, PC, and mobile, but you tin besides usage them with different Bluetooth devices, including the Steam Deck and Apple TV 4K.

But determination are respective notable improvements and additions if you scratch deeper. They each person Hall effect dual-mode triggers (both tin power betwixt analog and digital, but the KK3 Max exclusively adds carnal trigger stops), successful summation to RGB LED-surrounded Hall effect analog sticks. It should marque them virtually impervious to drifting and waning responsiveness, arsenic iFixit explains here. They each person GuliKit’s almighty magnetic vibration motors with 2 strength levels and 3 chiseled modes (including the Switch’s HD rumble). You tin adjacent customize the hot-swappable look buttons to lucifer your preferred platform, and to the delight of tourney players, you tin play with a 1,000Hz polling complaint for reduced input lag connected PC (wired oregon wireless via a dongle).

Additionally, some controllers diagnostic detachable rear-facing paddles. You get 2 metallic moon-shaped paddles with the KK3 Pro that protrude further from the controller than the other 4 you get with the KK3 Max, which are longer and curved to lucifer the contour of the controllers’ rear grips. The second are akin to the paddles connected the Xbox Elite Series 2 and adjacent get the aforesaid installation method — conscionable propulsion them into the designated holes connected the back. They necessitate a batch much force, though they won’t easy dislodge. 

The longer paddles are comfortably reachable erstwhile installed, but if you person larger hands, you whitethorn request to marque adjustments for the shorter variety. They lone request a airy tap, but since they inhabit the abstraction wherever your fingers usually rest, it tin pb to accrued misfires portion gaming. You tin representation each backmost fastener to emulate immoderate different fastener connected the controller — including the rear triggers — but you can’t configure them to execute combo presses oregon macros.

In summary, the KK3 Pro and KK3 Max connection a lot for the money. In fact, determination whitethorn beryllium nary amended enactment for interoperability and worth successful a azygous multiplatform controller close now. If we’re nitpicking, our biggest gripe is that GuliKit inactive hasn’t created an app to negociate each of its settings much easily.

The champion Switch controller that’s besides large 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 customizable backmost paddles and question controls — on with a hidden instrumentality that allows you to aftermath a docked Switch by giving the controller a small shake.

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 battery. Speaking of, it typically lasts astir 22 hours, 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 for a mates of reasons. One due to the fact that it’s the lone mentation of the Ultimate that’s compatible with the Switch. Plus, it includes some 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 layout. 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 1 of the incredibly cool translucent blue, purple, oregon green editions).

Read our 8BitDo Pro 2 review.

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 we tested

Nitro Deck / Nitro Deck Plus

We similar CRKD’s Nitro Deck astir here. It’s a cradle-style controller that holds the Switch betwixt a brace of Hall effect sticks, outfitting it with a modular array of look buttons, 4 programmable backmost buttons, turbo functionality, gyro question controls, and rumble. It has passthrough charging, though not passthrough video, which would let it to treble arsenic a dock for TV gameplay. The step-up Nitro Deck Plus adds said functionality (with a USB-C to HDMI adapter), on with Bluetooth connectivity and adjustable vibration strength / analog sensitivity. We’ve recovered these to beryllium notable improvements, but we privation the passthrough solution was much elegant and that CRKD could lick the ergonomics (particularly connected the close side, wherever the analog and fastener placement tin origin discomfort).

GameSir T4 Cyclone Pro

We precocious tested the GameSir T4 Cyclone Pro ($45.99) for consideration. It offers a fewer of the aforesaid functions arsenic the GuliKit KingKong 3 — including remappable buttons, Hall effect sticks, and 2 chiseled macro buttons — on with dedicated vibration motors successful the triggers, which is thing the GuliKit doesn’t match. That said, it falls conscionable abbreviated owed to mushy-feeling buttons. GameSir considers the other padding nether the buttons a diagnostic that makes the interaction softer, but we felt it takes distant from the experience. Also, though it’s perfectly usable with the Switch, the Pro’s fastener labeling takes aft Microsoft’s, which whitethorn not beryllium perfect for those who person occupation memorizing inputs. We besides recovered resyncing with the Switch to beryllium a chore aft switching from a mobile instrumentality oregon a Windows PC.

PowerA GameCube Style Wireless Controller

We besides precocious tried respective wireless PowerA controllers, including the GameCube Style Wireless Controller ($59.99) and a Pikachu-themed mentation of the modular PowerA Enhanced Wireless ($59.99). We similar the amusive plan of PowerA’s controllers, but they don’t unrecorded up to the prime of the models we urge above, which is simply a shame considering immoderate outgo astir arsenic much. The GameCube-style wireless controller is simply a beauteous faithful recreation of the archetypal if you fancy a axenic Super Smash Bros. experience, but it’s barebones with nary rumble, NFC, oregon IR. It’s an casual mode to get the old-school feeling backmost if you don’t already person a Bluetooth-based alternate to usage with 8BitDo’s USB Adapter 2.

What’s coming next?

The Switch 2 is what’s coming next. Nintendo’s caller console launches connected June 5, and it’s some bigger and much almighty than the archetypal model. Suffice it to say, determination volition beryllium galore caller accessories to trial out, including caller controllers, arsenic the motorboat approaches.

That brings into question whether existing Switch controllers volition enactment with the Switch 2 astatine all. Thankfully, Nintendo has published an in-depth page regarding the Switch 2’s compatibility (or deficiency of compatibility) for archetypal Switch accessories. Good news: astir of them volition enactment conscionable fine.

As for caller controllers for the archetypal Switch, we’re successful a spot of a holding pattern, since astir manufactuerers are apt astatine enactment connected Switch 2 controllers. 8BitDo has announced an Ultimate 2 controller with TRM analog sticks, and presumably, determination volition beryllium a mentation compatible with Switch, adjacent if 1 hasn’t been announced yet. There’s thing other notable connected the contiguous horizon, however, and that astir apt won’t alteration until the Switch 2 arrives aboriginal this year.

Update, April 7th: Updated to bespeak existent pricing / availability, a good arsenic caller details regarding the Nintendo Switch 2.