The Nintendo Switch is the latest of Nintendo’s famed handheld consoles, but these versatile console devices can do more than play games on your standard Switch. In seconds, You can connect your joy cons to your PC or Mac. Do you want to know how to connect the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller to your laptop or PC?
While using your Switch Pro controller requires more work than using an Xbox or Playstation controller, it’s an excellent option if you already have the single controller from your Nintendo Switch Lite or another device. The Nintendo Switch Pro controller is the superior choice if you’re planning to play games on your large TV screen or tabletop mode.
By the way, if you want to know how to connect your Nintendo Switch to your laptop or quickly fix your PC’s GPU fan, we’ve written guides for those too!
So, if you’re playing games on your PC and want to use a controller like the Nintendo Switch, follow our guide.
How to Connect Nintendo Switch Pro Controller to Your PC
Bluetooth has allowed us to connect Nintendo Switch Pro Controllers to your PC, laptop, or even touch screen laptops. This Bluetooth method works for both the Switch Pro Controller and the Joy-Con controllers, so you can select the controller you want and game away on your PC.
Before we dive into how to connect these two, you’ll want to turn on the Bluetooth receiver on your laptop and your Nintendo Switch Pro Controllers. Keep these two devices close to one another to maximize the chance of connection. Here are the next steps you should be taking:
- Disconnect your pro controllers from the Nintendo Switch.
- A tiny, unlabeled button is left of the USB-C cable port. This is the sync button on your Nintendo Switch Pro Controller. Hold this button until the device begins to sync with your PC and appears on your Bluetooth settings.
- Once it appears on your device, you’ll want to pair the device with your computer.
If you aren’t having much luck pairing your Pro controller with your PC, ensure your controllers are not connected to your Switch. Usually, the quickest fix is pressing the power button on your PC and turning it off or on again or ensuring your laptop is fully charged.
How to Connect Nintendo Switch Pro Controller to Your Macbook
Thankfully, connecting your Nintendo Switch Pro Controller to your Macbook is almost the same process as with other devices, as the Macbook’s built Bluetooth capabilities allow you to select controllers with a few clicks of a button.
Here’s how you can easily pair your Nintendo Switch Pro Controller wirelessly to your Mac:
- Press the sync button on your Nintendo Switch Joy Con Controller or Pro Controller. It’s a small unlabeled button to the right of the USB-C port on your Pro Controller.
- Ensure your Mac’s Bluetooth settings are one, and the Pro Controller should pop up on your Nearby Devices.
It’s as simple as that. You don’t need a computer science degree to connect one controller to your Macbook.
Frequently Asked Questions
Connecting your Switch’s Pro wireless controller to your PC or Macbook is super easy; you can attach it to your PC or Mac via Bluetooth or USB cable. You should use the Pro Controller, as it resembles the console controllers and is more intuitive to use than the Joy-Con. The Joy-Con controllers can sometimes be registered as separate controllers, so you’ll have to either change grip or register the right and left joy con simultaneously, which can be awkward to decipher.
We’ve compiled the most frequently asked questions about using your Switch controller, but if you’re all sorted, then read our articles about how to maintain your GPU temperature or optimize your Macbook for gaming.
Where is the sync button on the switch controller?
If you’re talking about the Switch joy-con controller, you’ll need to press and hold the sync button on the top. If you’re connecting your controllers to your Switch, you can’t have your Nintendo Switch in sleep mode.
If you can’t sync your Pro controller easily, you’ll have to head to the previous screen on your Nintendo Switch to ensure that your controller is disconnected.
If you plan to connect it to your 2-in-1 laptop or use it as a gaming controller for your PC, then it’s best to use the Pro Controller.
How do I connect my controller to my Switch with cable?
It’s super simple; you only need to insert the USB cable to your Switch controller and the Nintendo Switch Dock. Wireless controllers are also easy to connect to your laptop but can sometimes be challenging to maintain if you’re playing far away from your monitor.
Why won’t my Nintendo Switch controller connect?
Sometimes the Nintendo Switch controllers act demanding and challenging to connect to your laptop, mainly if you use the controller’s wireless settings. If the controller icon isn’t popping up on your device, try to hold the sync button on your controller.
The joy-con system settings should also be reset if it isn’t being paired to your gaming laptop, but if that doesn’t fix the issue, then simply configuring your device by restarting it should do the trick.
Conclusion
Using your Nintendo Switch Pro Controller to play many different games is extremely useful to avoid purchasing an Xbox or PlayStation controller. The Pro Controller is as good as any other console controller and can easily fit in with a PC or Mac. Happy gaming!
Have you enjoyed this article? Please read our other articles to find the classic visual performance for your PC or find out the different PC case sizes explained.
Writer Graham Grieve brings two decades of technical communications experience to The Holy Tech coverage. Isaac contributes articles on laptops, tablets and PCs, alongside various software and hardware guides. Isaac is a former newspaper journalist who also worked in tech communications for some of the country’s biggest corporations. He also counsels and creates material for other technology publications and hosts a podcast.
Isaac’s in-depth reporting and knowledge of hardware and software issues helps The Holy Tech’s readers learn how to choose the right products, or solve tricky problems.