I’ve tested the latest Switch 2 controllers, and this one is the best
If you choose to get an extra controller for your Nintendo Switch 2, you can spend a lot - and get a lot in return. Buying Nintendo's own $89 Switch 2 Pro Controller, for instance, will net you the console's only wireless controller with a 3.5mm headphone jack for private listening, not to mention great-feeling rumble, OS-level rear button customization, and a slick design. It's not perfect, but it's otherwise the total package in terms of features.
But it'd be a disservice to you to call it a day there. There are several third-party models that are cheaper, yet don't make too many compromises in terms of features. I've spent time testing a handful of them, including new ones as they release, and there's a small batch of models that I think will satisfy most people, with a range of styles, prices, and features.
Every controller I've included in this guide is compatible with both the Switch 2 and the original Switch (all of them can remotely wake the Switch 2), as well as PC. Each offering also includes better, longer-lasting joystick technology than you'll get with Nintendo's flagship controller; the Switch 2 Pro Controller's potentiometer-based joysticks are prone to degradation over time, after all, but our picks include either Hall effect or TMR joysticks. I've highlighted any controller-specific perks in the blurbs below.
The best Switch 2 controller for most peopleEasySMX S10 Gaming Controller for Switch 2
Score: 8| Pros | Cons |
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Supported platforms: Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PC, Steam Deck, mobile / Connectivity: Bluetooth, wired / Connector type: USB-C / Mappable rear buttons: Yes, two / Software customization: No / Rumble: Yes, HD / NFC: Yes / Motion: Yes / Power: Built-in rechargeable 1,200mAh battery / Console wake-up: Yes
The EasySMX S10 is nearly as capable and comfortable as the Switch 2 Pro Controller, yet it's $30 cheaper at its retail price of $59.99. It's full of surprises, too, including the best adaptation of Nintendo's HD rumble that I've felt in a third-party controller. It's also one of the few options that can remotely wake the Switch 2 from sleep mode via Bluetooth. Lastly, it includes amiibo support - another rare feature to find in a third-party gamepad.
However, the S10 isn't a Switch 2 Pro copycat; it's a lot grippier, both around the grips themselves and on its stick caps. Button presses and trigger pulls feel different from most other controllers, too, yielding a softer press and shorter travel, which is likely to be the most divisive aspect of the S10. One of my favorite aspects of the S10's design is its swappable eight-way (circular) D-pad, making diagonal attacks in Hollow Knight: Silksong considerably easier to execute than with a four-way D-pad.
If I could change one thing about the S10, it'd be the system-level buttons (screenshot, GameChat, and home). They're crammed awkwardly just below the D-pad and right stick.
Honorable mentionsGuliKit TT Pro
Score: 7| Pros | Cons |
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Supported platforms: Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PC, mobile / Connectivity: Bluetooth, wired / Connector type: USB-C / Mappable rear buttons: Yes, four / Software customization: Coming in 2026 / Rumble: Yes / NFC: No / Motion: Yes / Power: Built-in rechargeable battery, 950mAh / Console wake-up: Yes
Building off the design of its KingKong 3 controllers, GuliKit's new TT Pro is focused on cramming in more features while keeping the price reasonable... for now. (More on that later.) There are some big changes, such as the inclusion of TMR thumbsticks in a PlayStation-style stick layout. And notably, both sticks have adjustable tension (like the Xbox Elite Series 2 controller) via a Phillips head screw that's revealed once you pop off the stick caps. A tool is included that lets you dial in the sticks to be fast and flighty or have them resist snapping back to their original resting place. It's great to see in a controller that costs well under $100.
The TT Pro has the best floating, eight-way directional pad I've used. I play games in the living room while my wife reads, and she can't hear its quiet yet tactile clicks, even as I'm having a frantic battle in Hollow Knight: Silksong. Like the KingKong 3 Max, the TT Pro features adjustable trigger stops (full Hall effect analog pull or tactile click), and you can install up to four rear paddles to map buttons to. Other niceties include extra face buttons and a tool to remove them in the box (in case you want an Xbox-style face button layout while connected to a PC). It comes in a hard case with a Hyperlink Gen 2 wireless controller adapter, which makes it easier to connect the TT Pro (and myriad other controllers) to your Switch 2. It also offers lower latency over Bluetooth than what your PC might offer, regardless of the controller it's paired to.
Although $59.99 may be more than some want to spend, GuliKit told The Verge that its retail cost is actually $70.58, so for now it's available at a discount. As for how it differs from the step-up TT Max, which costs $20 more, here are the highlights: The Pro doesn't include extra stick caps of varying heights, nor can its firmware switch between emulating a four- or eight-way D-pad like the Max can (the Pro only supports eight-way). Also, while both controllers support Auto-Pilot Gaming, GuliKit's feature that writes button commands to memory and executes them when activated with a button combo, the Pro has less memory than the Max (10 seconds versus 10 minutes).
