Best Nintendo Switch 2 Controllers (2025), Tested and Reviewed

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• Best Switch 2 Controller Overall

  

  Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

  Sure, you get a brace of these miniature marvels with the Switch 2 itself, but fixed that the caller console remains arsenic heavy focused connected multiplayer arsenic the original, you whitethorn privation immoderate extras. While you're much apt to prime up Joy-Con 2s successful pairs, Nintendo does merchantability them individually, utile for replacements.

  The Joy-Con 2 controllers look to beryllium fundamentally the aforesaid arsenic those connected the archetypal Switch, but they connection immoderate notable upgrades. They're larger—an approximate 14 percent summation successful size—making them much comfy for larger hands, and their buttons are somewhat bigger to match. When utilizing 1 Joy-Con 2 arsenic a azygous controller, the integrated SL and SR enarthrosis buttons are much prominent, portion the gyroscopic question detection and “HD Rumble 2” haptic motors are improved. Thumbsticks connected some Joy-Con 2s consciousness smoother, though there's inactive nary usage of Hall effect oregon tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) to destruct drift risk. This whitethorn beryllium due to the fact that the caller Joy-Cons link to the console utilizing magnets, which whitethorn interaction those technologies.

  The biggest differences are the quality to usage each controller arsenic a mouse, which opens up a big of caller play options for the Switch 2, though comfort is an issue. There's besides the summation of the caller C fastener to the right-hand Joy-Con 2, which brings up the GameChat communications menu. Overall, the new-gen Joy-Cons are coagulated improvements implicit the last, refining the play acquisition for Nintendo's latest hardware.

  WIRED

  • Larger and much comfy to hold
  • Mouse features
  • Improved rumble

  TIRED

  • Still nary Hall effect thumbsticks
  • Mouse mode is uncomfortable

• Best Upgrade

  

  Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

  Nintendo

  Switch 2 Pro Controller

  Like the Joy-Con 2s, there's a consciousness of continuity from the archetypal Switch to the caller generation's Pro Controller. At a glance, it's fundamentally the same—a much accepted controller successful the mold of those utilized connected Xbox oregon PlayStation, cleanable for Switch 2 games that don't necessitate the unsocial features of the Joy-Cons. However, this is crammed with clever adjustments and plan tweaks that marque it consciousness substantially antithetic from its predecessor.

  Chiefly, it feels smaller successful the manus acknowledgment to slimmed-down grips that beryllium astatine a somewhat tighter angle. It lone weighs 11 grams little than its predecessor—235 versus 246—but seems overmuch lighter. Subtler but inactive impactful tweaks see larger look buttons, and smoother, much responsive thumbsticks—although these inactive don't usage Hall effect oregon TMR technology, meaning drift remains a risk. It feels large to hold, though, acknowledgment to an astir seamless design, a prime that has the payment of leaving fewer ridges oregon constituent joins wherever manus sweat tin accumulate aft agelong play sessions.

  The large changes are the summation of a 3.5-mm audio jack astatine the basal of the controller, allowing a headset oregon mic to beryllium connected—tying successful perfectly with Nintendo's societal gaming propulsion with its integrated GameChat feature, accessed done the new, cardinal C button—and the summation of caller GL and GR buttons connected the underside. These inputs tin beryllium customized connected a per-game basis—simply clasp down the Home button, and they tin beryllium remapped connected the fly. Modifications are remembered per user, per game, which puts the “pro” successful Pro Controller. These upgrades travel astatine a literal cost, but this is 1 of the champion ways to play connected Switch 2.

  WIRED

  • Programmable buttons
  • Integrated audio jack
  • Feels large to hold

  TIRED

  • Pricey
  • Still nary Hall effect thumbsticks

• Best Third-Party Controller Overall

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  Perhaps the closest to Nintendo's ain Pro Controller successful form, but arguably exceeding it successful function, Snakebyte's GamePad Pro S2 packs successful ultra-precise Hall effect sticks, turbo features, mappable backmost buttons, and LED effects for a colorful touch.

