You can file this under “pleasant surprises,” as one redditor who got his hands on a Nintendo Switch early has learned that the console’s Pro Controller, which gives gamers a more traditional-feeling control scheme, can easily connect to a PC via Bluetooth. He uploaded the video below as proof of how easy it was to get it up and running on the Dolphin emulator:
While saying the actual pairing works in a “weird way,” he also managed to test it with Steam’s Big Picture Mode (it worked), and charged it while it was connected via Bluetooth, but only managed to get that to work “once or twice.”
The development shouldn’t be too shocking to PS4 and Xbox One fans, whose controllers have already supported PC compatibility for a while now, but it’s a nice unannounced surprise for a Nintendo system. The Wii U’s Pro Controller needed a special program to connect it, while the Wii’s remote controller was found to work via Bluetooth as well. The Switch Pro Controller, which bears more than a passing resemblance to an Xbox controller, even shows up in the video as “Pro Controller,” confirming support from the user’s PC.
After his initial post, he added an FAQ video to answer some followup questions. One noteworthy piece of info: the controller cannot be connected to a PC via USB, oddly enough. You’ll have to hold down either a button on the top of the controller or the share button to enter pairing mode. It also supports Android, while he was unable to test on iOS. However, it uses the Directinput format, as opposed to Xinput, meaning you may need to configure the controller for each of your PC games.
Even so, it’s another selling point for an admittedly pricey controller. Does this news make you more likely to grab a Pro Controller when they become available on Friday?
Published: Mar 1, 2017 07:09 am