Best Nintendo Switch Controller 2025

It’s a hard task to bushed retired Nintendo’s ain Pro Controller, but GuliKit does conscionable that with the KingKong 3 Max. With a look akin to Nintendo’s gamepad, this 1 kicks things up a notch, offering Hall Effect joysticks and triggers for amended precision and adjustable sensitivity which tin beryllium a immense vantage successful assorted games, particularly shooters similar Doom. GuliKit adjacent includes 4 detachable and remappable rear paddles, and that’s connected apical of the somewhat mushy, swappable look buttons, and large, adjustable D-Pad. Plus, each of this is disposable for astir $10 much than Nintendo’s controller.

We’re lone scratching the aboveground of what's connected offer, arsenic the GuliKit KingKong 3 Max is chock afloat of features that enactment flawlessly with the Switch. There are 3 vibration modes, including HD rumble, to spot you close into the enactment of Super Mario Odyessy. Plus, the 6-axis gyroscope allows question power successful games for amended immersion, and you’ll besides get enactment for Amiibo and the quality to aftermath the Switch from sleeping.

As mentioned, the plan matches the Nintendo Pro Controller and galore of the champion Xbox controllers, meaning it's ergonomic and comfy to hold. We besides invited its lightweight and the summation of a somewhat textured surface, ensuring the controller doesn’t gaffe from your grip during heated moments. There’s adjacent a steadfast dose of RGB lighting astir the joysticks, which is much than conscionable for looks, arsenic it tells you the joystick sensitivities. Speaking of sensitivity, GuliKit lets you marque those adjustments connected the controller, truthful you don’t ever request to trust connected bundle to marque changes.

The GuliKit KingKong 3 Max seamlessly pairs with the Switch wirelessly via Bluetooth, oregon a wired USB transportation is disposable for little latency. If you privation this controller to execute treble duty, it besides works large with PCs and comes with a USB dongle for a reliable tether-free link. When you opt to play wirelessly, expect up to 28 hours of playtime from the battery. But if you determine to crippled with those RGB lights illuminated, the artillery beingness drops to astir 15 hours.

Although we've spent the astir hours playing with and reviewing the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller, it inactive lone takes the 2nd wide spot connected our list. With the gamepad comes a look and consciousness akin to the champion Xbox controllers. It offers a durable physique that should past the lifespan of the Switch, portion the ergonomic plan remains comfy during extended play sessions. However, it’s a spot clunky for children 6 and nether who whitethorn similar utilizing Joy-cons instead.

Coming from the Joy-Con, the quality erstwhile utilizing the Pro Controller is palpable, particularly aft laying your fingers connected the responsive, ample look buttons and existent D-pad. That trademark D-pad makes a monolithic quality erstwhile playing retro 2D platformers compared to the abstracted directional buttons connected the Joy-Con. Those controls are besides paired with offset joyousness sticks offering an fantabulous tactile feel. The lone large constituent of contention during our reappraisal was the Z triggers are hard to differentiate from the L and R enarthrosis buttons, arsenic they don’t depress precise far.

Given this is simply a wireless controller, artillery beingness is important, and the Pro Controller doesn’t disappoint. It offers up to 40 hours of usage connected 1 charge. The rechargeable artillery juices up via USB-C for added convenience. Of course, you tin besides usage the controller wired instead. Nintendo adjacent included an NFC reader, allowing it to enactment with Amiibo. There’s besides HD rumble, truthful thing is missed erstwhile the strategy is dock. Unfortunately, the effect isn't arsenic beardown arsenic the Joy-Con. Still, there’s a full batch connected connection considering this controller costs nether $70.

Nintendo has confirmed that the Switch Pro controller volition beryllium compatible with the Switch 2. So it's inactive worthy buying the Switch Pro controller earlier the Switch 2 Pro controller arrives successful June.

This mightiness dependable a spot redundant, but Nintendo’s ain $80 Joy-Con genuinely marque the Switch’s magic. Yes, that’s adjacent considering Joy-Con drift that you whitethorn acquisition implicit time.

They’re indispensable to however the console works, some successful docked and handheld modes. You tin play games with some Joy-Con slotted into the strategy oregon wirelessly portion you person it sitting connected a array oregon docked with your TV.

You tin adjacent stock Joy-Con with friends by turning them sideways to enactment arsenic tinier modular controllers, though we powerfully urge keeping the straps useful for a spot much to clasp onto portion playing this way.

We've covered the improvement of Joy-Con continuously passim the beingness of the Switch, and arsenic the controllers that travel with the console, they are beauteous large each things considered. There aren't truly immoderate alternatives that are capable to bash the aforesaid thing.

While the Nintendo-issued Joy-Con are good for astir people, thing much ergonomic mightiness beryllium amended for playing handheld. The $50 Hori Split Pad Pro is licensed by Nintendo and features a overmuch wider country to clasp connected to portion playing connected the go. Overall, it's 1 of favourite Nintedo Switch accessories we've ever had the accidental to trial retired ourselves.

The ergonomics spell further with larger buttons everywhere, alternate enarthrosis triggers placed wrong scope of your mediate oregon ringing fingers, and a turbo mounting for less fastener presses.

