Best Controllers For Nintendo Switch

Just like any other console, the Nintendo Switch has a wide range of different controllers options, so we’ve rounded up some of the absolute best controllers we could find that are meant to be used with the particularly popular portable.

Technically the Switch has controllers built-in, that is to say, when you have the Joy-Con controllers hooked onto it in handheld mode. Which for some is no doubt all the time. But even then, the Joy-Con controllers are not the only option for your Nintendo Switch if you want to use it in handheld mode, and to some may not even be the best option.

It’s also not a bad idea to have a proper controller for those times when you want to play with the Nintendo Switch docked. Again, you could simply use the Joy-Con controllers in this case by just sliding them out of the rails on the Switch and into the handheld accessory Nintendo gives you in the box. However, this Joy-Con holder is rather small and after several hours of gameplay, it can start to feel a little uncomfortable. Personally, I’m not a huge fan of it.

I also can’t be the only one who doesn’t care for it, which is why I sought out other controllers to put in this guide. Because we all deserve to have a controller we love that’s also comfortable for longer game sessions. With all of that said you’ll find some great options below across essentially every budget, so there should be something for everyone.

Best Overall Controller: Gulikit King Kong 3 Max

One of the biggest reasons why this is such an amazing controller is because it has Hall Effect joysticks.The Nintendo Switch Joy-Con controllers were notorious for stick drift. And that can cause some really annoying issues that can severely impact your gaming experience. With hall effect sticks, you won’t have to worry about stick drift and that’s a wonderful feeling.

The Gulikit King Kong 3 Max is great for other reasons too though. For one, it’s shaped a lot like an Xbox controller. If you really, really love the Xbox controller design and feel, then this is an excellent option when you’re playing games on your Nintendo Switch. It has a similar weight and feel to it, if not a tad heavier due to the extra hardware. And by extra hardware, we mean things like the back paddle buttons on the back you can remap your controls to.

In fact, it actually has four of these back paddle buttons. So you can really go to town and customize your controls. I can tell you from using these types of controllers for other platforms, this is a huge benefit and really makes the gaming experience better. The KK3 Max has a 1,000Hz polling rate as well and that’s really going to do wonders for the input patency.

At $79.99 it’s not the cheapest Switch controller out there but honestly, all the features on this thing are worth the price. I’m also a major fan of the grip-like texture that’s on the back of the hand grips. My hands can get a tiny bit sweaty if I’ve been playing for a few hours without stopping. I know I’m probably not the only one this happens to. But, this definitely helps counteract the sweat a little so the controller doesn’t slip. It also has about 28 hours of playtime on a single charge, which is pretty darn good.

If you want the best controller you can buy for Nintendo Switch, this is it.

Buy at Amazon

Best Wired Controller: PowerA Enhanced

When it comes to wired controllers for the Nintendo Switch, my go-to is PowerA because not only does this brand make a solid controller, but they’re relatively inexpensive. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good spendy controller with all kinds of features. Sometimes, however, that’s not needed. The PowerA Enhanced controller is your mostly barebones controller that retails for $29.99, so you can feel good about not having spent close to $100 on a controller.

That means more money for Switch games! Now, I say mostly barebones because the PowerA Enhanced controller still has a few tricks up its sleeve. Mainly, the fact that it has two re-mappable buttons on the back. This won’t be as versatile as the Gulikit KK3 Max, but it doesn’t need to be. You’re looking at this controller for a good value and anything extra is just a bonus. Speaking of bonuses, the PowerA Enhanced controller also comes in several designs.

I have this Sonic one and it’s pretty nice if you’re a fan of the franchise. What I really love about this controller is that the cable is detachable. When I’m ready to store the controller, I can unplug the cable and keep things nice and neat. This is even easier because the cable also comes with a little velcro strap to wrap around it. So you can first bundle it up and then fasten the strap around the cable. This makes organizing so, so much better.

Additionally, the cable is 10 feet long. In other words, this should easily stretch across your living room floor to reach the Switch plugged into your TV. And to top things all off, this is an officially licensed Nintendo controller.

Buy at Amazon

Best Controller for Handheld Mode: CRKD Nitro Deck

This controller took me a little while to get used to because it’s just so much bigger and more robust than just the Switch with its Joy-Con controllers attached for handheld mode. However, after playing with it for a few weeks, it became super comfortable and I haven’t wanted to use much else. The Nitro Deck is a premium handheld option without the premium price, because it’s only $39.99. What a deal!

Seriously, though, this is an amazing value because of all the features it offers. First off, when you slide the Switch into it, you end up with a full-size controller instead of those dinky Joy-Con controllers. Now, I love the Joy-Con controllers. I think they’re great, and they come in some super cool designs. They’re small, though. And extended playtime starts to get a little uncomfortable. That’s why this thing is awesome. I have never really felt like it was uncomfortable even after playing for several hours.

Aside from the improved comfort, this thing has a kickstand. This is mostly just to put it up on display when you’re not playing your Switch. It’s still a nice addition though. As for more functional features, the Nitro Deck has Hall Effect joysticks. Yes, another controller with Hall Effect sticks because CRKD knows how big of an issue the stick drift was. It was a huge pain point for Switch owners and even to this day, a new Switch can end up with stick drift on the Joy-Con controllers, however unlikely it may be. The joysticks are full size as well.

But it gets better still. Because the Nitro Deck also has buttons on the back that you can remap. They’re contoured into the hand grips, too, just like they are on the Steam Deck. Although, they aren’t as ergonomic. They’re close, but the ones on the Steam Deck are still a little more comfortable. The Nitro Deck has rumble support as well if you like the haptics.

