How to use a Nintendo Switch Pro controller on your PC

Nintendo Switch Pro controller held in a person's left hand

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

As one of the all-time Nintendo Switch controllers, knowing how to utilise a Nintendo Switch Pro controller on your PC gives you the all-time of both worlds. The Nintendo Switch Pro is a delight to apply, and is far more comfortable than the Joy Cons which come with the Switch. It's one of the nicest pads ever made, so information technology's but natural you'd want to use it as much as possible.

Fortunately, Nintendo has made it like shooting fish in a barrel to use the Switch Pro controller work with PC, either wired using a USB-C cable or wirelessly over Bluetooth. Though the keyboard/mouse combo is one that some gaming puritans would never give up, using a joypad for sports games or a few sessions of Rocket League every now and then is a welcome alter.

It may non offering the avant-garde options y'all can get by using a DualSense controller with PC, but in terms of comfort and stamina, the Switch Pro pad and its superhuman battery life remains extremely hard to beat.

Here's how to use your Nintendo Switch Pro controller on your PC.

How to use a Nintendo Switch Pro controller on your PC (wired)

In that location'southward really not much to this method, but…

1. Grab a USB-C cable and plug one terminate into the top of the Switch Pro controller, and the other into your PC.

How to use a Nintendo Switch controller on PC — (Image credit: Nintendo)

2. Windows should detect and identify the Nintendo Switch controller, and y'all'll encounter a modest notification in the task bar telling you when it'due south done.

How to use a Nintendo Switch Pro controller on PC (wireless)

To use the Switch Pro controller on your PC wirelessly, you'll either need to have Bluetooth congenital in, or take a Bluetooth dongle lying around. Assuming you practise, here'due south how you connect your Switch Pro controller to PC via Bluetooth.

one. Press the Start button, and and so press "Settings".

2. In the window that opens, select "Devices," which is the second choice on the top row.

3. Make sure the Bluetooth toggle is switched on, and and so printing "Add Bluetooth or other device."

4. You now have to choose the kind of device you lot want to connect. Ignore the mention of Xbox controllers at the bottom, and press the peak option: "Bluetooth."

five. You now need to put your Switch Pro controller in pairing mode. Pick information technology up and find the small button on the left side of the charging port (number 2 in the diagram below – thanks Nintendo!).

Press and concur the button until the ready of lights on the underside of the pad (marked six in the prototype above) starts flashing back and forth.

6. Back on your figurer, a list volition accept begun to fill featuring Bluetooth devices that can be connected. The Switch Pro controller will appear here, and it'south thankfully easy to spot, named only "Pro Controller.'' Click this option.

7. All being well, you'll get confirmation with the words "Your device is set to go!" Once you've seen this message, your gamepad is connected.

How to setup the Nintendo Switch Pro controller in Steam

Before you begin to play with your Nintendo Switch Pro controller on PC, you lot'll want to practise a footling finetuning on Steam.

1. Sign into Steam, and printing the Steam carte du jour button in the elevation-left mitt corner of the window. Select "Settings" in the drop-down menu.

2. From the card that appears, select "Controller". This will open a new panel on the right, where you need to cull "General Controller Settings."

3. Select "Switch Pro Configuration Back up" so that Steam knows what kind of gamepad it'due south working with.

When you practise this, you'll run into an extra pick that lets you lot use the "Nintendo Push button Layout." This is considering Nintendo'due south positioning for A, B, Ten and Y differs from Microsoft's on the Xbox controller, Yous can either make the Switch Pro Controller mirror this, or have it the way Nintendo intended.

4. You lot're now costless to customize the Nintendo Switch Pro controller as much as yous similar. Get dorsum to the previous card and select "Big Motion-picture show Configuration" and you lot can tweak everything to your liking.

How to use the Nintendo Switch Pro controller with not-Steam games.

But what nigh your non-Steam games? Well, you can mess around with programs like X360ce if you like, only an easier solution is to just bring your non-Steam games into Steam. Hither's how.

1. Sign into Steam again, and select the option labelled "Games" along the top bar. From the drop-down menu that appears, choose "Add a Not-Steam Game to My Library."

2. A new window will appear that will list a whole agglomeration of applications from your reckoner. Just observe the games you want to add, select them, and and then printing "Add Selected Programs."

Now yous know how to use a Nintendo Switch Pro controller on your PC, check out some of our other Nintendo Switch guides, including how to add friends on Nintendo Switch and how to Connect Nintendo Switch to a Goggle box. And if you've recently upgraded, have a await at how to transfer Switch data to your new Switch OLED.

Freelance contributor Alan has been writing well-nigh tech for over a decade, covering phones, drones and everything in between. Previously Deputy Editor of tech site Alphr, his words are found all over the web and in the occasional mag too. When not weighing up the pros and cons of the latest smartwatch, you'll probably detect him tackling his always-growing games backlog. Or, more probable, playing Spelunky for the millionth time.