Nintendo Switch Pro Controller – Review

There’s a lot of noise around the Nintendo Switch and its amazing Joy-Con setup. They’re great controllers and they’re versatile. They’re also very untraditional, and if you want something a little more standard and a little more comfortable – the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller is for you.

The Nintendo Switch Pro Controller is the best controller Nintendo has ever made, bar none. For the longest time the Wavebird was on the top of the heap. It had the general GameCube layout which, while unorthodox, was perfect. It also had an amazing battery life, wireless range and stability in a time where wireless controllers were a bit crap. Then came the Wii U Pro Controller, the father. That controller was great, with a great D-Pad and a huge 80-hour battery life. I think I’ve only charged it twice the entire time I’ve had a Wii U.

Now comes the Switch Pro Controller. It improves on the Wii U Pro Controller in every way, except for the battery life. Instead of 80 hours, you’re getting only 40 hours – That’s still about 10 times longer than a Dual Shock 4.

The Pro Controller is not only comfortable, but it’s perfectly weighted and has a great density to it. It doesn’t feel cheap, it feels expensive (and it is) and gone is the cheap and cheerful glossy plastic that plagued everything Wii U. There’s still a glossy panel on the top of this one. Annoyingly, that’s where you’ll find the USB-C cable port, charging indicator and sync button. Don’t worry you get a charging cable in the box.

The buttons and sticks on the Switch Pro Controller are perfect, the face buttons are clicky, responsive and sized perfectly. The D-Pad is just as good as the Wii U Pro Controller and the analogue sticks are tight and springy. Inside you have HD Rumble, motion controls and an even an amiibo touch point. There’s a lot of stuff in there.

So what stops this from being the best controller ever? Well for one there’s no analogue triggers, they’re digital, just like the Joy-Con and just like the Wii U Pro Controller before it. We really wish Nintendo had found a way to make sure these triggers were on the Switch and it’s disappointing to see them limited again. The only other problem is the lack of a headphone jack. Being able to play silently and have the controller output the sound would have been great. Other console controllers do it – unfortunately, it’s something that can’t be patched in either.

People ask if the Pro Controller is worth the money. If you’re going to be doing a lot of gaming at home then yes – it really is. It’s an amazing controller only let down by a couple of small issues. It is still, however, Nintendo’s best controller ever, no doubt about that.