  It connects wirelessly via a dongle, meaning a USB larboard gets eaten up, but this allows the controller to remotely aftermath the console, which fewer third-party pads look to beryllium capable to do. The Turbo relation offers adjustable speeds—particularly utile successful shooters, creating an auto-fire function—and tin beryllium assigned to immoderate look oregon enarthrosis button. The strength of the pad's haptics tin besides beryllium tailored to preference.

  The layout has immoderate quirks—the cardinal Snakebyte logo 'Home' fastener is positioned much similar an Xbox pad, portion surface seizure and C-button are vertically aligned beneath it—and the flared D-pad won't beryllium for everyone. But overall, it's reassuringly acquainted successful the hand, weighing a specified 224 grams. There's a bully springy absorption to the L2/R2 triggers, but carnal locks massively trim the question region for a quicker, much mechanical feel. Similar toggles tin fastener the M1/M2 under-grip buttons, which different relation arsenic the mappable GL/G2 inputs connected the Pro Controller 2.

  The pad is disposable successful 2 versions: the achromatic GamePad Pro S2 and the transparent RGB model. They're functionally identical, but I'd springiness the borderline to the black—not lone is its LED lighting a spot much elegant, highlighting the edges of components alternatively than the full pad, but the creaseless integrative casing connected the transparent mentation lacks immoderate texture oregon grip. Still, if you similar seeing the interior workings of your gear, it does look beauteous cool. A tiny "buyer beware" though—these request firmware updates earlier use, with chiseled patches for each model, truthful marque definite you get the close one. The drivers are lone disposable for Windows PCs, too, which whitethorn beryllium a hurdle for some.

  WIRED

  • Hall effect thumbsticks
  • Wireless
  • Can aftermath the console aft being paired
  • Turbo functions and customized haptics

  TIRED

  • Needs updating earlier usage (and requires a Windows PC)
  • Dongle eats up a USB port
  • Transparent exemplary lacks grip

• Best Budget Hall Effect Controller

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  PowerA

  Advantage Wired Controller

  This third-party offering from peripheral shaper PowerA offers 1 large upgrade implicit Nintendo's controllers: Hall effect technology. Not lone does that region immoderate hazard of dreaded drifting connected its thumbsticks, but it makes for better, much reliable performance, arsenic the sensors tin acold much accurately way the grade of question applied to the sticks.

  Like the authoritative Pro Controller, this features programmable buttons connected the underside of the manus grips. It besides has a 3.5-mm audio jack, but goes 1 amended with onboard audio controls, allowing you to set headset volume, mute your microphone, and power betwixt 3 equalizer modes—standard, bass boost, and immersive (though wide audio prime volition beryllium connected your headset).

  There are immoderate compromises to consider, though. It's a wired-only controller and indispensable beryllium connected to the Switch 2 dock, and though it comes with a 3-meter (10-foot) cable, that inactive limits range. It besides rearranges the Switch 2's strategy buttons—the Home, Capture, Plus (+), Minus (-), and C buttons—to a azygous enactment astatine the basal of the pad. While that allows for immoderate bold and colorful designs spotlighting Mario and pals, the antithetic predisposition and smaller plan of these buttons are hard to get utilized to. It besides lacks HD rumble oregon question power features, and there's nary NFC scholar built in, meaning it can't work Amiibo figures. Still, for the show boost acknowledgment to that elusive Hall effect, this is simply a beardown alternate to the Pro Controller—especially astatine this price.

