Nintendo Switch - Pro Controller

Update: not that bad.UPDATE MAY 2020: Not that badSo after I wrote my initial review, I was able to get the stripped screw off (and destroyed the grip in the process, having to order replacements from ebay). Then over the ensuing months I tore apart the controller probably 20 times, trying different variations of the tape trick to fix the D-pad with varied success. The tape did largely correct the false inputs, but at the cost of sometimes not registering button presses. In the end, I decided to take off all the tape and use it as it was originally designed to be used, and guess what? It isn't all that bad. Sure, when you do the input test in Switch settings it registers LOTS of false inputs, but this is less noticeable during actual game play. Now granted, I'm ... MoreUpdate: not that bad.UPDATE MAY 2020: Not that badSo after I wrote my initial review, I was able to get the stripped screw off (and destroyed the grip in the process, having to order replacements from ebay). Then over the ensuing months I tore apart the controller probably 20 times, trying different variations of the tape trick to fix the D-pad with varied success. The tape did largely correct the false inputs, but at the cost of sometimes not registering button presses. In the end, I decided to take off all the tape and use it as it was originally designed to be used, and guess what? It isn't all that bad. Sure, when you do the input test in Switch settings it registers LOTS of false inputs, but this is less noticeable during actual game play. Now granted, I'm not a professional gamer, but I used the D-pad extensively to play Rayman Legends and Super Mario Maker, and it worked just fine. So in conclusion, yes, the D-pad is far from perfect, it's a major blemish in an otherwise perfect controller and a disgrace for Nintendo, but NO, it is not as bad as everyone makes it out to be. It's probably still the best Switch controller out there at the time of writing. My advice is to buy it and spend some time actually using it before buying into all the negative hype and trying to mess with it. It really isn't all that bad. (with regards to my original review, everything I had said about the design and ergonomics still holds true, even with the aftermarket replacement grips I had to install).------Original review:First off, this controller looks and feels amazing. It's probably the most ergonomic controller I've ever held, and *almost* everything about it feels extremely well-built. But I say "almost," because there's one major inexcusable flaw that just ruins it for me, and that's the D-pad. If you do a quick search, you'll see that this has been an issue with Pro Controllers since the very first model. The D-pad is way too squishy, and registers incorrect inputs when you move between directions quickly. It just blows my mind, how Nintendo, the company that INVENTED the D-pad can get away with making such a poorly designed sub-par one and putting it inside their Pro controller. There IS a fix, but it requires opening the controller and putting tape on the chip. I attempted it, but ended up stripping one of the screws and now it'll be impossible to ever open it up. So I'm stuck with a $70 "premium" controller with a D-pad that's so imprecise that it's borderline unusable. If playing games with a D-pad is at all important to you, save yourself the headache and frustration and buy a PS4 controller and an 8bitdo or Mayflash receiver. I used to always prefer official accessories going all the way back to the NES, but sadly, this whole experience has made me lose faith in Nintendo.6 people found this helpful

