Latest news with #ProController
CNET
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNET
The Switch 2 Pro Controller Makes a Comfortable Upgrade, but Still Falls a Bit Short
The Switch 2 Pro Controller is a standalone controller that pairs with the new Switch 2 and provides a more comfortable gaming experience than the standard Joy-Cons. While it might look similar to the old model, the second-gen controller has a number of new features to help it earn that "Pro" title. The 2 Pro retails for $85 -- a pretty significant jump over the original's $70. The good news is that, if you want to save some money, the Switch 1 Pro Controllers do work on the Switch 2. Since it's detached, it's really more useful when playing docked, connected to a TV. I really like the look and feel of it, but it's definitely an expensive, unnecessary accessory. Switch Pro Controller (left) next to Switch 2 Pro Controller (right) Sean Booker/CNET Both Pro controllers feel pretty similar, which is good since I always felt the original was very comfortable. They're the same size and shape, and the button layout is mostly the same, but the original has a subtle texture to its grip while the 2's is smooth. I actually find the new controller a bit more comfortable than the first. Just like the new Joy-Cons, there is a GameChat button near the bottom, a shortcut to screen-sharing gameplay and forming parties with your friends to video or voice chat together. Keep in mind that you can just pop back out to the Switch main menu and open GameChat manually without needing to hit the button. GR/GL back buttons Sean Booker/CNET Another new feature are back buttons on the underside of the handles, GL and GR. Back buttons -- programmable buttons that you can assign to act like other inputs -- are pretty standard on pro-style controllers but were absent on the first Switch Pro. For example, in shooters, players will often bind duck or jump so they can perform those actions without taking their thumb off the right stick. Mapping these buttons is super easy through the Switch 2's settings menu or by holding down the Home button and changing them there. These button maps are also saved on a per-game basis, which is great, allowing you to specify which actions you want available on different games instead of needing to adjust back and forth when you swap games. DualSense Edge (left), Switch 2 Pro Controller (middle), Xbox Elite 2 (right) Sean Booker/CNET The downside is that there are only two buttons, one on each side, like PlayStation's DualSense Edge pro controller. I would have liked more options, like the Xbox Elite controller's four programmable buttons. Both those controllers also allow you to swap the buttons' shapes. Nintendo doesn't. Another upgrade on the Switch 2 Pro Controller is a headphone jack on the bottom, which is useful if you're trying to play games quietly. Sean Booker/CNET Battery life remains the same as the first Pro Controller: Around 40 hours on a single charge, which is definitely on the higher side for controller batteries. In comparison, the DualSense Edge lasts only 5 to 6 hours. The new Pro Controller also charges faster. Nintendo says it takes about 3.5 hours for a full charge, whereas the original Pro Controller takes six hours. Now Playing: Review: The Switch 2 Pro Controller 04:26 The large face buttons and analog sticks feel the same, which is good since the original didn't need improvement. The D-pad, though, feels like it has more freedom of movement and accuracy. This makes hitting diagonal inputs easier to pull off, like in Street Fighter when a special move requires a quarter circle. I found it simply better for adjusting character movement in a 2D platformer, like Super Mario Wonder. One of my major complaints is that it still lacks analog triggers. This feature has been on Xbox and PlayStation controllers for years and allows games to sense when you partially press a trigger. It's important in racing games, for example, where pressing the trigger determines how much you'll accelerate. But nope, that's not a thing for the Switch 2 Pro Controller. Sean Booker/CNET Curiously, the new Pro Controller can't wirelessly connect it to a PC. Steam doesn't yet recognize it, though it took a while before the original was directly supported as well. While it's missing some key pro features compared to Xbox and PlayStation's offerings, those controllers also retail for around $200, so the price difference makes sense. The Switch 2 Pro Controller is best for someone who primarily games with the console connected to a TV. It's an overall improvement on the first one and brings Nintendo closer to what we expect from a pro-style design, but it becomes a harder sell if you already have the original Pro Controller. Many of the new features -- back buttons, a headphone jack, quick access to gamechat -- are pretty easy to live without, in my opinion.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Best Nintendo Switch 2 Gaming Accessories, From the Pro Controller to the Joy-Con 2 Wheel