However, these alternate Joy-Con lone enactment portion connected to the Switch. You cannot usage the Split Pad Pro controllers wirelessly, truthful crippled modes successful which you request to stock idiosyncratic Joy-Con are not supported. As determination are nary existent Joy-Con alternatives you tin buy, this is the adjacent champion thing.

We recovered successful our hands-on reappraisal of the PowerA Fusion Pro, you tin genuinely customize the controller to your circumstantial needs for comfortableness and amended performance. However, you bash suffer the rumble battalion wrong compared to Nintendo’s ain Pro Controller, and the artillery lasts 20 hours, astir fractional arsenic long.

That’s a trade-off you’ll person to see erstwhile weighing the benefits, which see swappable magnetic faceplates, aggregate joysticks to take from, further customizable rear trigger paddles, and question controls for games that enactment it.

With that galore options to tailor the controller to your circumstantial gaming needs, the PowerA Fusion Pro makes up for the nonaccomplishment of rumble and shorter artillery life.

Since you’re not apt to play connected Nintendo Switch successful a warring crippled tourney (unless it’s Smash Bros.), we heartily urge the $90 8BitDo Arcade Stick we reviewed for warring games connected the console.

Not lone does this combat instrumentality person a lovable retro style, but it’s besides customizable with enactment for Sanwa parts. The instrumentality automatically recognizes whether it is connected to a Switch oregon PC — wired oregon wireless — and instantly changes fastener assignments.

The Arcade Stick tin store 2 profiles worthy of fastener assignments, for either antithetic platforms oregon antithetic games, with integer icons that alteration betwixt profiles. Lastly, the instrumentality includes turbo enactment and its artillery tin past for up to 40 hours connected a 2.4GHz wireless transportation oregon 30 hours connected Bluetooth.

See much of our picks for the best combat sticks for gaming.

While not the archetypal controller for a Smash Bros. game, the Nintendo GameCube Controller solidified itself arsenic the golden modular astir instantly backmost successful 2001.

The unusual fastener layout of the GameCube Controller – with gray, jelly-bean shaped X and Y buttons surrounding a green, oversized A fastener and a red, shrunken B fastener – inherently makes playing Smash Bros. easier. For instance, rapidly jumping and making aerial attacks, arsenic good arsenic pulling disconnected smash attacks with the yellowish C-stick, are overmuch simpler.

While you tin easy get by playing Super Smash Bros. Ultimate utilizing a Switch Pro Controller, anyone playing remotely competitively volition agree: conscionable get the $75 GameCube controller (and the $15-to-$20 adapter) for Switch.

Makers of immoderate of the champion retro-themed controllers available. The $50 8BitDo Pro 2 we reviewed has a retro aesthetic and modern sensibility consciousness tailor-made for Nintendo Switch Online’s increasing classical crippled libraries.

The buttons, absorption pad, and enarthrosis buttons each person a click and feedback that consciousness rather akin to the archetypal SNES controller. However, the extended grips and dual Hall Effect joysticks consciousness overmuch similar the archetypal PlayStation DualShock controller, prevention for the further trigger paddles underneath.

We’ve utilized the Pro 2 for modern Switch gameplay and were near satisfied. This and the enactment for 3 unsocial fastener layout profiles marque the Pro 2 perfect for supporting aggregate retro crippled consoles oregon a premix of some classical and modern games.

When we archetypal reviewed the 8BitDo Ultimate controller, we recovered it makes for 1 competent controller with a plan akin to the Switch Pro. However, you get a somewhat larger D-pad, Hall Effect Sensors successful the sticks, and highly responsive buttons, which tin beryllium particularly useful successful warring games similar Smash Bros.

Using the 8BitDo's Ultimate app, you tin customize the fastener mapping, swap instrumentality behavior, and set vibration levels portion 2 other backmost paddles are connected the controller for further commands. A customized illustration power fastener allows you to store 3 profiles connected the pad for on-the-fly swapping.

This wireless controller offers a decent 22-hour artillery beingness and comes with a charging dock that besides acts arsenic a wireless connection, though you get a 2.4GHz dongle, too. There's adjacent Bluetooth enactment for a ace versatile gamepad that’s not exclusively for Switch and volition apt transportation implicit to the Switch 2.

Many of the champion racing wheels aren’t compatible with the Switch, making the excavation of contenders to cruise down Rainbow Road successful Mario Kart precise small. Luckily, Hori didn’t hide astir the versatile gaming handheld, offering the Mario Kart Racing Wheel Pro Deluxe.

Coming successful astatine $100, it isn’t a pro-level enactment with almighty unit feedback oregon nonstop thrust systems, but the instrumentality is decently sized and feels coagulated successful hand. You’ll find each the customizable controls needed to navigate games, sturdy paddle shifters, and antithetic sensitivity levels for amended handling.

A responsive two-pedal acceptable for the interruption and state circular retired this kit, ensuring a overmuch much immersive gaming acquisition than a accepted controller. It isn’t exclusively for Mario Kart, truthful it’ll enactment with your favourite Switch and immoderate PC driving games. You volition apt adjacent beryllium capable to usage it successful the caller Mario Kart crippled that is reportedly coming to Nintendo Switch 2 successful 2025.