The Best Nintendo Switch 2 Controllers You Can Get Right Now

The first-party Switch 2 Pro Controller is cautiously designed, reliable, and packed with each diagnostic you request from a gamepad, making it 1 of the easiest choices to recommend. In my Switch 2 Pro Controller review, I praised its large fastener consciousness and super-smooth analog sticks, going arsenic acold arsenic saying they’re amended than the DualShock for PS5 and the Xbox controller. While you’re not going to get analog trigger functions here, the triggers and bumpers are satisfying to the interaction – but the existent prima present are the GL and GR backmost buttons. Back buttons person been connected different aftermarket controllers successful the past, but these are autochthonal to the Switch 2 and tin easy beryllium mapped to enactment arsenic immoderate different fastener connected your controller. This comes successful clutch for assigning look fastener actions to assistance support your thumbs connected the sticks astatine each times since GL and GR are ace casual to property and ne'er get successful the way,

The Switch 2 Pro Controller has a sleek matte achromatic decorativeness that feels bully successful the hands and it has a definite density that gives it a beardown physique quality. The biggest interest I’d enactment retired determination is that the handles to clasp the controller are a spot small, truthful those with bigger hands mightiness conflict to find the close grip. Otherwise, it delivers everything you need, including the 3.5mm audio jack and the C fastener for GameChat. It’s $85 astatine mean price, but what you get successful instrumentality is the champion Switch 2 controller retired close now.

PowerA has been reliable for galore years and proved to beryllium large by putting retired coagulated Switch controllers astatine budget-friendly prices. That inclination continues with the Switch 2 and PowerA’s Advantage wired controller that we reviewed. This is simply a afloat sized gamepad and whitethorn beryllium preferable to the caller Pro Controller if you request thing heftier to clasp onto – and it’s overmuch lighter astatine the aforesaid time. Its sticks, buttons, and triggers are each connected constituent successful presumption of responsiveness and feel, and the D-pad stands retired arsenic a spot amended than the Pro Controller. You inactive get the Switch 2’s caller features similar the C button, 3.5mm audio jack, and programmable backmost buttons arsenic well. And its analog sticks are Hall Effect, meaning you apt won’t person to interest astir instrumentality drift.

It comes with immoderate caveats, though – you won’t get HD rumble oregon gyroscope question controls, which is simply a bummer. But astatine conscionable $40, I don’t caput a fewer compromises. There’s lone a wired mentation for present (it thankfully comes with a agelong 10-foot USB-A cable), truthful if you perfectly request thing wireless, I’d urge either the Pro Controller oregon holding retired for erstwhile PowerA inevitably puts retired its own. And if its previous-gen wireless gamepad is thing to spell by, it’ll besides beryllium 1 of my go-to recommendations.

The caller HoriPad Turbo is astir identical to the erstwhile exemplary that Hori enactment retired for the archetypal Switch, which means it’s inactive a coagulated enactment among Switch 2 controllers. It’s ergonomically dependable – person to an Xbox controller – and it has creaseless analog sticks and all-around bully fastener feel. Its prima diagnostic is turbo mode, which you tin acceptable to nonstop accelerated inputs astatine 5, 10, oregon 20 fastener presses per second, which is ace casual to programme connected the controller itself – whether oregon not that comes successful useful volition beryllium connected what you play. Hori besides has its ain mappable backmost buttons, and arsenic mentioned above, they tin marque a satellite of quality successful games with analyzable power schemes, letting you representation immoderate different fastener for easier access.

Like different budget-level wired Switch gamepads, you won’t get gyroscope question controls, but it’s a small disappointing to spot that it doesn’t see the 3.5mm audio jack that’s present modular for Switch 2 controllers. However, the HoriPad Turbo is inactive a large worth astatine $40 for a wired controller that has astir everything you privation from 1 and more.

The Gulikit KK3 Max was hands down my favourite controller for Switch 1 (and 1 of my apical picks for PC gamepads, too), and there’s plentifulness of crushed to spell with it for the Switch 2. It has the consciousness of a premium controller with important handles that person a bully textured grip. Its Hall Effect sticks person staved disconnected instrumentality drift and person been immoderate of the smoothest analog sticks I’ve utilized crossed the board. It’s besides precise versatile since it has analog triggers for those who privation to usage it connected PC and a 2.4GHz dongle for casual and responsive connectivity.

It comes with tools that marque it ace elemental to swap retired parts and well-made aluminum backmost paddles that you tin connect if you want. Since they’re technically paddles, they protrude from the handles, but pressing them feels much tuned for competitory play, which is to accidental they’re fantastic – and you tin person up to 4 paddles total. It’s a small analyzable to customize its assorted features, similar the neat RGB lighting astir the sticks, since each of it is done done assorted onboard controller inputs; though erstwhile you’re set, you’ll beryllium bully to go.

While it carries immoderate of the limitations of utilizing a Switch 1 controller connected Switch 2 similar not being capable to aftermath up the console and the deficiency of the C fastener for speedy GameChat access, there’s small to kick astir and a full batch to praise. I cognize $80 is inactive a batch to inquire for, but if you tin drawback the KK3 Max connected sale, you’d get a large worth for 1 of my favourite controllers successful caller memory.

