The Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller Is Excellent—But $85 Excellent?
Let me tell you—Nintendo has just released what is arguably the finest game controller they’ve ever made. The Switch 2 Pro Controller feels like a premium, modern upgrade to everything Nintendo's ever built before. From the crisp, responsive buttons to the buttery smooth joysticks, it’s clear this device was crafted with care. You can feel it the moment you wrap your hands around it. And trust me, as someone who grew up mashing hadoukens on an SNES controller, I don’t say that lightly.
Ergonomically, it’s fantastic. It’s more comfortable than the first-gen Pro Controller, which always felt a little plasticky to me. The Switch 2 Pro just fits better. It has that refined, solid feel, like Nintendo finally nailed the grip, weight, and responsiveness. There are also two programmable rear buttons—GL and GR—nicely placed right where your middle fingers rest. I remapped my drift and boost controls in Mario Kart World to them, and it genuinely improved my game.
There's even a 3.5mm headphone jack now. Yes, in 2025, Nintendo finally added something that Xbox and PlayStation have had for years. That alone will tempt some folks to upgrade. And there's the GameChat feature, free until next year, plus the ability to wake up your console from sleep using the controller—something older Pro controllers can’t do.
Now, here’s where it gets tricky: the price. This controller will set you back $85. That’s a lot, especially when you compare it to third-party options like 8BitDo’s Ultimate Controller, which comes in at $50 and has Hall effect joysticks—something Nintendo still refuses to adopt. And that’s a big deal, because Hall effect sticks are far more durable and resistant to drift, an issue that plagued the original Switch.
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Nintendo says they’ve rebuilt everything from the ground up with this model. The sticks do feel smoother and quieter, but they’re still based on the same old technology. That means joystick drift is still a risk. And for $85, you’d expect something more future-proof.
Still, I can’t deny that I love playing with this thing. Whether I’m cruising through Mario Kart , throwing fireballs in Street Fighter II , or revisiting Soulcalibur 2 in the GameCube Classics collection, this controller just feels right . The D-pad is tactile, the buttons are responsive, and it’s the first Nintendo gamepad in years that hasn’t made me miss my Xbox Elite controller—at least not immediately.
Battery life? After around 10 hours of gameplay, I was still sitting comfortably at 82%. Nintendo claims 40 hours, and that seems pretty plausible so far. But man, that price tag. If you’re a hardcore Nintendo fan or just want the best first-party experience, it’s a top-tier controller. But if you're looking for value or drift resistance, you might want to keep browsing. The Switch 2 Pro Controller is excellent—just maybe not $85 excellent.
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