Mobapad Chitu 2
Score: 7| Pros | Cons |
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Supported platforms: Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PC, mobile / Connectivity: Bluetooth, wired / Connector type: USB-C / Mappable rear buttons: Yes, two / Software customization: Yes / Rumble: Yes, HD / NFC: Yes / Motion: Yes / Power: Built-in rechargeable battery, 1,000mAh / Console wake-up: Yes
It's clear that Mobapad's primary goal with its $71 Chitu 2 controller was to convince people they were using Nintendo's Switch 2 Pro Controller in a blind test. It crushed that goal. The curves feel identical to Nintendo's $90 gamepad, as do the soft clicks of the customizable GL and GR rear buttons. The rumble is good, and its TMR sticks are nearly silent even when I deliberately try to wiggle them chaotically. It's great to have a controller that feels so similar yet doesn't skimp on features.
Build quality is stellar, with the pink color option being particularly nice. As with its whisper-quiet TMR sticks, most of the Chitu 2's other buttons and triggers don't yield a clacky sound. However, there are some small issues that may not bother you: Its floating directional pad is a little louder and mushier than the one GuliKit uses in the TT Pro, and its pair of L and R bumpers are louder to press than the clicking of the analog sticks. Another button-related issue is that the home and screenshot buttons sit nearly flush with the plastic housing, making them tough to feel for without looking.
GuliKit ES Pro
Score: 6| Pros | Cons |
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Supported platforms: Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PC, mobile / Connectivity: Bluetooth, wired / Connector type: USB-C / Mappable rear buttons: No / Software customization: No / Rumble: Yes / NFC: No / Motion: Yes / Power: Built-in rechargeable 950mAh battery / Console wake-up: Yes
GuliKit's ES Pro is a love letter to the Xbox controller, but for Switch 2. It's just $29.99, which is a steal considering this gamepad features an eight-way D-pad that's great for fighting games, Metroidvanias, and retro titles where it's an advantage to easily be able to aim diagonally (a setting can make it so that it only registers inputs for the cardinal directions, if you prefer).
The ES Pro doesn't need to do much to justify its price, but it does so anyway. It features tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) joysticks that are resistant to drifting and offer improved power efficiency compared to Hall effect tech, just like the EasySMX S10. Similarly, it can be set up to remotely wake your Switch 2 or OG Switch console from across the room using its own set of strange, one-time-only instructions that you can view in its instruction manual.
I've got almost no qualms with this controller, except for its bad rumble. It just has no subtlety, rumbling in an all-or-nothing manner. I was happier using the ES Pro with the vibrations off, which isn't any fun. Additionally, it's far less complete than the S10, as it lacks built-in amiibo support and a C button for GameChat; however, depending on your needs, those omissions might not matter to you.
8BitDo Pro 3 Bluetooth Gamepad
Score: 7| Pros | Cons |
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Supported platforms: Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PC, Steam Deck, mobile / Connectivity: Bluetooth, 2.4GHz, wired / Connector type: USB-C / Mappable rear buttons: Yes, two / Software customization: Yes / Rumble: Yes / NFC: No / Motion: Yes / Power: Built-in rechargeable 1,000mAh battery / Console wake-up: Yes
8BitDo's Pro 3 is a great yet pricey Switch 2 Pro alternative with a PlayStation-style stick layout. At $69.99, it's not as affordable (nor as value-packed) as the top contenders. However, the Pro 3 offers a lot of customization, some being cosmetic, while other aspects can impact gameplay.
It has a lot going for it, with TMR joysticks, two back paddles, and a total of three shoulder buttons per side thanks to new custom M buttons. Its analog stick caps can be popped off in favor of glossy arcade stick-style nubs, which were my preferred choice in fighting games (plus, they just look cool). Its ABXY buttons can be suctioned off with an included tool to swap the layout as needed, and for visual flair, each controller includes colored buttons to evoke a retro Nintendo console. Also, it has trigger locks, letting you set triggers to have a short, clicky pull or the default travel distance.
However, I'd skip the Pro 3 if you want good rumble feedback. It's pretty lousy on that front, to the point that I preferred to turn off rumble entirely in games. In case you're considering the similarly priced Ultimate 2 Bluetooth, it also has bad rumble, but it's a great controller otherwise that offers similar features with an Xbox-style stick layout.
Read my full 8BitDo Pro 3 review.What's next?I'm expecting to receive an EasySMX S10 Lite to test soon. It's a cheaper version of the S10 that lacks amiibo support but has what seems like every other feature found in the pricier model.
Update, January 15th: Adjusted pricing / availability and added a pair of newer gamepads, specifically the GuliKit TT Pro and Mobapad Chitu 2.