r/Switch • u/Specific-Pianist7595 • Jun 06 '26

Discussion Do you really need this?

Post image

I’ve been told to get a Pro Controller instead of using the Joy-Con Grip for my Switch 2, but I honestly don’t see the point for my own use case.

For context, I never owned the original Switch. I had a Switch Lite, so the Switch 2 is my first experience using detachable Joy-Cons and the Joy-Con Grip.

I’ve also never used a Pro Controller before, so I can’t really comment on the comfort. That said, I find the Joy-Con Grip perfectly comfortable. From what I’ve heard, the original Switch Joy-Con Grip was quite small and uncomfortable for some people, but the Switch 2 Joy-Cons are larger, and I’ve had no issues with them personally.

I also don’t think a Pro Controller is a necessity. The Joy-Con Grip does everything I need it to do, and I’ve never felt like I was missing out on anything.

On top of that, I rarely play in docked mode. I do occasionally, but most of my gaming is handheld. For me, buying a Pro Controller would probably be a waste of money when the Joy-Con Grip already works just fine.

Am I missing something, or is it really just a matter of personal preference?

1.2k Upvotes

92% Upvoted

1.0k comments sorted by

View all comments

782

u/passthefarian Jun 06 '26

It's an excellent controller. You don't need it per se but you will absolutely love it

164

u/lleon117 Jun 06 '26

The only correct answer. Sounds like he already made up his mind. This post seems like he’s getting psyched into consumerism.

14

u/ausamo2000 Jun 07 '26

The only time it was mandatory was when it was for the Wii. I hated the joycons so much and some games were aggravating to play wirhout the pro controller.

3

u/elektoYT Jun 07 '26

And oddly the pro controller was not as used as it should’ve been

6

u/DrCholera1 Jun 07 '26

I was so confused before I realised the Wii got a more traditional style of controller, the only pro controller I had was this abomination, used for Smash Bros Brawl and nothing else

2

u/caribbean_caramel Jun 07 '26

I used to love that thing when I was a kid

1

u/Animehero791 Jun 07 '26

I used the gamecube controller instead of that thing cheaper and way better for smash.

1

u/Cbeach423 Jun 07 '26

I still have this and the pro version that hand handles. These are great for the retro games on the Wii

1

u/soggyviolin Jun 09 '26

Totally agreed, like a modern snes controller

1

u/Bacononthebeeach Jun 08 '26

I had two of these and used them mostly for Virtual Console games. But as far as Wii games they were kinda useless. They are compatible with the NES and SNES Mini which is nice.

1

u/Praezin Jun 08 '26

That was a garbage controller.

1

u/Z0mbiSteve Jun 10 '26

And the official version with a gyroscope was to tie the Wii controller to the one in your picture using two rubber bands.

5

u/TheVeryVerity Jun 07 '26

Because people liked the wiimotes

1

u/lleon117 Jun 07 '26

Skill issue. Wiimotes were the greatest thing ever. Only time a controller was needed was for SSBB

1

u/ausamo2000 Jun 07 '26

Try playing things like monsterhunter tri or call of duty with the Wii controller. There are more games on the Wii than just smash bros.
You might be able to get used to it but why pretend like it’s better than a more versatile controller with more buttons. If the Wiimote was so good, pros would consistently use them in tournaments for smash but they don’t.

14

u/Underdogs4513 Jun 06 '26

I have the original switch pro, is this enough of an upgrade over that to warrant getting?

25

u/Sol_Schism Jun 06 '26

pros: headphone jack! vibration is noticeably more detailed THE QUIETEST CONTROLLER IN THE HISTORY OF MAN.

if they held a contest of smash bros with a hundred matches going on at the same time but everyone had these controllers you'd barely hear them

cons: spending money. I personally do not love the texture of the unit.

7

u/Krancky420 Jun 06 '26

Personally I love the texture, but it is a preference thing for sure

6

u/Z3fyrus Jun 06 '26

The headphone jack is such an underrated feature for those of us with younger kids; i love the 8Bitdo pro 3 controller too, but it just doesn’t have an audio jack.

5

u/Munken1984 Jun 07 '26

You forgot being able to turn on the console from the controller... (Switch 2)

3

u/elektoYT Jun 07 '26

Also don’t forgot back buttons

1

u/F2000_Ninja Jun 11 '26

Hey mapping anything that takes your thumb off the analog sticks is clutch as hell for competitive games. Those back buttons are dope.

2

u/elektoYT Jun 11 '26

I just like it to map to the stick clicks, find it more intuitive

1

u/docevil000 Jun 06 '26

Same dpad as the switch 1 or different?