And, it has passthrough charging. This is probably one of my favorite features and one of the best ones. Because you can still plug the Switch in to charge it while you play. At this price, you can’t go wrong. If this thing does have oneor two downsides though, it’s how you take the Switch out of it. There’s a little button on the back you can slide up and then while holding that, you have to slide the Switch out with your hand or fingers by pressing to firmly grip the display.

This feels like you might put too much pressure on the display but if you’re careful you should be fine. The main annoyance is that you just smudge up the screen. You also can’t use Amiibos with the Nitro Deck. Other than that, the Nitro Deck is great and if you want something better for handheld mode with tons of features, go with this.

Buy at Amazon

Best Grip: Skull & Co. NeoGrip

If you don’t want anything super fancy and you prefer the Joy-Con buttons but hate how small and uncomfortable they can be to hold after a few hours of solid playtime, then get the NeoGrip from Skull & Co. because it’s one of the best accessories I’ve ever purchased for my Switch OLED. It’s kind of like having an improved controller for the Switch in handheld mode but it’s not actually a controller. It’s just a grip that you slide the Switch into for better comfort.

What makes this so good is that it has three different kinds of grips that come with it. So you can find the ones that you like the best and slide those on. They lock right into place and won’t come off easily. In other words, don’t worry about them sliding out of place while you’re playing a game. The other really nice thing is that this is pretty inexpensive. It cost me $23.99 and that’s what it’ll cost you too.

That’s well worth it for better comfort when playing the Switch in handheld mode. This comes in different colors as well, though, I just went with plain white. Overall, this is an inexpensive option for a better gaming experience. I highly recommend it if you want something more comfortable than just the Joy-Con controllers by themselves but don’t want a completely different controller.

Buy at Amazon

Best Controller for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: Nintendo GameCube Controller

This controller was designed for one purpose and one purpose only, and that’s to play Super Smash Bros. Ultimate with it. While you can probably get it working for other GameCube games on the Switch, it wasn’t designed for Switch games, so some controls might not work depending on the game. If all you’re worried about is playing Smash, however, this is a hard controller to pass up on.

It’s not exactly cheap at $75, but it is officially from Nintendo so it should give you the best experience, and it doesn’t have to be charged which is always a plus. There’s not a whole lot else to this one. It’s a wired GameCube controller built for Smash on the Switch. So you can expect all the standard GameCube controller buttons.

Buy at Amazon

Best Official Controller: Nintendo Switch Pro Controller

The Nintendo Switch Pro controller is a really solid option if you want to stick with Nintendo for your accessories. It’s wireless, has comfortable grips and decent battery life, and it comes in several designs.

With regard to the designs though, you might have trouble finding some of them. If you can find them, chances are they’ll be more expensive than they were initially. The Tears of the Kingdom version is a good example of this as you can find it on Amazon but it’ll cost you around $125. That’s probably worth it if you’re a huge Zelda fan. Otherwise, stick to the other designs.

When it comes to features, the Pro Controller comes with HD Rumble, as well as motion controls which are awesome for certain games. Such as Mario Kart. This controller also supports the use of Amiibos and you can use those for Smash Bros, or in games like Tears of the Kingdom. There are tons of other games that support the Amiibos, too.

It charges via USB-C but you can find charging docks for this controller as well if you prefer that. With full-size joysticks and grippier hand grips, you’ll probably love this controller. It’s well-made and the regular Black model will run you about $69.99 when it’s at normal price.

Buy at Walmart

Best Pro Controller: 8BitDo Ultimate Controller

The Switch Pro controller from Nintendo is great but if you’re looking for the best “pro” controller specifically, go with the Ultimate Controller from 8BitDo. Not only does it come with its own charging dock (a mighty fine value I should say), but it has back buttons you can remap for extra personalized controls in your games. Plus, it has pretty good battery life. It’s not quite as long as Nintendo’s offering, but still hits about 22 hours.

The other really nice thing about this controller is that it works for more than just the Switch. If you’re like me, and many other gamers out there these days, then you probably have at least one more system you play games on.

The 8BitDo Ultimate controller works for Switch but it also works for Steam Deck and PC. It works for mobile devices as well. Best of all, it has, you guessed it, the Hall Effect joysticks (It’s a wonder Nintendo hasn’t started using these already). The Hall Effect sticks aren’t absolutely necessary but if you want to minimize the risk of stick drift issues, and thereby your annoyance when playing Switch games, you definitely want a controller that has them.

Another nice little benefit is that you can customize the controls and more with the companion app on PC. Plus, it has two connectivity modes. You can use it with a 2.4GHz low-latency dongle or you can connect via Bluetooth. While this won’t support the Amiibos, it does support HD Rumble and the motion controls. So you still get those features that Nintendo offers. The controller comes in white and black colors too.

Buy at Amazon

Best For Using Non-Nintendo Switch Controllers: 8BitDo Wireless USB Adapter

There are lots of awesome Nintendo Switch Controllers out there, but what if you really, really, prefer using a controller from a different platform? Like the Xbox controller or the DualSense controller? Well, with this handy dandy wireless USB adapter from 8BitDo, you can do just that. Full disclosure, there are a few minutes of setup involved. Once you get everything set up though, it’s smooth sailing.

I spent most of my time playing Breath of the Wild back in 2022 /2023 with this adapter and my DualSense controller to beat it before Tears of the Kingdom came out. It was a lot better than using the Joy-Con grip that comes in the Switch box. You simply plug this little adapter into one of the USB ports on the Switch, and you can connect your wireless controller to the adapter.

There’s not much else to it beyond the initial setup. And, this thing is only $19.99. So it’s cheaper than a new controller, and you can play with something you find more comfortable. I’d say that’s a win-win.

Buy at Amazon

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