  WIRED

  • Hall effect thumbsticks
  • Great price
  • Fun designs
  • Onboard audio controls

  TIRED

  • Odd layout of strategy buttons
  • No rumble, motion, oregon amiibo features
  • Tethered connection

• Another Good Hall Effect Controller

  

  PowerA

  Advantage Wireless Controller

  The wireless mentation of PowerA's Advantage pad is arsenic comfy arsenic the wired version, weighing a specified 222 grams contempt the summation of the rechargeable battery, and with a subtle micro-texture connected the underside that improves grip without feeling rough. You tin expect 25 to 30 hours of play clip betwixt charges, and it comes with a 3-meter USB-C charging cablegram to support you going erstwhile the artillery runs dry. It besides retains the rear programmable buttons, which tin beryllium assigned to duplicate immoderate different input connected the pad—a peculiarly utile touch, particularly for shooter oregon racing crippled fans. It's not precisely the aforesaid pad, sans cable, though. The wireless exemplary adds question controls for games that enactment the feature. The biggest update is the quality to bask the accuracy of those Hall effect thumbsticks without being tethered to your Switch 2's dock.

  Sadly, the Advantage Wireless lacks the built-in audio controls of the corded version, and portion it tin crook your Switch 2 off, it can't wirelessly aftermath it from sleep. It volition brace automatically erstwhile you've manually turned the console on, though. It continues to deficiency immoderate HD rumble oregon Amiibo features, and inactive has the curiously rearranged layout, positioning the Switch 2's strategy buttons (Home, Capture, Plus (+), Minus (-), and GameChat "C" button) successful a azygous enactment astatine the bottommost of the pad. That allows for much bold and colorful full-character designs (available successful Pokémon, Kirby, Mario, oregon plain achromatic versions), astatine the outgo of throwing disconnected your musculus representation of wherever those buttons should be. Still, if you privation to chopped the cord portion keeping the show boost of Hall effect modules, this is simply a coagulated choice.

  WIRED

  • Hall effect thumbsticks
  • Wireless
  • More amusive designs
  • Added question controls

  TIRED

  • Odd layout of strategy buttons
  • No rumble, motion, oregon amiibo features
  • Can't aftermath Switch 2 from sleep

• For a Dose of Nostalgia

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  Nintendo

  GameCube Controller

  The motorboat of Switch 2 brings with it a enactment of retro GameCube games for subscribers to the Nintendo Switch Online service. As it did for the NES, SNES, N64, and adjacent Sega Genesis/Mega Drive erstwhile games from those platforms joined the library, Nintendo has released a cleanable recreation of the archetypal controller, allowing you to play those classical games arsenic authentically arsenic possible.

  For anyone who was gaming erstwhile the GameCube was archetypal around, it's somewhat surreal to present person a cleanable recreation of the archetypal controller that's wireless but not the bulkier WaveBird model. It's nary atrocious thing, though, and decades-old musculus representation volition soon footwear in. Younger players mightiness find the unusually-shaped controller unusual astatine first, with its tiny nub of a C-Stick and its chunky, rounded enarthrosis triggers, but aft a fewer laps of F-Zero GX, you soon recognize however perfectly tailored the controller was for its games.

  For the modern update, Nintendo has tweaked the plan slightly, incorporating controls circumstantial to the Switch 2–namely the Home, surface capture, and C buttons—at the apical of the pad, and added a tiny caller ZL fastener connected the left-hand shoulder. That helps marque this GameCube pad broadly compatible with immoderate modern Switch and Switch 2 games, though not a cleanable match—the Start fastener present mimics the Switch 2's positive (+) button, there's thing to replicate the minus (-) button, and it lacks newer features specified arsenic clickable thumbsticks.

  However, availability is simply a occupation for this controller. It's lone disposable straight from Nintendo's online store, tin lone beryllium purchased if you person an progressive Nintendo Switch Online subscription, and is constricted to 1 portion per relationship successful the US, but 2 per relationship successful the UK.

  WIRED

  • Ultimate authenticity for GameCube games
  • Partial compatibility with modern games

  TIRED

  • Restricted availability

• A Grip for Your Joy-Cons

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  Nintendo

  Switch 2 Joy-Con 2 Charging Grip

  Not each Switch 2 crippled requires the question controls of the Joy-Con 2s, which is wherefore the console comes with a basal grip frame, allowing you to slot the 2 idiosyncratic controllers into either broadside for one, much conventionally arranged, joypad. While that volition bash successful a pinch if you privation to play games sitting connected the couch, with the console docked to your TV, the authoritative Nintendo Charging Grip offers a fewer noteworthy upgrades.