Pricy but solidWhere to begin...I've always been fine with the Joycons, Handheld mode, in the grip, or one in each hand. I don't mind any of those control methods, nor do I find their D-Pad buttons to be a problem. But I bought this controller for Smash Ultimate and to see what all the fuss was about, because I don't want my Joycons breaking in a moment of carelessness.I thought the Joycons were solid enough for the most part, but this thing, you could practically crack chestnuts with it. From the minute I opened the box and took it in hand, I thought "this isn't the prettiest thing I've ever seen, but this thing is sturdy!"I charged it up right out of the box, played a bit with the wired connection (haven't had any lag problems at all in Wizard of Legend with it) ... MorePricy but solidWhere to begin...I've always been fine with the Joycons, Handheld mode, in the grip, or one in each hand. I don't mind any of those control methods, nor do I find their D-Pad buttons to be a problem. But I bought this controller for Smash Ultimate and to see what all the fuss was about, because I don't want my Joycons breaking in a moment of carelessness.I thought the Joycons were solid enough for the most part, but this thing, you could practically crack chestnuts with it. From the minute I opened the box and took it in hand, I thought "this isn't the prettiest thing I've ever seen, but this thing is sturdy!"I charged it up right out of the box, played a bit with the wired connection (haven't had any lag problems at all in Wizard of Legend with it) and it finished charging from the Switch dock in a couple hours. Over the next month, I played with it every day when my Switch was docked (I just stopped taking hte Joycons off the main unit when docking it since getting this). It took, with about an hour or more of play per day, maybe a month before I got a "low battery" warning from this controller.Analog sticks are definitely taller, and face buttons are definitely bigger than the Joycons. That felt a bit odd at first, but I can switch between this and the Joycons/handheld mode for any game I own without trouble. The only difference I had to get used to is the placement of the + and - buttons; rather than being above each thumb as on the Joycons, they're between my hand here.I've had no troubles with the D-Pad, and find I rather enjoy it. Got this thing back in April, and have had no troubles at all with either analog stick or the D-Pad. (Which registers up, down, left, right, or diagonals only if I press them- no false positives at all from my Pro Controller.)Reads Amiibo just fine, I place them in the center of the controller to scan them in after I remember the right thumbstick does nothing .This is an entirely optional purchase for me, especially as I've always been more of a handheld gaming man, and am perfectly fine with the Switch's provided controller setup. But the Pro Controller is the best-feeling thing I've held that I can recall, as far as gaming goes. (Note: I've owned Game Boys, DSes, the Gamecube and Wii, and the Logitech Cordless RumblePad 2 for my PC, and that's basically it besides the 8bitdo NES30 Pro.)I have no fears of anything ever breaking this Nintendium-forged artifact, and it still looks as new as it did out of the package down to minute details. Also, the battery is massively overkill- I love it.If you think you'd like one of these, and are okay with whatever the asking price is at the moment, go right ahead. You can use it with Windows and Android phones or tablets as well, so if this controller lasts as long as my old Logitech has, $70 should average out to maybe pennies per month, especially since it works with a bunch of different machines. Planning to keep it until it wears out decades from now.18 people found this helpful

I'd recommend this over buying more joycons or replacing existing joyconsI bought this thing because the joycons that came with my console started having issues that recalibrating was not fixing. I was so used to playing with joycons after a year of only using them. They were very comfortable as a controller in their own right, with or without the shell. I still want to get the joycons repaired or replaced someday when I get more multiplayer games/It took me a day to acclimate to the new controller, but it already feels just as, if not more comfortable than the joycons in the joycon shell. It's heavier but not uncomfortably so, it's comfortable to grip for a few hours of gameplay. Most of the buttons have decent feedback. The battery seems to be almost as good as ... MoreI'd recommend this over buying more joycons or replacing existing joyconsI bought this thing because the joycons that came with my console started having issues that recalibrating was not fixing. I was so used to playing with joycons after a year of only using them. They were very comfortable as a controller in their own right, with or without the shell. I still want to get the joycons repaired or replaced someday when I get more multiplayer games/It took me a day to acclimate to the new controller, but it already feels just as, if not more comfortable than the joycons in the joycon shell. It's heavier but not uncomfortably so, it's comfortable to grip for a few hours of gameplay. Most of the buttons have decent feedback. The battery seems to be almost as good as the joycons were, I got mine last week and still haven't had to charge it since the first day.If I had any complaints, it's that the home menu and snapshot buttons are in an awkward location and don't have any good feedback, as they don't protrude out at all. I used to be able to take a video recording in the middle of a Splatoon game without getting pulled out of the action, but now it feels like I have to stop the action to reach the button.EDIT: Just so you know... it turns out Pro Controllers are not immune to drift. I've got some pretty irritating drift that comes and goes.I still say buying one of these is better than buying any more of those stupid defective joycons. You only require joycons for what, one game? A bad remake of an old pokemon game nobody asked for? The only good thing about Joycons is that you can make them into two tiny controllers but i'd honestly rather splurge to have two normal controllers.257 people found this helpful

