The Nintendo Switch Pro Controller Works With PCs Too
At $70, the Switch's Pro Controller might seem like an expensive luxury item—after all, that's almost one-fourth of the cost of the console itself. Thankfully, it looks like Nintendo's wallet-draining accessory has some extra value that isn't advertised on the box: in addition to working with the Switch, the Pro Controller can also be used to control PC games via a Bluetooth connection.
The news comes via YouTube user DreWoof, who posted a video showing the Pro Controller working flawlessly with an emulated copy of Super Smash Bros. Melee. A follow-up video answers some of fans' biggest questions about the Pro Controller's PC compatibility, and lays out step-by-step instructions for pairing the device with your PC's Bluetooth receiver.
It's not a perfect solution, of course. The Pro Controller won't work over USB cables, and won't charge while it's being used to play games. The Pro Controller can be paired with Android devices, but DreWoof found that using the controller with mobile games introduced quite a bit of input lag, although he notes that the poor performance could be his phone's fault and not the device's (DreWoof doesn't have an iOS device to conduct a similar test on).
Additionally, the Pro Controller only supports DirectInput, not XInput, meaning that games like The Witcher 3 won't work without a few technical workarounds. The Pro Controller doesn't have analog triggers, either, which means you'll have problems playing games that require ultra precise inputs (for example, fine tuning the acceleration of your vehicle in driving or open-world games by pressing lightly on one of the triggers won't work—with the Pro Controller, it's all or nothing).
Some of the Pro Controller's more advanced options, like HD Rumble and gyroscope controls, don't work on PCs, although DreWoof notes that updated driver software could fix that. Despite these shortcomings, DreWoof seems pleased with the Pro Controller as an option for PC gaming, particularly as an emulation aid, and recommends that others check it out, provided that they're willing to deal with some of the device's quirks. At the very least, it looks like the Pro Controller won't go down in history as completely useless, unlike these other controllers.