Just as the Nintendo Switch launched with the Switch Pro Controller to use in lieu of its detachable Joy-Con, the Switch 2 launches with the Switch 2 Pro Controller. Like the Switch 2 to the Switch, the $84.99 Switch 2 Pro Controller is a solid upgrade over its predecessor, with a higher price to match (the original Switch Pro is $69.99). It adds new features like programmable rear buttons and a headset jack that help justify the premium, along with several material refinements that give the gamepad a much more high-end feel. So while it's pricey, the Switch 2 Pro should be the first controller you reach for if you frequently use the system in docked mode, and that makes it our Editors' Choice award winner.

Design: Subtle Upgrades

If the name doesn't make it clear, the Switch 2 Pro Controller is intended to work with the Switch 2. It will not officially work with any other device, including the original Switch or a PC. However, enthusiasts will likely create some form of workaround to let it function as a PC gamepad. Official Steam support might come down the line, just like with the first Pro Controller.

The Switch 2 Pro Controller looks similar to the original, with long grips and gentle curves that fit comfortably in your hand. Its shell is a satiny plastic that's smoother than the subtly textured grip of the original and pleasant to touch. The gamepad isn't completely black like the previous Pro Controller, though; it has light gray accents around the analog sticks, top panel, and shoulder buttons. The package looks and feels a bit more polished than the slightly glossy and partially translucent Switch Pro Controller. 

(Credit: Will Greenwald)

The main control layout is almost completely unchanged, with offset analog sticks, large A/B/X/Y face buttons, a plus-shaped direction pad, and two pairs of bumper/trigger buttons. Although they're arranged the same, some components have been refined. The analog sticks are silky smooth in motion and are almost silent when pushed to their limit (instead of tapping loudly against the gamepad's casing). The face buttons and direction pad are also quieter, without losing any of their springiness. The plus and minus buttons are slightly raised, making them easier to press.

Features: New Buttons and a Headset Jack

Subtle refinements are only the start of the upgrades. The Switch 2 Pro also has three important features that the original lacked. First, it joins the Joy-Con 2 controllers in GameChat functionality via a small, square C button located between the direction pad and right analog stick. Like on the Joy-Con 2 pads, this button launches the GameChat menu and lets you start or join voice and video groups.

(Credit: Will Greenwald)

Second, the gamepad has a 3.5mm headset jack just like the DualSense and Xbox Wireless Controller. So, if you have a wired gaming headset, simply plug it into the controller and use it instead of the Switch 2's microphone and your TV's speakers. The jack is located on the gamepad's bottom edge between the grips, where the status LEDs were on the original Pro Controller (those lights are relocated to the top panel next to the USB-C port and pairing button).

Third, the Switch 2 Pro Controller follows in the footsteps of other high-end gamepads like the DualSense Edge and the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller by adding programmable rear buttons. These GL and GR buttons sit flush on the back of the grips, right where your middle fingers naturally rest. You can set them to act like any single digital control input, such as the face buttons, shoulder buttons, direction pad presses, and analog stick clicks.

You access the GL and GR button-mapping menu by holding the Home button for a second. This lets you change what the buttons do with only a few presses. These settings are saved on a per-game basis, which is convenient. For example, you can have GL and GR act as LB and LR in Street Fighter 6 (Drive Impact and Drive Parry) or as LT and RT in Mario Kart World (Items and Drifting).

(Credit: Will Greenwald)

Quick menu GL and GR settings are separate from the full-button remapping available in the Switch 2's Accessibility menu. You can completely rearrange the Pro Controller’s controls on a system level and save presets. These customizations are the same across all games and must be manually switched.

Besides the physical controls, the Switch 2 Pro Controller has the same extra functions as the first one, including motion controls and an NFC sensor for reading Amiibo. It also has vibration, specifically the same HD Rumble 2 as the Joy-Con 2 controllers, which gives detailed feedback in games that support it.

(Credit: Will Greenwald)

Battery Life: Dozens of Hours

Nintendo estimates the Switch 2 Pro Controller's battery to last about 40 hours between charges, which seems in line with my tests. According to the console, two dozen hours of gaming took the gamepad a bit below the 50% mark. That's comparable with the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller and far longer than the DualSense Edge's meager six-hour battery life.

Performance: Smooth and Responsive

I played several games with the Switch 2 Pro Controller, and they worked perfectly. Precision platforming in Hollow Knight felt natural, and I could reliably perform moves and counters in Street Fighter 6. The analog sticks made for effortless steering in Mario Kart World, and the motion controls were accurate while aiming in Splatoon 3.

The Switch 2 Pro Controller simply feels better as a full gamepad than the Joy-Con 2 in the system's included gamepad grip. It's more comfortable to hold, and its components are better suited to the control style since they aren't designed around Joy-Con 2's modular, portable aspects. Likewise, the directional inputs are better than the Joy-Con 2's; I've already gushed about the tactile response of the analog sticks, but the plus-shaped directional pad is a superior way to input digital directions than the left Joy-Con's four face buttons.

The headphone jack worked as expected, too, piping sound through my wired headphones with no problem. That's probably the least important part of the Pro Controller, since the Switch 2 already supports Bluetooth headphones.