The new Switch 2 Pro Controller has some big improvements

By Willa Rowe Published April 2, 2025

A overhead view of a Switch 2 Pro controller. — Nintendo

Not to be outdone by the Switch 2 itself, the already great Pro Controller is getting an upgrade. The Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller will launch on the same day as the console, that’s June 5, and will bring some much needed improvements for gamers to take advantage of. The key features to get excited about are an audio jack, the new C button, and back buttons!

Visually the Switch 2 Pro Controller looks a lot like it’s predecessor, with a cool black finish. This time around, however, we have a silver accent on the shoulder buttons that brings to mind Xbox’s Elite Controller. In the center, the C button has been added to let players use the Switch 2’s new GameChat feature to talk and share screen capture with friends.

Swtich 2 Pro Controller view from below showing GR and GL back buttons. — Nintendo

An audio jack at the bottom of the controller will let you connect headphones, which might not sound like a super high tech upgrade but feels welcome all the same. I personally can’t tell you how many times I wish every controller had this feature, as it makes connecting some high quality headphones to a console that much easier.

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The big addition is of course back buttons! The new GR and GL buttons are placed on the inner grip of the control, as many high end controllers have featured in recent years, in order to give players more input customization. Nintendo confirmed that the Switch 2 Pro controllers back buttons can be assigned any other input. I can already imagine how much easier it will be to use Tears in Elden Ring thanks to this.

For all the other news out of the Switch 2 Direct, check out our liveblog.

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Willa is a freelance games critic based in NY. She hosts the Girl Mode podcast and previously wrote for Inverse and Kotaku.

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