If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission. If you're lucky enough to pick up the Nintendo Switch 2 on launch day, then you might also be looking for a few key add-ons to get the most out of your new gaming console. More from Rolling Stone How to Watch UFC 316: Dvalishvili vs O'Malley 2 How to Watch CNN's Live Broadcast of 'Good Night, and Good Luck' Without Cable With 'Wu-Tang: Rise of The Deceiver,' Hip-Hop Gets a Love Letter in Video Game Form We rounded up the best Nintendo Switch 2 gaming accessories — like wireless controllers, travel cases, cameras, and more — with prices starting at $24.88 at Walmart. Shop Nintendo Switch 2 Accessories At Walmart Although the new console comes with two Joy-Con 2 controllers, Joy-Con 2 grip, a TV dock, you might want to looking into getting a few add-ons to making gaming easier, precise, efficient, and more comfortable to play games. Let's face it, the included detachable Joy-Con 2 controllers are great for playing video games with a friend, but can be a pain to grip in your hands for longer gaming sessions — especially when playing games, like Mario Kart World, where you'll need a comfortable grip to explore its new open-world design. That's when a Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller would come in handy. Ahead, you'll find our pick for the best gaming accessories for the new Nintendo Switch 2. NINTENDO SWITCH 2 Release date: June 5 Buy Now at Walmart for $54 $54 Priced at $54 at Walmart, the new Nintendo Switch 2 Camera allows gamers to interact with each other inside of select games with new video chat features. Think of it as a webcam for the new console. NINTENDO SWITCH 2 Release date: June 5 Buy Now at Walmart for $59 $59 If the Nintendo Switch 2 Camera looks to basic for your tastes, then the Piranha Plant Camera — which is priced at $59 — might fit in better with your gaming set. NINTENDO SWITCH 2 Release date: June 5 Buy Now at Walmart for $84 $84 If you're a serious gamer, then the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller — priced at $84 at Walmart — is a must-have. It's wireless and more comfortable to grip, while it feels more like a traditional gaming controller than the Joy-Cons 2 — when detached. NINTENDO SWITCH 2 Release date: June 5 Buy Now at Walmart for $59 $59 While the Nintendo Switch 2 comes with 256GB of on-board storage, you may need more storage space, if you want to download and play more games. The Samsung microSD Express Card (256GB) doubles the capacity of the new console for just $59. NINTENDO SWITCH 2 Release date: June 5 Buy Now at Walmart for $34.88 $34.88 The Nintendo Switch 2 does come with an AC adaptor out-of-the-box, but if you'd like another one for travel, then Walmart has an official one from Nintendo for just $34.88. NINTENDO SWITCH 2 Release date: June 5 Buy Now at Walmart for $24.88 $24.88 Everyone know the best way to play Mario Kart, especially with friends, is with a steeling wheel. Walmart has a set of two Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Con 2 Wheels priced at $24.88. NINTENDO SWITCH 2 Release date: June 5 Buy Now at Walmart for $39.88 $39.88 After picking up the new gaming console, you might want to safe and keep it looking its best with the Nintendo Switch 2 Carrying Case & Screen Protector. It's priced at $39.88 at Walmart. NINTENDO SWITCH 2 Release date: June 5 Buy Now at Walmart for $84 $84 One of the best things about the new console is that it's very portable. In fact, the Nintendo Switch 2 All-In-One Carrying Case makes it easy to bring the console, the dock, the controllers, power supply, and a few games with you wherever you go. Not bad for just $84. Want more? Now that you've picked up your Nintendo Switch 2 and got a few gaming accessories to go with it, you might want to get new games to play. Check out our list of the best launch day titles here. Shop Nintendo Switch 2 Accessories At Walmart Best of Rolling Stone The Best Audiophile Turntables for Your Home Audio System
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Yahoo
Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller: A Premium Gamepad Worth the $$$
PCMag editors select and review products independently. If you buy through affiliate links, we may earn commissions, which help support our testing. Just as the Nintendo Switch launched with the Switch Pro Controller to use in lieu of its detachable Joy-Con, the Switch 2 launches with the Switch 2 Pro Controller. Like the Switch 2 to the Switch, the $84.99 Switch 2 Pro Controller is a solid upgrade over its predecessor, with a higher price to match (the original Switch Pro is $69.99). It adds new features like programmable rear buttons and a headset jack that help justify the premium, along with several material refinements that give the gamepad a much more high-end feel. So while it's pricey, the Switch 2 Pro should be the first controller you reach for if you frequently use the system in docked mode, and that makes it our Editors' Choice award winner. If the name doesn't make it clear, the Switch 2 Pro Controller is intended to work with the Switch 2. It will not officially work with any other device, including the original Switch or a PC. However, enthusiasts will likely create some form of workaround to let it function as a PC gamepad. Official Steam support might come down the line, just like with the first Pro Controller. The Switch 2 Pro Controller looks similar to the original, with long grips and gentle curves that fit comfortably in your hand. Its shell is a satiny plastic that's smoother than the subtly textured grip of the original and pleasant