The Steam client now officially supports the Switch Pro Controller, with it previously only being available in the beta client. This gives you the ability to use it with all of your PC games and even remap its buttons, should you see fit.

Yes! There are some brands out there such as HORI and PowerA that are licensed by Nintendo to make Joy-Cons and other Switch accessories with fun designs and character patterns. They will work 100% fine with your console, and offer a warranty just in case you do run into any problems. However, it's important to remember that if you are using your Joy-Cons in the Joy-Con grip it will still count as 2 separate controllers, even if only one player is using it. Remember the number of players able to get involved will also be determined by the game software itself! How do I charge my Joy-Cons? Using it requires some gaming savvy, which, to be fair, you probably have if you’re attempting this in the first place. It’s an imperfect solution — not every game will work, no matter what you do. For now, we’ll have to wait for the homebrew community to come up with their own methods. https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpreview.redd.it%2Frerohu3sjlgb1.png%3Fwidth%3D1440%26format%3Dpjpg%26auto%3Dwebp%26s%3D8f9a1bdcfef01da5cb3ef431a6e0112fa6072c29On top of the limit of connected controllers by type, the number of connected controllers is also determined by the features being used on the controllers, and whether local communication is being used. When operated wirelessly, the Joy-Con units communicate with each other and the console via Bluetooth. Step 2: Next, plug in your Switch Pro Controller with a USB cable, and you’ll be asked to register it as well as calibrate the built-in gyro sensor for motion control in certain games. There is a fairly elaborate workaround to sync a pair of Joy-Cons together as a single controller, and it involves multiple external programs and some intensive tinkering. We think the process we’ve described is the best way to go, but if you’re interested, follow the steps outlined by this Reddit user. How to connect the Switch Pro Controller using Steam Both left and right Joy-Cons contain fixed 3.7V 525mAh 1.9W lithium-ion polymer batteries. These can be charged by attaching to the Nintendo Switch and leaving it in charging (sleep) mode. They can also be charged on the separate grip. Fully charged batteries give up to 20 hours of play.

The Pro Controller should prove more viable for a wider range of games than the Joy-Cons, namely because it touts a more traditional layout, although it’s not compatible with everything. That’s due to the controller APIs in use; the Pro Controller apparently uses DirectInput, rather than the newer API XInput, making it incompatible with many newer games. Step 3: Hold the Sync button on the Joy-Cons, located between the SR and SL buttons, until the LED lights start flashing. When the Joy-Con controllers are attached to the console, they do not count against the number of controllers that can be connected. Chris was a PCWorld columnist for two years. He founded PCWorld's "World Beyond Windows" column, which covered the latest developments in open-source operating systems like Linux and Chrome OS. Beyond the column, he wrote about everything from Windows to tech travel tips. Unfortunately, the two Joy-Cons will be treated as separate controllers by default. That’s great for two-player games, but it makes them useless for playing anything complex, like a first-person shooter.The Nintendo Switch has an impressive capacity of eight paired controllers at any one time. This can include a mix of Joy-Cons or the more traditional Pro controller. There are some quirks to watch out for, such as when the pairing lights on the Joy-Cons won’t stop blinking. You can confirm that the controller is connected, however, by looking at your computer’s Bluetooth settings. If you see the error message below, move the controller around to ensure no other devices are interfering with the signal. Then try again.