Mediocre at best, unresponsive and flimsy at worst!So I've had this Pro controller for a month now and felt I'd been hands on long enough for a full review. Gotten about 150hours on Monster Hunter Generations and played a little Breath of the Wilds,I'm coming from 30+ years of gaming experience and have used every leading console developers (Nintendo, Sega, Microsoft, Sony) 1st party controllers since NIntendo Entertainment System onwards to today. I've owned many, but have used all of them extensively at some point. I've been on PS4 extensively since lunch, easily putting 2k+ hours a year, and 3k hours on Monster Hunter World since launch. So PS4 controller is my most relevant comparison now so you know were im coming from.So firstly, I consider the Pro ... MoreMediocre at best, unresponsive and flimsy at worst!So I've had this Pro controller for a month now and felt I'd been hands on long enough for a full review. Gotten about 150hours on Monster Hunter Generations and played a little Breath of the Wilds,I'm coming from 30+ years of gaming experience and have used every leading console developers (Nintendo, Sega, Microsoft, Sony) 1st party controllers since NIntendo Entertainment System onwards to today. I've owned many, but have used all of them extensively at some point. I've been on PS4 extensively since lunch, easily putting 2k+ hours a year, and 3k hours on Monster Hunter World since launch. So PS4 controller is my most relevant comparison now so you know were im coming from.So firstly, I consider the Pro Controller to be a big improvement over the standard Switch Joy Cons. The Joy Cons ar3 just way to small, right Anolog stick in particular hurts my average sized hands after 30min of use, and button spacing isn't great. To be fare, there Controllers ment for a handheld and in that space they do there job reasonably well. So if you want a more traditional Controller for couch gameing, it's the Pro or a GameCube controller clone, and the Pro is probably a better choice assuming you need motion controls.The Switch Pro controller isn't terrible for sure. Size is fine, maybe slightly small, but decent for average man hands and probably great for smaller hands. But immediately I noticed the Anolog Sticks aren't great. The press function is too tight, Anolog placement feels off and need to be about 25% bigger. I've heard ALOT of stick drift issues, but a month isn't long enough for that to be a issue. Face buttons fell a little mushy, no click or feed back at all. And the face buttons are raised far too much, makeing simultaneously pressing two buttons inaccurate. The ZR/ZL triggers aren't variable at all, this could be particularly frustrating on a racing game, as it's either full or no throttle. I don't mind them not being variable since I play RPGs mostly, and they feel responsive. However the L/R shoulder buttons are awful! They drop inputs frequently and sometimes don't register promptly. Unfortunately many games use shoulder inputs frequently, Monster Hunter GU being a strong example of were this is a issue. It seems to be because the actual button press happens on the outer edges, meaning to get a responsive touch you need to hold them with fingers in claw like hold. This causes alot of finger fatigue on medium sized hands and surely far worse on large hands. 4 way D-Pad is fine, and probably better than PS4 controllers. I've also noticed the left grip moves slightly already, the grips are separate pieces and shift slightly. They don't feel like there breaking, but it's unnerving to have this in 30days. Finally my biggest gripe is there is absolutely no 3.5mm standard headset inputs on the controller, and I've been told USB-C inputs don't work either. So you still need to use the Switch 3.5mm input for a headset. This is 16years behind other console devs, and is completely unexeptable in the age of online gaming.3 stars I'd is very fare, it's not terrible and unfortunately is probably your only choice for a traditional Switch controller. But aside fantastic battery life and decent ergonomics, it well below what I've come to expect from Sony and Microsoft since lunch of Xbox360 in 2005.5 people found this helpful

A Must Buy For Nintendo Fans

Many people that buy the Switch will use the included Joy-Cons simply because they are in the box. However, it only take a few minutes to realize that they are far from perfect. From the small size, the lack of a proper D-pad, and not being able to charge them mid game, you will be wanting an alternate ASAP. Not to mention how they are notorious for the drifting problems. The Pro controller is the way to go. All of the mentioned problem are nonexistence here. Having the traditional size and shape of other controllers, it feels a lot better than what the Joy-Cons offer. Additionally, with the durability that the Pro offers, my original Pro controller never drifted even with a drop and it is six years old. With such quality and durability, any Switch should make this ... MoreMany people that buy the Switch will use the included Joy-Cons simply because they are in the box. However, it only take a few minutes to realize that they are far from perfect. From the small size, the lack of a proper D-pad, and not being able to charge them mid game, you will be wanting an alternate ASAP. Not to mention how they are notorious for the drifting problems. The Pro controller is the way to go. All of the mentioned problem are nonexistence here. Having the traditional size and shape of other controllers, it feels a lot better than what the Joy-Cons offer. Additionally, with the durability that the Pro offers, my original Pro controller never drifted even with a drop and it is six years old. With such quality and durability, any Switch should make this a mandatory purchase.