to touch. The gamepad isn't completely black like the previous Pro Controller, though; it has light gray accents around the analog sticks, top panel, and shoulder buttons. The package looks and feels a bit more polished than the slightly glossy and partially translucent Switch Pro Controller. The main control layout is almost completely unchanged, with offset analog sticks, large A/B/X/Y face buttons, a plus-shaped direction pad, and two pairs of bumper/trigger buttons. Although they're arranged the same, some components have been refined. The analog sticks are silky smooth in motion and are almost silent when pushed to their limit (instead of tapping loudly against the gamepad's casing). The face buttons and direction pad are also quieter, without losing any of their springiness. The plus and minus buttons are slightly raised, making them easier to press. Subtle refinements are only the start of the upgrades. The Switch 2 Pro also has three important features that the original lacked. First, it joins the Joy-Con 2 controllers in GameChat functionality via a small, square C button located between the direction pad and right analog stick. Like on the Joy-Con 2 pads, this button launches the GameChat menu and lets you start or join voice and video groups. Second, the gamepad has a 3.5mm headset jack just like the DualSense and Xbox Wireless Controller. So, if you have a wired gaming headset, simply plug it into the controller and use it instead of the Switch 2's microphone and your TV's speakers. The jack is located on the gamepad's bottom edge between the grips, where the status LEDs were on the original Pro Controller (those lights are relocated to the top panel next to the USB-C port and pairing button). Third, the Switch 2 Pro Controller follows in the footsteps of other high-end gamepads like the DualSense Edge and the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller by adding programmable rear buttons. These GL and GR buttons sit flush on the back of the grips, right where your middle fingers naturally rest. You can set them to act like any single digital control input, such as the face buttons, shoulder buttons, direction pad presses, and analog stick clicks. You access the GL and GR button-mapping menu by holding the Home button for a second. This lets you change what the buttons do with only a few presses. These settings are saved on a per-game basis, which is convenient. For example, you can have GL and GR act as LB and LR in Street Fighter 6 (Drive Impact and Drive Parry) or as LT and RT in Mario Kart World (Items and Drifting). Quick menu GL and GR settings are separate from the full-button remapping available in the Switch 2's Accessibility menu. You can completely rearrange the Pro Controller's controls on a system level and save presets. These customizations are the same across all games and must be manually switched. Besides the physical controls, the Switch 2 Pro Controller has the same extra functions as the first one, including motion controls and an NFC sensor for reading Amiibo. It also has vibration, specifically the same HD Rumble 2 as the Joy-Con 2 controllers, which gives detailed feedback in games that support it. Nintendo estimates the Switch 2 Pro Controller's battery to last about 40 hours between charges, which seems in line with my tests. According to the console, two dozen hours of gaming took the gamepad a bit below the 50% mark. That's comparable with the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller and far longer than the DualSense Edge's meager six-hour battery life. I played several games with the Switch 2 Pro Controller, and they worked perfectly. Precision platforming in Hollow Knight felt natural, and I could reliably perform moves and counters in Street Fighter 6. The analog sticks made for effortless steering in Mario Kart World, and the motion controls were accurate while aiming in Splatoon 3. The Switch 2 Pro Controller simply feels better as a full gamepad than the Joy-Con 2 in the system's included gamepad grip. It's more comfortable to hold, and its components are better suited to the control style since they aren't designed around Joy-Con 2's modular, portable aspects. Likewise, the directional inputs are better than the Joy-Con 2's; I've already gushed about the tactile response of the analog sticks, but the plus-shaped directional pad is a superior way to input digital directions than the left Joy-Con's four face buttons. The headphone jack worked as expected, too, piping sound through my wired headphones with no problem. That's probably the least important part of the Pro Controller, since the Switch 2 already supports Bluetooth headphones.
The Verge
16-06-2025
- The Verge
The Switch 2 is here: everything you need to know about Nintendo's new console
GuliKit says it's figured out how to make its controllers wake the Switch 2. The only gamepad that can wake the new console is Nintendo's own upgraded Pro controller — even the original Switch's Pro controller can't. But that could soon change as GuliKit, which previously noted that the Switch 2 'uses a new system protocol,' now says it's figured out how to get its third-party controllers to wake the handheld. It demonstrated the functionality in a video shared to X, but hasn't announced a follow-up software update adding this feature.
