Almost perfect: testing the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller
11.6.2025
Translation: Patrik Stainbrook
Pictures: Domagoj Belancic
The Switch 2 Pro Controller is the most comfortable and easy-to-use controller I’ve ever held. However, I still have one major problem with this stylish peripheral.
The new Joy-Cons for the Switch 2 are much longer and more comfortable than those for the first Switch. Nevertheless, these mini controllers remain a mere compromise with downsides, especially during intensive gaming sessions. If you primarily play in TV mode, Nintendo also offers a larger Pro Controller for the Switch 2, allowing you to play longer and more comfortably from the sofa.
At first glance, the new Pro Controller looks similar to its predecessor. Inside, however, things have changed for the better. There’s only one spot where Nintendo stays stubborn and refuses to catch up with the rest of the gaming industry. A shame, otherwise the Switch 2 Pro Controller would’ve easily earned the title of Best Controller Ever.
Optics, ergonomics and feel: world class, three times!
Nintendo has outdone itself with the design of this controller. The black device impresses with its minimalist look, complemented by white accents under the analogue sticks and on the top. Looking closely, I can see small glittering elements in the dark surface.
Compared to Nintendo’s predecessor controller and competing devices, no seams or screws are visible on the handles. When I hold the device, I don’t feel any interruptions or sharp edges. Pressing firmly or trying to twist it, the hardware doesn’t give way. I don’t hear any creaking either. In short, Nintendo’s manufacturing quality is a brilliant success, making the PS5 and Xbox controllers look like mere toys.
The Switch 2 Pro controller fits perfectly in my hand. The grips are smaller and rounder than on other controllers, and fit my large mitts like a glove. Even my girlfriend, who doesn’t have paws as big as mine, can grip the controller well. Fun fact, the legendary Gamecube controller served as inspiration for these smaller handles.
The surface feels smooth but not slippery. Even during intense and sweaty Mario Kart World races, my grip stays stable and I don’t slip a bit.
Amazing analogue sticks
To me, the star players on the new controller are the two analogue sticks. Nintendo officially calls them Smooth Analog Sticks. They’re by far the best sticks I’ve ever played with.
When pushing a stick, I don’t feel any jerking like on other controllers – it’s as if the sticks are coated with oil to have them glide smoothly. If a stick touches the edge, you hear and feel almost nothing – as if the control element were wrapped in absorbent cotton. The sticks on my otherwise beloved PS5 controller feel like they have sand in their gears by comparison.
We can only hope that the excellent analogue sticks will be spared the notorious stick drift problem. Nintendo still isn’t using solutions such as Hall Effect sticks to solve this potential problem.
Finally, a usable directional pad!
The digital directional pad on the Switch 1 Pro controller is disastrous. Especially in 2D games, where precise digital directional inputs are required, the pad fails time and again. Playing Tetris games is a nightmare – I press right and the controller registers upward pressure, sending the block crashing downwards. Aaaaargh!
Good news: the directional pad on the Switch 2 Pro Controller has been completely overhauled. It also feels softer, more precise and more pleasant to click than the previous model as a result. It’s also quiet as a dormouse. If I ever place a stone incorrectly in Tetris 99, I can no longer blame the controller.
Bigger, better and extra buttons
Nintendo has also redesigned its buttons from scratch. The A, B, X and Y buttons are significantly larger than on all my other controllers. Here, too, Nintendo has made sure the controls are quiet and have a unique soft yet precise feel. They sit firmly in their recess and don’t wobble back and forth. I really like the clicks they deliver.
The plus and minus buttons on the front now actually feel like real buttons too. They’ve been repositioned, and are easier to operate as a result. The new C button, which launches Nintendo’s GameChat app, is also located on the lower front. There’s even a headphone jack just below it – something missing from the previous model.
To me, the biggest button innovation is on the back. Nintendo has placed additional GL and GR buttons there. I can assign various functions to these via the quick settings.
In The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, for example, I set the B button to sprint. This way, I can run around as Link and control the camera with the right analogue stick at the same time – no weird hand acrobatics needed. These shortcuts can be saved per game and user. Great!
Nintendo, stubborn as always: still no analogue triggers
I found four buttons on the top of the controller: the L and R bumpers and the ZL and ZR triggers. I say triggers, but the controls are still only digital buttons, not true analogue triggers, as on the Xbox and PS5 controller. In the year of our lord 2025? An incomprehensible design decision.
Analogue triggers are mainly used in racing games, shooters or sports titles, for example to accelerate slowly. With Sony’s Dualsense controller, the adaptive triggers even provide resistance depending on the game state. I’d expect cool gimmicks like these from Nintendo too – instead, the company is being stubborn about it.
After all, the core of the Switch philosophy is flexibility to play a console the way you like it best. It’s why the Switch 2 offers as many game modes (TV, handheld, tabletop) and new features such as mouse controls in the Joy-Cons or the new GL and GR buttons on the Pro controller. For the life of me, I don’t understand why Nintendo still refuses to even give their users an option when it comes to analogue triggers.
HD Rumble 2 can compete with the PS5 controller
The vibration motors have also been completely redesigned. Nintendo calls it HD Rumble 2. They’re more precise and stronger than in the previous controller. From what I’ve experienced so far in the launch games, the haptic feedback is comparable to that of the PS5 controller – in other words: very, very good.
The new Pro controller also features gyro and acceleration sensors that allow for motion controls. Nothing particularly negative or positive stands out to me here. In The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Splatoon 3, aiming by moving still feels excellent. The sensors work more or less the same as on the previous model – in other words, they’re rock solid.
A battery that lasts «forever»
The first Pro controller was already known for its exceptional battery performance. Nintendo isn’t letting itself down with the successor either. The company officially states a charge of 40 hours. By comparison, the PS5 controller only offers around 12 hours. The Xbox controller also achieves around 40 hours with AA batteries, but only 30 hours with a separately sold rechargeable battery.
During my week of testing, I can attest to this monster battery. Even after several days of Mario Kart World and other launch games, I can still only bring the battery to its knees very slowly.
In a nutshell
The Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller comes close to perfection
The stylish Switch 2 Pro Controller fits perfectly in my hand and impresses with its flawless finish. It’s the most comfortable controller I’ve ever tested. The controls have been completely overhauled; the smooth and silent analogue stick was particularly impressive in my test. Its larger buttons and the more precise directional pad are also fun to operate. The GL and GR buttons on the back are a nice bonus for hardcore gamers. Finally, the new rumble motors impress with ultra-precise and powerful vibrations, and the motion controls work flawlessly next to a battery that lasts (nearly) forever.
It’s just a shame that Nintendo still refuses to install real analogue triggers in the controller. The Pro Controller just misses out on perfection and a five-star rating. Either way, the controller is a must-have for anyone who primarily plays games on their Switch 2 in TV mode. Thanks to its improvements, the upgrade is still worth it even if you already own an old Pro Controller.
Pro
- Fits perfectly in my hands
- Excellent controls (buttons, sticks, directional pad)
- Powerful battery
- Ultra-precise vibration motors
Contra
- Only digital buttons, no analogue triggers
Domagoj Belancic
Senior Editor
Domagoj.Belancic@digitecgalaxus.chMy love of video games was unleashed at the tender age of five by the original Gameboy. Over the years, it's grown in leaps and bounds.
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