The Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller is already well on its way to potentially being one of my favorite controllers ever. After going hands-on with the gamepad at a recent Nintendo Switch 2 event in Paris, I came away very impressed by the upgrades it’s bringing to the table.
Everything from its shape and build quality to overall performance and responsiveness is on point. It doesn’t look all that transformative at face value – bearing a near-identical silhouette to its predecessor – but once you have it in your own hands you won’t want to go back.
At the event, I had the chance to play with the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller on a variety of games including Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananza, and Street Fighter 6. And it will likely be my go-to Switch 2 gamepad when I get the console for myself on June 5. I do have just one stick drift-related concern with the new controller, but it otherwise set a near-perfect first impression.
Steps in the right direction
Let’s start with a breakdown of what you can expect, features-wise, from the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller. As detailed on Nintendo’s official website, you can still expect gyro motion and built-in amiibo functionality, just like the original Pro Controller.
The Switch 2 Pro Controller also has its own ‘C’ button to access the GameChat feature (though we weren’t able to test this at the event) and a newly added 3.5mm audio jack, which I think is one of the most welcome additions the Switch 2 Pro Controller brings.
As for brand new features, Nintendo’s proprietary HD Rumble 2 has been implemented, and we also have two remappable buttons on the rear (labeled GL and GR) which you can assign any button to as a secondary input. That’s something we see on many of the best Nintendo Switch controllers, and I’m glad Nintendo has finally opted to include them on official hardware.
Circling back to HD Rumble 2 quickly, it definitely felt really nice during play. The overall feel this time strikes a good balance between smoothness and depth. Smashing scenery to bits in Donkey Kong Bananza, for example, felt appropriately immediate and chunky. Meanwhile, smoothly drifting around corners or getting smacked in the backside by a red shell in Mario Kart World both registered realistically.
Peak performance
Now in terms of overall performance, the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller is a clear upgrade in almost every way. The biggest improvement here is in the feel of the thumbsticks. They are astonishingly smooth and precise, something I can see being a real boon in the best fighting games, upcoming racers like Kirby Air Riders (assuming it will be as twitchy and precise as the GameCube original), and indeed any potential future Super Smash Bros. titles.
The face buttons also feel significantly less spongy than their predecessors. As I mentioned in my main Nintendo Switch 2 hands-on, I’m not quite sure if the Switch 2 Pro Controller’s buttons are utilizing microswitch tech, but I think Nintendo’s solution here isn’t far off. Pressing the face buttons, bumpers, and triggers all felt impressively immediate.
Again, this will be fantastic for games that require quick and precise inputs. But I can understand some may lament the omission of an analog trigger option or trigger lock implementation. I don’t personally think it’s a huge deal, but if any of the best racing games make their way to Switch 2, they may not feel quite as nice here as they do on other platforms.
My impressions aren’t quite as glowing when it comes to the D-pad, though. Not because it’s bad – it gets the job done just fine. It’s more that I couldn’t discern any major differences when compared to the original Pro Controller’s D-pad. I’ll need to compare them more directly once I have the Switch 2 Pro Controller in my hands alongside the original.
To drift or not to drift?
Lastly, I do have one slight concern when it comes to the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller, and that’s in regards to the possibility of stick drift. I would love the controller’s thumbsticks to have a Hall effect solution, thus minimizing the risk of drift by opting for a magnetic connection as opposed to the physical one provided by more traditional potentiometers.
Nintendo’s website doesn’t have a mention of Hall effect at all, nor has the company explicitly stated its usage for the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller or the Joy-Con 2. This does lead me to believe that it’s not going to be present here, which would be a shame and could mean that the stick drift problem lives on throughout the Switch 2’s life cycle.
During a Nintendo Switch 2 developer roundtable at the Paris event, I had the chance to ask if the console’s controller hardware will have improvements on the stick drift front. While I didn’t get a definitive answer, hardware design lead Tetsuya Sasaki had this to say in response: “The new Joy-Con 2 controllers have been designed from the ground up. They’ve been designed to have bigger and smoother movement.”
A bit of a vague reply for sure, but if the Joy-Con 2 and potentially the Switch 2 Pro Controller have indeed been built from the ground up, there is a chance that the development team took issues like stick drift into consideration. Though right now, it seems we won’t know for sure until folks get them into their own hands.
Overall, I already really like the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller. It is going to be a little pricier than the original model at $79.99 / £74.99 (the same as Mario Kart World, funnily enough), so it’s not exactly as budget-friendly as I would’ve liked.
But this is going to be an issue with Switch 2 hardware in general, given the current tariff situation and uncertainty in the US. Still, those who do opt to pick one up should have an extremely comfortable and satisfying play experience on Nintendo Switch 2. And assuming it’ll be compatible with PC like the original, it may well be one of the best PC controllers in 2025, too.
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