Better Than The One That Came With The Switch!

My son has played his Nintendo Switch for around three years now, but never really loved the controller format that comes with the system. After A LOT of research and looking at many different traditional controller formats, we decided this one was the best option. First, this controller is made by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. It does cost a little more than the off brand controllers that claim to be compatible with Switch. But, I'd rather pay an extra twenty bucks to ensure that it works properly with the system. It also comes with an option to buy a warranty. For me, this is a HUGE bonus! I bought this for my son's birthday, and he was thrilled! It's sleek and black. It pairs easily with the Switch, and it's wireless- so no tripping over cords! It also comes ... MoreMy son has played his Nintendo Switch for around three years now, but never really loved the controller format that comes with the system. After A LOT of research and looking at many different traditional controller formats, we decided this one was the best option. First, this controller is made by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. It does cost a little more than the off brand controllers that claim to be compatible with Switch. But, I'd rather pay an extra twenty bucks to ensure that it works properly with the system. It also comes with an option to buy a warranty. For me, this is a HUGE bonus! I bought this for my son's birthday, and he was thrilled! It's sleek and black. It pairs easily with the Switch, and it's wireless- so no tripping over cords! It also comes with a charging cord that connects the controller to the Switch to charge it. Very convenient! Since my son received this controller, he hasn't used the original Switch controller. He says this one is easier to use and he doesn't have any of the glitches with this controller that he sometimes had with the original Switch controller. I highly recommend!

Great premium controller for the Switch

This is so much better than your standard joy-cons and definitely worth it if you want a better controller for your switch. The buttons all feel premium and nice to press, the joysticks are more premium feeling as well and don't feel like they'll break over time (like how the Joy-cons prevalently succumb to stick drift), and the controller fits nicely in your hands even if you have larger hands. The controller paired with my Switch automatically and I didn't have to do a single thing to initiate the pairing. The battery life lasts a long time, I never kept an exact hour count, but it seemed like it could last most of the day in the marathon gaming sessions I did while playing Tears of the Kingdom. But you can plug it in to the Switch's dock and play while it's ... MoreThis is so much better than your standard joy-cons and definitely worth it if you want a better controller for your switch. The buttons all feel premium and nice to press, the joysticks are more premium feeling as well and don't feel like they'll break over time (like how the Joy-cons prevalently succumb to stick drift), and the controller fits nicely in your hands even if you have larger hands. The controller paired with my Switch automatically and I didn't have to do a single thing to initiate the pairing. The battery life lasts a long time, I never kept an exact hour count, but it seemed like it could last most of the day in the marathon gaming sessions I did while playing Tears of the Kingdom. But you can plug it in to the Switch's dock and play while it's plugged in/charging. It doesn't come with the longest cord to do so with, but it worked for me. The only downside to this controller to me is the lack of a headphone jack. I don't get why it isn't there, it would have been a huge boon for this controller for me personally. I have several pairs of high quality wired headphones, but only one pair of bluetooth headphones (which you'll have to pair with your console on initial use, but that's easy enough to do in the settings, "Ease of Use" was four stars instead of five due to this lack of a headphone jack and the charging cable that's on the shorter side). Really hope Nintendo makes this controller compatible with whatever their next thing will be, I'd hate to sunset this controller whenever upgrading. Bought it specifically for Tears of the Kingdom (as my joy-cons developed significant stick drift right before its release), and I really wish I'd gotten it sooner.

Major Upgrade!

