VERDICT: An upgrade that's well worth the price of entry, the Pro takes the Switch experience and elevates it to a new level of control and comfort.
Nintendo Switch Pro Controller
1 of 1Nintendo Switch Pro Controller
Pros: Comfortable grip, greater control, larger buttons, rechargeable Cons: Short cable
£49.99
The Review
The Rundown:
The Nintendo Switch JoyCons are an innovative and elegant controller solution that bridges the gap between the home and portable console-setup. However, for those who mostly play in docked mode, Nintendo has designed a peripheral: The Switch Pro controller.
The Pro controller scales up and offsets the JoyCons layout into a single unit without sacrificing their progressive additions of motion control and Amiibo functionality. The unit is wireless and rechargeable, and finished in an attractive semi-transparent black plastic with texturized grips.
The controller comes with a charging cable and can also be used in table mode.
The Experience:
While the JoyCons fulfil their purpose well, it has to be said that their small frame and tight button layout can take a toll on the hands, especially over extended gaming sessions. Straight out of the box, the Switch Pro controller feels like a hardier and more substantial offering, with chunky grips, larger buttons and improved triggers - a blessed comfort for traditional console gamers.
Jumping into a game proves these initial thoughts to be correct, with the controller’s ergonomics being a vast improvement over the angular JoyCons. High-stake encounters in Zelda: Breath of the Wild, mad-dashes in Overcooked 2, 10-hour Animal Crossing: New Horizons binge-sessions and iron-sight aiming in Metro Redux all take on a much keener and precise in-hand feel, with multi-button commands being less prone to the clumsy stumble or poorly timed hand cramp.
READ MORE: THE BEST NINTENDO SWITCH GAMES
Even though the JoyCons are not without their flaws, we were concerned that some of the Nintendo’s quirky and innovative charm would be lost by moving to a classic controller layout. Thankfully, due to the incorporation of motion control, the charm remained.
Without a doubt, the Switch Pro controller is an upgrade that elevates the Switch gaming experience. Our only regret is not getting one sooner.
Four Features:
OFFSET LAYOUT
The Nintendo Switch Pro controller takes the above-below button layout and offsets it, creating an uncluttered configuration that plays to the hand’s natural range of movement, noticeably increasing comfort and control.
CHUNKY GRIPS
The chunkier body of the Switch Pro controller is comfortable in-hand, increasing the gamer’s endurance and reducing hand muscle fatigue.
WIRELESS OR WIRED CONNECTION
The Switch Pro can be connected to a Switch by either a wireless or wired connection, via the provided USB cable. This function is enabled via the settings.
MOTION CONTROL AND AMIIBO
To retain full access to the Switch’s unique gameplay, the Switch Pro controller include motion control and Amiibo support.
READ MORE: THE BEST NINTENDO SWITCH CONTROLLERS
If we were to change one thing…
The USB cable is too short for use in docked mode with a large TV. Smaller TV owners and table mode players shouldn't find this an issue.