Mix Up Your Gameplay With Our Favorite Controllers for the Switch 2

WIRED

20-07-2025

The launch of Switch 2 brings with it a selection of retro GameCube games for subscribers to the Nintendo Switch Online service. As it did for the NES, SNES, N64, and even Sega Genesis/Mega Drive when games from those platforms joined the library, Nintendo has released a perfect recreation of the original controller, allowing you to play those classic games as authentically as possible. For anyone who was gaming when the GameCube was first around, it's slightly surreal to now have a perfect recreation of the original controller that's wireless but not the bulkier WaveBird model. It's no bad thing, though, and decades-old muscle memory will soon kick in. Younger players might find the unusually-shaped controller odd at first, with its tiny nub of a C-Stick and its chunky, rounded shoulder triggers, but after a few laps of F-Zero GX , you soon realize how perfectly tailored the controller was for its games. For the modern update, Nintendo has tweaked the design slightly, incorporating controls specific to the Switch 2–namely the Home, screen capture, and C buttons—at the top of the pad, and added a tiny new ZL button on the left-hand shoulder. That helps make this GameCube pad broadly compatible with some modern Switch and Switch 2 games, though not a perfect match—the Start button here mimics the Switch 2's plus (+) button, there's nothing to replicate the minus (-) button, and it lacks newer features such as clickable thumbsticks. However, availability is a problem for this controller. It's only available directly from Nintendo's online store, can only be purchased if you have an active Nintendo Switch Online subscription, and is limited to one unit per account in the US, but two per account in the UK. AccordionItemContainerButton Ultimate authenticity for GameCube games Partial compatibility with modern games
Not every Switch 2 game requires the motion controls of the Joy-Con 2s, which is why the console comes with a basic grip frame, allowing you to slot the two individual controllers into either side for one, more conventionally arranged, joypad. While that will do in a pinch if you want to play games sitting on the couch, with the console docked to your TV, the official Nintendo Charging Grip offers a few noteworthy upgrades. One is simply the power delivery feature—connect a USB-C cable into the top of the Charging Grip and you can game for as long as you like, or leave the combined unit to charge when not playing. It comes with a 1.5-meter USB-A to USB-C cable, allowing you to connect this to the ports on the side of the Switch 2's dock for charging. It also incorporates the new GL and GR buttons on the underside, as found on the Switch 2 Pro Controller. As with that pad, they can be customized on a per-game basis, but in my tests, it doesn't seem to remember settings between play sessions. Still, it's a handy feature, and remapping controls is quick and easy. Being able to quickly attach and detach the Joy-Con 2s is also great for any games that switch between various control modes. In terms of design and ergonomics, it has some weaknesses, though. A translucent shell is an odd decision given nothing else about Switch 2 takes that approach, while the front of the grips—where the base of your thumbs rest—is flat rather than rounded, with an edge that can dig in after a while. It also lacks the 3.5-mm audio jack of the Pro Controller, but given that this is less than half the price, it makes for a good halfway house. AccordionItemContainerButton Power delivery Customizable GL/GR buttons Good price No audio jack Pointlessly translucent Doesn't remember GL/GR mapping between sessions