The bully ol’ reliable Pro Controller is inactive a stellar prime erstwhile it comes to Switch 2 gamepads. Many of my favourite things astir the caller Pro Controller were brought implicit from this one, similar the fantastic analog sticks (aside from instrumentality drift concerns), swift and tactile triggers and buttons, and large 40-hour artillery life. I really similar the grip benignant of this archetypal mentation than the caller one, excessively – but the D-pad is the 1 country it needed to amended (and it did successful the caller model) since it’s not arsenic precise arsenic you’d privation for games similar 2D platformers.

If you already person one, it’s a hard inquire to person you marque the leap to a Switch 2 controller astatine the infinitesimal unless you don’t caput the terms tag of the Switch 2 Pro Controller. So, sticking with what you person if it’s inactive moving good and you’re blessed with it is simply a astute move. If you’re choosing betwixt the two, you tin get the archetypal Switch Pro Controller for somewhat cheaper astatine $70 (and adjacent connected merchantability for $60 oregon $50) and it wouldn’t beryllium a atrocious prime if you don’t caput missing retired connected a fewer Switch 2-specific features.

When we archetypal reviewed the 8BitDo Ultimate controller, we recovered it to beryllium 1 of the Switch options that person a premium consciousness that matches the Switch Pro Controller. However, you get a somewhat larger and amended performing D-pad, Hall Effect sticks to mitigate drift, and the benignant of responsive buttons that you'd expect from much costly controllers. Using the 8BitDo Ultimate app, you tin customize fastener mapping, including the 2 backmost buttons, the intricacies of the analog sticks, and the vibration levels of the rumble feature. A customized illustration power fastener allows you to store 3 profiles connected the pad for convenient on-the-fly swapping.

It has a decent 22-hour artillery life, and it comes with a charging dock that makes it casual to support it afloat charged erstwhile you’re not playing. The dock besides acts arsenic a wireless transportation and the included 2.4GHz dongle makes it a coagulated enactment connected PC. There's adjacent Bluetooth enactment to adhd to its versatility, and it stands arsenic a large and cost-effect wireless enactment for Switch 2. It’s often connected merchantability for $50 and the prime you get successful instrumentality makes it a truly bully value.

I’ve kept astir my PowerA Enhanced controller for my archetypal Switch due to the fact that it’s a elemental and ace lightweight gamepad that ever seems to clasp its complaint implicit agelong periods. Even though the Gulikit KK3 Max is inactive my apical dog, the simplicity and fantastic show of PowerA’s wireless gamepad makes it an unthinkable worth that’s often nether $40 connected sale.

Of course, it doesn’t transportation immoderate of the caller Switch 2 features but it does person programmable backmost buttons that are elemental to representation with its onboard controls. It does nail the fundamentals, too, with creaseless analog sticks, coagulated buttons, and a afloat comfy grip for agelong sessions. It’s a no-frills controller, but if you bash privation a spot of other flair, it comes successful a assortment of peculiar editions tied to immoderate of Nintendo’s biggest franchises.

Frequently Asked Questions – Switch 2 Controllers

Can I usage my Switch 1 controller connected Switch 2?

Yes, you can! As mentioned successful galore of the recommendations above, you’ll beryllium missing retired connected a fewer Switch 2-exclusive features, however. Namely: the C fastener to rapidly entree GameChat and the 3.5mm audio jack to easy link headphones oregon earbuds portion playing. Several aftermarket Switch 1 controllers already came with programmable backmost buttons truthful you tin inactive instrumentality vantage of them – the lone happening is that you’ll person to representation them done the controller’s onboard method alternatively than the Switch 2 menus similar you would with the caller Pro Controller’s GL and GR buttons. It’s worthy mentioning that you besides can’t crook connected the Switch 2 with a Switch 1 controller, which immoderate volition find much inconvenient than others.

Should I beryllium disquieted astir instrumentality drift?

If the controller doesn’t person Hall Effect oregon TMR analog sticks, it whitethorn beryllium much susceptible to instrumentality drift implicit time, which was an contented for immoderate during the Switch 1 epoch (and PS5 users person experienced this connected the DualSense arsenic well). The parts of a accepted analog instrumentality whitethorn deterioration retired successful a mode that knocks them disconnected its center, causing it to nonstop errant inputs to the strategy adjacent erstwhile idling. It’s intolerable to archer if and erstwhile this mightiness hap to your controller, unfortunately. The likes of Gulikit and 8BitDo usage Hall Effect sticks, which are made with magnetic internals for little friction betwixt parts and truthful little wear.

What if I privation to instrumentality with my Joy-Con? How tin I marque them better?

While I’m not a instrumentality of the Joy-Con (or the caller Joy-Con 2) connected their own, determination are ways you tin marque them amended from an ergonomic perspective. Grip attachments from companies similar DBrand and Genki springiness the Joy-Con a much robust grip to get them person to a full-sized controller feel, and they enactment wonders for playing handheld. The packaged grip grip that comes with the Switch 2 is the simplest mode to crook the Joy-Con into a manageable solution for playing docked. You can’t bash thing to amended the analog sticks, of course, and portion they’re good for games that aren’t truly astir precision, their constricted scope of question truly holds them backmost successful shooters oregon thing with camera controls.

Will determination beryllium much options for wireless Switch 2 controllers?

No doubt. We’re inactive successful the aboriginal days of the caller console and portion determination are plentifulness of cases, grip attachments, and portable chargers for the Switch 2 already, accessories that impact method features similar controllers and docks request much clip to afloat rotation out. Third parties similar PowerA and Hori already person wired solutions for now, but expect wireless versions from them and galore of the different manufacturers that made Switch 1 controllers successful the coming months.

Originally posted:

Jun 27, 2025 1:00 am