  One is simply the powerfulness transportation feature—connect a USB-C cablegram into the apical of the Charging Grip and you tin crippled for arsenic agelong arsenic you like, oregon permission the combined portion to complaint erstwhile not playing. It comes with a 1.5-meter USB-A to USB-C cable, allowing you to link this to the ports connected the broadside of the Switch 2’s dock for charging. It besides incorporates the caller GL and GR buttons connected the underside, arsenic recovered connected the Switch 2 Pro Controller. As with that pad, they tin beryllium customized connected a per-game basis, but successful my tests, it doesn’t look to retrieve settings betwixt play sessions. Still, it’s a useful feature, and remapping controls is speedy and easy. Being capable to rapidly connect and detach the Joy-Con 2s is besides large for immoderate games that power betwixt assorted power modes.

  In presumption of plan and ergonomics, it has immoderate weaknesses, though. A translucent ammunition is an unusual decision, fixed thing other astir Switch 2 takes that approach, portion the beforehand of the grips—where the basal of your thumbs rest—is level alternatively than rounded, with an borderline that tin excavation successful aft a while. It besides lacks the 3.5-mm audio jack of the Pro Controller, but fixed that this is little than fractional the price, it makes for a bully halfway house.

  WIRED

  • Power delivery
  • Customizable GL/GR buttons
  • Good price

  TIRED

  • No audio jack
  • Pointlessly translucent
  • Doesn't retrieve GL/GR mapping betwixt sessions

• A Racing Wheel

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  Not strictly controllers successful their ain right, these shells let you to slot successful a azygous Joy-Con 2, turning them into miniature steering wheels. Sold successful pairs, these are laser-focused connected racing crippled fans—realistically, Mario Kart World, but sci-fi racer Fast Fusion volition marque bully usage of them too, and marque the question controls consciousness that spot much intuitive.

  They're smartly designed—despite lodging the larger Joy-Con 2s, the wheels aren't overmuch larger than those for the archetypal Switch, portion chunky enarthrosis buttons connected the rear of the instrumentality itself marque the SL and SR buttons of each Joy-Con 2 adjacent much accessible. That makes them comfy capable for older players, but apt to beryllium astir appealing to younger players who volition bask decently “driving” astir with these.

  They're undeniably a gimmicky purchase, and there's a paucity of games wherever you're apt to get overmuch usage from them, but the Joy-Con 2 Wheels are a bully summation to immoderate surviving country racing tournament.

  WIRED

  • Fun, particularly for younger players
  • Affordable

  TIRED

  • Gimmicky
  • Limited use

• An Oldie but a Goodie

  

  Don't propulsion retired your archetypal Switch Joy-Cons conscionable yet, though, particularly if you program connected keeping older games around. While the Switch 2's backwards compatibility is near-universal, determination are a fistful of titles that won't enactment with the Joy-Con 2 controllers. Thankfully, classical Joy-Cons volition easy brace wirelessly with the caller console, allowing you to support playing the likes of Ring Fit Adventure, WarioWare: Move It!, and respective Nintendo Labo kits good into the future.

  The occupation is that you won't beryllium capable to support archetypal Joy-Cons charged by connecting them to the Switch 2 console—they're smaller and deficiency the magnetic connectors. If you've gotten escaped of your archetypal Switch but privation to support immoderate OG controllers around, prime up a abstracted charging dock, similar PowerA's Joy-Con Charging Stand, which tin support up to 4 grips juiced up and acceptable to go.

  Don't hide that these controllers were besides notorious for instrumentality drift, and portion Nintendo hasn't assuaged concerns with the newer Joy-Con 2 controllers, it has specifically said that they've been redesigned from the crushed up for amended semipermanent durability.

  WIRED

  • Ensures afloat backwards compatibility with archetypal Switch games
  • Easily pairs with Switch 2 console

  TIRED

  • Requires abstracted charger
  • Stick drift