I bought this specifically for Fortnite. I noticed with the joy-cons in the controller grip (pictured on bottom) that after a while that triggers weren’t working, my movement was lagging, and I could barely play the game anymore. I tried disconnecting and reconnecting the joy cons, recalibrating them, making sure they were fully charged, but nothing worked. I started doing some research and saw mixed reviews on this product, but wanted a controller by Nintendo to hopefully avoid any connection/function issues that can happen with knock offs. Let me just say, I hit the jackpot with this one! Everything moves so freely and it honestly just feels great to use. There is absolutely no lag or drifting in the game anymore, and the triggers/buttons work exactly how they’re ... MoreI bought this specifically for Fortnite. I noticed with the joy-cons in the controller grip (pictured on bottom) that after a while that triggers weren’t working, my movement was lagging, and I could barely play the game anymore. I tried disconnecting and reconnecting the joy cons, recalibrating them, making sure they were fully charged, but nothing worked. I started doing some research and saw mixed reviews on this product, but wanted a controller by Nintendo to hopefully avoid any connection/function issues that can happen with knock offs. Let me just say, I hit the jackpot with this one! Everything moves so freely and it honestly just feels great to use. There is absolutely no lag or drifting in the game anymore, and the triggers/buttons work exactly how they’re supposed to. As an added bonus, it had enough charge out of the box that I’m just now charging it for the first time, a week after getting it. Can’t recommend this controller enough! If you’re on the fence and are scared of the mixed reviews, take the gamble anyway. It’s worth it.

Pro Controller is still where it's at

The in-box Switch joy-con controllers are one thing, but if you have even remotely non-small hands, they typically feel cramped for any extended gaming sessions. That's where the Pro Controller comes in.Extremely comfortable to hold. Ergonomic grip, great button/joy/d-pad placement. Just the right amount of weight to it; substantial but not overtly so.Battery life is also fantastic (1300mAh). It can be used for for hours on end (sorry haven't ever quite measured it) without needing a charge. Conversely, joy-cons require far more frequent sessions.Now, if you've nearly fully drained the thing (I'd recommend not letting it drop past 30-50%) it CAN take several hours. The prod does NOT support fast charging (5V/0.5A .. roughly equivalent to a much older ... MoreThe in-box Switch joy-con controllers are one thing, but if you have even remotely non-small hands, they typically feel cramped for any extended gaming sessions. That's where the Pro Controller comes in.Extremely comfortable to hold. Ergonomic grip, great button/joy/d-pad placement. Just the right amount of weight to it; substantial but not overtly so.Battery life is also fantastic (1300mAh). It can be used for for hours on end (sorry haven't ever quite measured it) without needing a charge. Conversely, joy-cons require far more frequent sessions.Now, if you've nearly fully drained the thing (I'd recommend not letting it drop past 30-50%) it CAN take several hours. The prod does NOT support fast charging (5V/0.5A .. roughly equivalent to a much older smartphone). However, if you allow a few hours here and there, depending on your usage, you'll really never hit that wall of concern :)Incredibly responsive, buttons, d-pad and joysticks all have a great feel. Great accuracy. Some have complained negatively about the d-pad feel compared to competitors. That hasn't been my experience.Highly recommended for anyone but the most casual gamer on the Switch. It will day-and-night improve your experience and make your sessions far more enjoyable.

This is a Third-party controller with the shell of the Smash controller

This is not an official Smash Pro controller. However, it is as close as you may be able to get. If it were advertised differently and sold for a lower price, my review would be much different. However, for those hoping to get an official Pro controller, this is not what you are looking for. I quickly realised something was off when there were brief difficulties syncing my controller to the switch. Afterwards, when I started playing Mario Wonder, I noticed the vibration was much stronger than it should have been, and I was unable to change the strength of it from any menu in Mario Wonder or the Switch. I also noticed the joysticks starting to decay after mere hours of use. The screws on the controller are also subtly different than the ones on official controllers. ... MoreThis is not an official Smash Pro controller. However, it is as close as you may be able to get. If it were advertised differently and sold for a lower price, my review would be much different. However, for those hoping to get an official Pro controller, this is not what you are looking for. I quickly realised something was off when there were brief difficulties syncing my controller to the switch. Afterwards, when I started playing Mario Wonder, I noticed the vibration was much stronger than it should have been, and I was unable to change the strength of it from any menu in Mario Wonder or the Switch. I also noticed the joysticks starting to decay after mere hours of use. The screws on the controller are also subtly different than the ones on official controllers. This is a third-party controller with the shell of the official smash pro controller swapped onto it. So, if you are able to take the shell off and swap it with that of a regular pro controller, you essentially have the smash pro controller. There are also tools online to change the internal colour of the controller to match that of an official smash pro controller, so you essentially have what you are looking for. If you are looking for the shell and can't find it anywhere else, you may still find value in this purchase. However, if you want the official product from straight out the box, this is not the place to find it.