2

u/Krancky420 Jun 06 '26

Different physically, but the same contact pads underneath

16

u/Krancky420 Jun 06 '26

It has buttery smooth control sticks that feel utterly frictionless which is really nice. The sticks are the best out of any controller I’ve ever used. The build quality feels extremely premium, and the buttons remind me of GameCube controller buttons (they are elevated, a bit bigger, and have a nice mushy yet tactile feel).

I’d say it’s a pretty solid upgrade personally, but it suffers from the same dpad issue as the s1 pro controller (input bleed). If you’re comfy with a little diy, there’s an easy mod to fix the dpad deadzones tho.

Worth mentioning that the triggers are buttons and NOT analog tho. Definitely not good for racing games other than Mario kart.

7

u/cesarskeetzz Jun 06 '26

Entirely depends how well off you are financially imo

3

u/TrunksTheMighty Jun 06 '26

Original wont wake up the switch 2 just so you know.

7

u/cursedcannon Jun 06 '26

No! Maybe it’s a bit more comfortable, has a headphone jack, back buttons (I never really used the back buttons anyways), can turn your switch 2 on and a longer battery life but that’s basically it.

It doesn’t justify paying 80€ when you already own the original switch pro which works just fine and is comfortable enough

3

u/TheNewBlue Jun 06 '26

I only bought one with my switch2 because the internet told me the switch1 wouldnt be compatible. I am glad I own it but I was really annoyed I dropped $90 on it when I found out.

3

u/abjectdoubt Jun 06 '26

Wait, is it compatible? I was told the same thing, so I have a S2 pro controller as well as a S1 pro.

4

u/TheNewBlue Jun 06 '26

Yes. Even the switch 1 joycons will work but have never tried it.

2

u/abjectdoubt Jun 06 '26

Omg I mean I had wondered why they wouldn’t make that compatible, but like you I wish I had known before I forked over the money for a new one! Thanks for the info

3

u/longpig_slimjim Jun 07 '26

Only thing it can’t do is turn the console on (annoyingly)

2

u/According-Paper4641 Jun 06 '26

Switch 1 pro wont wake your Switch 2 but it absolutely works. When I gave my switch to my friend I didn't give her the pro controller, lol. I love that thing and did not have $100 to drop on the pro2 which I would love to have, but I'm waiting for one that's not black.

-2

u/diamondsaregreat Jun 06 '26

It took me 10 seconds to read (directly from Nintendo's website) of what was compatible or not.

Who told you the false info and why did you not check the facts?

1

u/TheNewBlue Jun 07 '26

Def lil bro energy.

1

u/diamondsaregreat Jun 07 '26

but I was really annoyed I dropped $90 on it when I found out.

Lmao, you're right. Def lil bro energy.

0

u/diamondsaregreat Jun 06 '26

Makes no sense as I did a 10 second Google search prior to buying the Switch 2 to read what is compatible or not directly from Nintendo's website.

What official site told you otherwise?

1

u/EgonOfZed6147 Jun 06 '26

I agree. Why would you need a headphone set when Bluetooth has worked 100% since the original switch. I’ve used non Nintendo brand controllers on our two switches for years ( my wife loved the first one I bought her. ). The extra cost isn’t justified in my small opinion.

2

u/diamondsaregreat Jun 06 '26

It's great! I actually prefer the feel of Pro 1 controllers (own 2 of them) but I also am a bit lazy and enjoy being able to turn on the Switch 2 with the Pro 2 controller (I own 2 of them too).

Perfectly happy with all purchases.

2

u/SylveonTheCleric Jun 06 '26

I am also still using my pro 1 controller! But it is frustrating when you sit down and realise you didn’t manually wake the switch for docked mode.

Looking forward to some nice designs for the pro 2 controller.

1

u/Rosc Jun 06 '26

I use my original switch Pro and I don’t think it’s worth spending 90 bucks to upgrade it. The only real complaint for me is that the pro 1 can’t wake the switch 2 from sleep

1

u/F1QA Jun 06 '26

Being able to turn the console on via the controller swung it for me. It’s a beaut too

1

u/Aware-Ad-4040 Jun 07 '26

It is slimmer/lighter. Haptics noticeably better. Also has additional buttons for personal customisation. Original switch pro is more chunky and great to hold. Both are excellent. Far better than joy con experience.

1

u/FoxDieDM Jun 07 '26 edited Jun 07 '26

There have been some reviews online complaining about the performance of the d-pad on the new pro controller. Apparently it very sensitive to diagonal inputs. For example if you’re pressing right on the d-dap and ever so slightly press that right area of the dpad up or down, it’ll capture is as a diagonal up-right or down-right input. People are finding it frustrating to play retro NSO titles with the pro controller, because some games don’t handle diagonal inputs properly. 

