Nintendo Switch Pro Controller

The Nintendo Switch Pro Controller.

The Nintendo Switch Pro Controller is a controller for use with the Nintendo Switch console. Unlike the Wii U Pro Controller, the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller has near field communication functionality, allowing the use of amiibo with games. The layout of the controls resembles that of the GameCube controller, with an analog stick and A, B, X, Y, Plus, Minus, Home, and Capture buttons on the top, and a D-pad and another analog stick on the bottom. The controller also has L, R, ZL, and ZR buttons along the top.

A special variant of the controller with a Smash livery released alongside Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Additionally, a limited edition variant with a gold Smash livery was awarded to the winner of EVO Japan 2020, Shuton.

Compatibility

The Switch Pro Controller is currently only compatible with the Nintendo Switch with currently no confirmation on if they will be made forwards compatible with future consoles. That being said, its bluetooth connectivity allows it to connect to other devices and unofficialy be used as a controller for compatible games, though additional drivers may need to be installed for a smooth experience.

In Ultimate, the buttons on the Pro Controller can be remapped in the Controls menu to perform other functions. As of Nintendo Switch hardware version 10.0.0, every button on the Pro Controller can be remapped via the system's settings, further diversifying its customizability.

Standard Controls

Nintendo Switch Pro Controller controls menu in Ultimate.

L	Move
	Standard attacks
	Special moves
R	Stick-smash
	Jump
	Grab
	Shield
	Taunts
	Pause
	Home Menu
	Screenshot
	Nothing

Technical Data

This article or section is incomplete. You can help SmashWiki by expanding or finishing it. The editor who added this tag elaborates: Needs more information on the hardware like the GameCube controller article

Input lag

The Switch Pro Controller has among the highest latency of all usable Ultimate controllers when used wirelessly, experiencing lows of 92.86ms (5.5 frames) and highs of 112.86 (6.8 frames). It's just slightly worse than the Joy-Con, which has a higher minimum latency of 93.7ms (5.6 frames) but otherwise similar results. If used wired with a USB-C cable, it's ironically worse than if used wireless.

Licensed variants

This article is in need of additional images. The editor who added this tag suggests: Images of each available controller, including each nso variant in a gallery If you have a good image for this article, upload it here.

Nintendo Switch Online Controllers

Released over several years, these are Switch Pro Controllers that are designed like controllers from previous console generations meant to be used with the various classic games on the Nintendo Switch Online service. Different designs include Nintendo Entertainment System, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Genesis, and Nintendo 64.

Hori Battle Pad

Released in 2018 by 3rd party controller manufacturer Hori. Has the internal components and buttons of a Switch Pro Controller, but with an outer shell designed after a GameCube controller.

PowerA GameCube Styled Controller

Released in 2018 by 3rd party controller manufacturer PowerA. Has the internal components and buttons of a Switch Pro Controller, but with an outer shell designed after a GameCube controller. This controller is wireless by default, but has a USB-C port to allow a wired connection.

In competitive play

The Pro Controller is arguably the most popular control scheme in Ultimate aside from the GameCube controller in frequency in tournaments.

Advantages

The Switch Pro Controller's ease of access compared to the GameCube controller and its required adapter, and its design being preferable to the Joy-Cons that come with the console, make it an attractive option to new players.

Significant design improvements have been made compared to the Wii U Pro Controller, which have made it generally considered the best of the "Pro Controller" family that started with the Wii. The control scheme is much more ergonomically comfortable compared to the GameCube controller, being far more ergonomically palatable. Therefore, health risks such as carpal tunnel are significantly lessened.

In a first for Nintendo, the wired connection uses a standard USB-C port, making this controller compatible with other devices like PC without the use of unofficial adapters, making it a popular choice for play on emulators, thus seeing use with Smash 64, Melee, and Brawl netplay.

The Switch Pro Controller has access to the Nintendo Switch's Button Mapping feature, which allows otherwise unusable buttons, such as control stick presses, to be used. This makes many advanced techniques significantly easier to use, such as wavebounced special moves.

Being chiefly wireless, the Pro Controller is minutely more flexible than a wired controller; it's faster to disconnect by virtue of having no wire to wheel around, and lacking wires also makes it arguably more comfortable to play with.

Disadvantages

Despite the benefits to the Switch Pro Controller, some players still have a preference for the GameCube controller, mainly due to the GameCube controller having less input lag in comparison to the Switch Pro Controller. However, some players opted to use a Pro GameCube Controller, which is a GameCube controller designed like a Pro Controller, but which still has the mechanisms of the former, thus being able to use a controller designed like the Pro Controller without the input lag issues from the actual ones.

The price point of the Switch Pro Controller is also a worthy consideration, commanding prices of around £70 GBP. Ergo, it's very common for players to be "priced out" of the Switch Pro Controller, whereas modded GameCube controllers, sometimes with improved ergonomic layouts, can be obtained at similar prices, thereby making the Switch Pro Controller redundant.

Gallery

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  Smash Bros. edition

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  Smash Bros. gold edition.