Our countdown to the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct continues today and, after going over the pre-order details, Switch 2 enhanced games, colorway options, the new 3D Mario game, leaked details on the upcoming Zelda releases, and the spring/early summer launch expectations, today we are talking controllers – more specifically the Switch 2 Pro Controller. Details on the new Joy-Con have come to light via new official renders in the Nintendo Today! app alongside a host of seemingly official patent filings, but the seemingly inevitable Switch 2 Pro Controller remains (mostly) elusive.
Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller
The Switch Pro controller is a very popular accessory for Nintendo’s still current-generation machine. While in many ways (mostly the specs department) it has been surpassed by the likes of third-party solutions from brands like 8Bitdo, GameSir, and others, the Switch 1 Pro Controller has been popular for Nintendo, and it would seem a new model must be (is hopefully) in the works.
The Nintendo Switch Pro Controller, as it is officially known, was unveiled way back in 2016 alongside the Switch 1 and was released the following year on the same day as the console…will Nintendo repeat this reveal on Tuesday and release the new Switch 2 Pro Controller on the same day as Switch 2?
Split Pro Controller spotted in official Nintendo patent
Back in early February an official Nintendo patent filing emerged all but confirmed the existence of mouse mode for the new Joy-Con, but it also detailed what appears to be some kind of wireless charging pad and what looks a lot like some kind of 2-piece Pro Controller. The patent images describe a 2-piece controller that, while seemingly able to split into two pieces, features asymmetrical thumbsticks, four face buttons, shoulder triggers, and what appears to be some kind of D-Pad in the usual position. While this might not be a Pro Controller at all, perhaps something new altogether, it is also just a patent – some new tech Nintendo might be developing that will never see the light day – but it could also indicate a new, updated version of Nintendo’s Switch 2 Pro gamepad.
New wireless GameCube Controller or an update Pro Controller design?
After that, another patent surfaced online describing what some felt was more than likely some kind of new, upgraded GameCube-style controller Nintendo was developing. This appeared to be a new entry to Nintendo’s classic controller re-release lineup – a collection of modern controllers with wireless Bluetooth connectivity made to look and feel like classic NES, SNES, and N64 gamepads, largely for Switch Online.
It appeared as though the GameCube connection here was thin at best – folks overlayed the original GameCube controller over the patent images and everything seemed to lineup quite nicely. But this could also be an early look at a re-designed Switch 2 Pro Controller made to pull from the form-factor of Nintendo’s now classic GameCube gamepad. Perhaps more telling than anything, it carries the same model number pre-fix as the Switch 2 console and Switch 2 Joy-Con confirmed in a recent FCC filing. Whatever it is, it appears to be something for the Switch 2 and not just something Nintendo hardware developers were tinkering with in the lab.
Upgraded Switch 2 Controller
Rumors and alleged leaks on the new Switch 2 Controller date way back to before Nintendo officially unveiled the Switch 2 itself in early 2025, but it has remained shrouded in darkness beyond that. It would seem like a massive missed opportunity – Nintendo will clearly sell millions of them if they do release one, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a fan of the Mushroom Kingdom, industry analyst, or otherwise that couldn’t at the very least see it being very likely a new model was on the way.
Here are the things we want to see on the new switch 2 Pro Controller:
Hall effect sticks and triggers – Hall effect thumbsticks and triggers are a must Nintendo. Considering the sheer number of notable and quite good third-party gaming controllers out there that now include the obligatory Hall effect tech to combat drift, Nintendo would be crazy not to include something like this on the new Switch 2 Pro Controller. Drift has been a problem on the current model, and gamers have not been happy about it.
Headphone jack – One thing the current model does not include and something spotted in the rumored new model last year is a 3.5mm headphone jack like we see on Xbox gamepads and many others. This would seemingly be an easy upgrade, one that a massive number of gamers would appreciate, and one we hope to see on the pro-grade Nintendo gamepad.
Upgrade rumble haptics – The original Pro Controller does included HD rumble, and with motion controls seemingly on the way out, upgraded haptics would be great way to make a Switch 2 Pro controller feel truly pro. Haptics and adaptive triggers have been mostly successful on PlayStation 5, and we would love to see Nintendo’s take on this sort of tech on its new Switch 2 Pro gamepad. Let’s just hope it doesn’t take too much of a toll on the still quite notable up to 40 hours of battery life the existing model delivers.
A fun, more whimsical Nintendo design – it seems inevitable the first-edition of the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro controller will release in the same dark color scheme as the console, perhaps with the same subtle hit of red and blue as we have seen from the console. Nintendo largely stuck to this approach on Switch 1 – the bright color options largely hit the Joy-Con lineup – but it would be cool to see some pops of colors like the classic controllers, something that will be immediately recognizable in 20 years from now like the NES, SNES, GameCube, N64, and, well, just about every other more traditional Nintendo controller of yesteryear, instead of just special editions tied to major game releases.
Some other fun and useful inclusions could be a button remapping suite we see from the competition already and perhaps even some kind of modular system like that of the Xbox Elite pads that offer up pro-grade gamers a pro-grade collection of physical add-ons to customize the experience further, be it to meet personal taste or particular use case scenarios in particular games. I could personally go without both of these, but there’s certainly a large constituent of gamers that would very much appreciate it.
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