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
I just spent a week with the Nintendo Switch 2 — here's the 3 essential accessories to upgrade your console
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. It's been just over a week since the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2, and I'm loving my time with the new console so far. As I wrote in my review, it's pretty much the hybrid device of my dreams — and definitely one of the best handheld consoles — and I've already had some brilliant early play experiences on the Switch 2. However, while the Nintendo Switch 2 is extremely impressive out of the box, like most consoles, it can be further enhanced with a few useful accessories. The range of compatible Switch 2 accessories at present is a little small, but will naturally grow over time. However, there's already a handful of compatible extras that I think are worthy of being considered almost essential. So, if you're a fellow Switch 2 early adopter, then these are the three accessories I've tested so far that upgraded my play experience. This trio has already become a key part of my Nintendo Switch 2 gaming setup. I was late to the Pro controller party with the original Switch, only picking up one at the launch of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom in 2023. But for Switch 2, I've had my hands on a Pro controller from day one, and it might be one of the best pads I've ever used. The Switch 2 Pro controller blows the Joy-Cons 2 housed within the included grip attachment out of the water. Not only does it feel amazing in your hands, with delightfully clicky buttons, triggers and sticks to boot, but it also offers a key upgrade: back buttons. These customizable buttons are a serious boon, and I've already found them highly useful, particularly in Mario Kart World. The Switch 2 Pro controller is a little pricey at $84, but if you're going to be using your new console for any significant length in TV mode, then it's a worthwhile investment as it really does elevate the play experience. Plus, its battery life is fantastic. After a week, I have yet to charge mine, which is quite a pleasant change from the PS5's DualSense, which usually starts flashing 'low battery' after just a couple of play sessions, if not sooner. The Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller is practically guaranteed to be the most in-demand Switch 2 accessory, and it packs a suitable upgrade over its predecessor adding a headphone jack, the new "C" button, and customizable back buttons. Additional retailers: Best Buy | GameStopView Deal I've made no secret of my love for the Nintendo Switch 2 at this early stage of the console's lifecycle. However, if I have one criticism (well, I have two — battery life isn't great), it's that the console lacks the in-built ergonomic grips found on the likes of the Steam Deck OLED. In handheld mode, it's not the most comfortable device to hold for long periods of time, but this (relatively) minor issue can be pretty easily fixed via a third-party case. There's already a whole bunch of options, but the one I've been using is dbrand's Killswith case. And I'm impressed with the results. Not only does the Killswitch give the console some extra heft to hold onto, but it also comes in three separate parts (two Joy-Con 2 grips and a casing for the main console unit). This retains the ability to detach the Joy-Con 2s and make use of the Switch 2's tabletop mode. The downside of the Killswitch case is that once snugly fitted around the console, the Switch 2 no longer fits into the standard dock, but dbrand has resolved this problem by including a Dock Adapter with every order. It's not the most elegant solution, but it's effective and takes mere seconds to install. The Nintendo Switch 2 Killswitch from dbrand both protects your console and elevates your gaming experience by making the hybrid even more comfortable to hold in handheld mode. It comes in three bundles starting from $59, but those looking to take their Switch 2 on the road will want to consider the Travel bundle for $79. View Deal The Switch 2 packs a respectable 256GB of storage space as standard. That might not seem like it would go far in today's world of 100GB install sizes, but Switch 2 games typically have a smaller file footprint than PS5 or Xbox games. Even the most storage-hungry software like Cyberpunk 2077 demands only 60GB of space, but that's still a fair chunk of your available storage. Even if 256GB base storage stretched further than you might think, I maxed out my Switch 2's hard drive on day one after installing eight launch games, so an increase was needed. I opted for the officially licensed $59 Samsung Express microSD card. It even has a cute little Mario logo etched on. Users looking for a cheaper alternative might want to consider the 256GB Express microSD from Onn, for $35 at Walmart. One of my colleagues just picked it up for their Nintendo Switch 2 and reports that it works just as well. The Switch 2 comes with an increased storage capacity of up to 2TB. However, the Switch 2 is only compatible with microSD Express cards, which means you'll need new storage cards for your console. Additional retailers: Best Buy | GameStopView Deal Nintendo Switch 2 review These 5 Switch 2 features really stand out I can't play on Switch 2 without the Pro controller
