Cannot Join Controllers to Your Change 2? This is Why

The Switch 2’s Joy-Con 2 is stuffed with further performance, from upgraded gyros to the slick mouse mode, however generally you simply want a extra conventional gamepad to play your video games. The larger subject customers are experiencing this go-around is connecting all their previous units to the Nintendo’s new handheld. Gamers shortly discovered final week their authentic Professional controllers received’t wake the console, and which may be as a result of Nintendo altering up the connection protocols, leaving third-party units to fall behind the Change maker’s first-party controller choices.

Whereas a Change 2 Professional controller prices $85, third-party units are sometimes far more inexpensive. Gizmodo acquired a bounty of controllers from a number of producers for evaluate, together with a number of units from 8BitDo and Gulikit particularly to check them on the Change 2. Because the Switch 2 launch final Thursday, we’ve discovered the vast majority of our units take further effort and time to pair with the brand new console. Connecting them to an authentic Change is much extra seamless.

8BitDo’s controllers particularly merely refuse to speak with the Change 2. On Friday, the corporate launched new firmware for its Final and Final 2 controllers alongside the Professional 2 and SN30 controllers, in addition to the corporate’s USB Wi-fi Adapters. If you wish to maintain utilizing 8BitDo’s top-end gamepads, you’ll have to obtain the corporate’s Final or Replace Device software program to your Mac or PC after which put the controller into improve mode by hitting R1+L1+Begin on the similar time.

Gulikit—the makers of Hall effect joystick replacements and third-party controllers—additionally launched comparable firmware patches final week. In an e-mail to Gizmodo, Gulikit reps mentioned that of their exams, the Change 2 now makes use of a unique communication protocol than the unique Change. This implies the console wouldn’t have the ability to pair the identical method it had with earlier controllers used for the unique Change.

We reached out to Nintendo for remark, however we didn’t instantly hear again. Whereas attempting to troubleshoot our connection points, we discovered going into System Settings, then to Controllers & Settings and flipping on “Nintendo Change Professional Controller Wired Communication” helps join some wired controllers, although we nonetheless can’t affirm if that setting additionally helps you join with Bluetooth units.

There are nonetheless points connecting some third-party controllers. I nonetheless can’t pair an 8BitDo Micro controller with the Change 2, although the corporate instructed us that extra compatibility updates will probably be coming within the close to future. The Change 2 Pleasure-Con 2 and the remainder of Nintendo’s equipment, all the way down to the revised GameCube controller, all have a “C” button to attach with GameChat, which can have necessitated a unique communication protocol. Nonetheless, the shortage of clarification isn’t serving to common customers transition to Nintendo’s new handheld.

Third-party controllers are sometimes cheaper, however a superb variety of them additionally sport joysticks which may be extra interesting than what comes with Change 2. The $95 Pleasure-Con 2s don’t embody Corridor impact sticks, which might assist them higher keep away from the stick drift problems with the unique Change. In its teardown of the Change 2, iFixit wrote that the brand new Pleasure-Con 2 joysticks are nonetheless liable to float points, although which will depend upon how properly the border across the sticks can maintain out grime and particles. The restore gurus additional suspected the shortage of Corridor impact could also be because of the controller’s magnetic attachment factors, which might probably disrupt the Corridor impact technique to trace stick orientation—which depends on magnetic fields. Nintendo has not made a peep about its determination to maintain with what is basically the identical management mechanism as the unique Change.

Nintendo will substitute drifting Pleasure-Con 2 controllers without spending a dime pic.twitter.com/BLrTI3j8dZ

— Nintendeal (@Nintendeal) June 6, 2025

On the very least, should you purchase a Change 2 Pleasure-Con 2, you may count on Nintendo received’t fully depart you hanging. Final week, Nintendeal noticed that Nintendo will provide free replacements for U.S. prospects experiencing Pleasure-Con 2 stick drift or a number of different points. For those who’re going to spend near $100 on a pair of controllers, on the very least it is best to hope you’ll have the ability to use them lengthy into the Change 2’s life cycle.