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Nintendo Switch controllers will soon be compatible with Google Chrome

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Nintendo Switch controllers, namely the Joy-Cons and the Pro controller, will soon be supported by Google Chrome, showcasing Google’s future plans for gaming.

A new commit titled “Improve support for Nintendo Switch gamepads” was spotted in Chromium’s Gerrit source code management by 9to5Google. The Nintendo Switch Pro controller had early support on Linux, but the new code looks to expand compatibility by adding the Joy-Cons.

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Instead of just improving support for the Nintendo Switch Pro controller, which may be connected through USB and Bluetooth, the commit also seeks to add Chrome support for Bluetooth connections with Joy-Cons, both as a pair and as separate devices, and even the Joy-Con Charging Grip through USB.

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Chrome’s support is possible through the standard Gamepad API, which means that developers will be able to easily enable Nintendo Switch controllers in their games and apps. There is no definite timeline yet as to when the support for the Nintendo Switch Pro controllers and Joy-Cons will be added to Google Chrome.

The addition of support for the devices to Google Chrome is not really a groundbreaking move as of now, as there are a limited number of online games and apps that will offer an improved experience through Nintendo Switch controllers. The importance of the code lies in Google’s future plans in gaming.

Google is set to be part of the Game Developers Conference, where it will reportedly reveal its gaming hardware for Project Yeti, which includes the Project Stream game streaming service and a console that will utilize it.

Project Stream ended its three-month demo in January, in which gamers played Assassin’s Creed Odyssey on their Google Chrome browsers. The commit for Nintendo Switch controller support is likely tied to future iterations of Project Stream, to allow games to use the controllers on the game streaming service.

The code for Nintendo Switch controller support on Chrome comes after the discovery of patent for a controller that may come with the rumored Google gaming console. The document, filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, reveals a design that looks similar to the PlayStation 4 DualShock controller, with Yanko Design editor Sarang Sheth creating unofficial renders on what the Google gaming controller may look like.

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Aaron Mamiit
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