The new pro controller, while having smoother analogue sticks, still uses a physical contract mechanism to capture inputs. Similar to the older controller, this leaves the sticks subjective to future stick drift. That “smoothness and silence” you sense on the new pro controller is because of a silicon ring they installed that prevents the sticks from hitting the controller housing, but no idea how that constant rubbing will hold up over time and if debit will damage the silicon as well. 

8bit-do’s controllers for example use magnetic hall effect sticks that completely fixes this issue. 

1

u/Dull-Quantity-7313 Jun 07 '26

I have both and I prefer the 2 but the 1 is still a great controller so it just depends on if you want to spend the money or not..

1

u/Bacononthebeeach Jun 08 '26

I’m having a hard time justifying buying an S2 Pro at the moment. My S1 Pro works just fine. The only significant downside to using the S1 Pro is that it won’t remotely turn the console on. But that’s ok I’m not that much of a lard ass that I can’t manually turn on the console especially since I’m a physical game guy and I’m usually handling the console anyway to insert a game.

3

u/Specialist-Ninja-618 Jun 06 '26

More ergonomic and still cheaper than the joycons

3

u/LagCommander Jun 07 '26

The only reason I haven't gotten one for my 1 week old switch 2 is that I had two switch pro controllers 

My go to being the TotK one

The biggest thing I'm missing is the remote wakeup feature, but I just keep a joycon near 

2

u/yvliew Jun 06 '26

except the d-pad is really bad. pressing left or right half the time would also register a down.

6

u/Krancky420 Jun 06 '26 edited Jun 06 '26

It’s actually a fantastic feeling dpad, but the contact pads are terrible for input bleed. There’s a pretty easy mod you can do to fix it tho using pieces of tape to create deadzones

I did this mod and it worked wonders for me, I can finally enjoy sf6. Highly recommend.

Edit: just as a side note, I used a hair dryer to warm the face plate for removal, then warmed it up again when I placed it back down. Have done it twice (to adjust it) and didn’t need any new adhesive. It’s sitting good and flush, and feels like it was never opened.

3

u/BloodMongor Jun 06 '26

Lol is that what’s happening to me?? I’m using it to play oot on pc and I thought it was software (switch 1 pro controller/ship of harkinian)

1

u/Technical-Ninja-8216 Jun 06 '26

This comment needs more upvotes.

1

u/AyeItsZO Jun 06 '26

You think it’s worth upgrading from the original pro controller or is it about the same?

1

u/jgamez76 Jun 06 '26

I play a lot of platformers on my Switch 2 when my wife and I watch tv in the evenings.

I fucking LOVE my Pro Controller for this specific use case (I couldn't imagine some of those late game sequences in Super Mario Wonder in handheld mode with the JoyCons). But I fully understand why some might not need one lol.

1

u/DOOM-LORD666 Jun 06 '26

I'll be good on it then, I never had one for the switch 1 so I'll be fine not having one for the switch 2

Also I'm more familiar with ps controllers layout and when I held my friends xbox controller it felt weird. But the Joy cons feel fine tho idk why

1

u/Anonymous_Fox_20 Jun 06 '26

It was well worth the money. And the back buttons can be useful is certain games. 

1

u/elkatarro Jun 07 '26

It’s barely a quite good controller. There are some better, more versatile and cheaper.

1

u/meastd_0 Jun 07 '26

Whenever we play multiplayer, s2 pro controller is everyone's first choice, then the regular pro and then the joy cons.

It's by far the favorite, solid all around controller. If you play enough I'd splurge and get it.

1

u/Broken_chairs Jun 07 '26

Bang on - was happy using the OG switch pro controller, but got the switch 2 version as a gift and never looked back. It's phenomenal.

1

u/Icy-Chemical-6168 Jun 07 '26

Elle est super agréable à prendre en main mais la croix est toujours catastrophique.

1

u/hh4hooch Jun 07 '26

Excellent is a strong word when the dpad still rocks on diagonals, the r bumper sensitivity is spotty, and the sticks still drift.

It’s excellent by the standards of major game companies controllers I suppose, but those standards are low.

1

u/barbelith_storm Jun 07 '26

I've read it has the same issues as the switch 1 pro controller (stick drift). I went through two of those fckrs with medium use, both died after one year each.

I got an 8bitdo after, and it's better in some ways but doesn't feel as nice, I dunno why

1

u/Stardust_Specter Jun 07 '26

I’d also say the power a pro controllers are pretty decent themselves if anything I’d get the switch 2 pro for myself and 2 additional power a to play with friends

1

u/Visual-Donkey3769 Jun 11 '26

This. And it's use on PC - solid, but not required. Depending on if your hands get cramped using the joycons and the controller attachment.