Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller Review

I’m not proud of the real reason I bought a Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller, especially since I already own two Switch Pro controllers, but let’s talk about the reason I did and maybe figure out if it’s worth it for you.

SHOULD I BUY A SWITCH 2 PRO CONTROLLER?

To begin with, The Switch 2 Pro controller gives a much more refined and mature look with a black opaque, matte finish. It also feels much lighter in the hands, despite only being around 5% lighter or about 12 grams less (247g vs 235g).

One of the most impressive features of the original Switch Pro controller was the battery life. It felt as though it never needed to be charged. Impressive battery life returns with the same 40 hours per charge, but thanks to advancements in technology, the Switch 2 Pro Controller now has the ability to charge nearly twice as fast, allowing it to reach full charge in a little over 3 hours.

As for the truly new features of The Switch 2 Pro Controller, the backside features two new triggers on the back, allowing you to remap buttons if you have the dexterity to use them. The front is where you will find the new C button, which fully integrate the highly publicized GameChat feature. Moving to the bottom of the controller is where you will find a 3.5mm headphone jack, which can be used to hear the buzz of a Blue Shell in Mario Kart World for a slight edge, but it would also be where you could connect a headset for chatting over GameChat.

The price is a little steep and also around 20 dollars more than the Switch Pro Controller, watching some teardown videos shows a lack of simple repairability and sadly it still uses the same joystick technology from the last Nintendo Switch generation, which does lead to some concern for stick drift down the road, however the Pro Controller served me very well from 2017 to 2025 without any issues and I fully expect the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller to be just as reliable.

IS THE SWITCH 2 PRO CONTROLLER WORTH IT?

If any or all of these reasons weren’t good enough to make you consider upgrading from the Switch Pro Controller, the reason that pushed me over the edge might. The Switch Pro Controller works perfectly with the Nintendo Switch 2, but it obviously lacks some functionality, mainly being the ability to turn on the Nintendo Switch 2 using the home button. If you’re like me, your TV and Nintendo Switch 2 work in harmony, meaning that when I turn on the Nintendo Switch 2, it also turns on my TV and changes to the proper input.

Without the Switch 2 Pro Controller, I don’t have this ability, which means that every time I want to play Mario Kart World or Donkey Kong Bananza, I have to walk over to the Nintendo Switch 2 and manually turn it on. Being lazy, this was enough reason for me to buy a Switch 2 Pro Controller. Everything else was just a nice bonus.