How to connect a Nintendo Switch Joy-Con or Switch Pro Controllers to you PC or Mac

The Nintendo Switch is the fastest selling console in US History as I'd pointed out in my Geezam blog article entitled “How the Nintendo Switch is the hottest Gaming Console in US History”. 

One of the great selling points about the console is its use of regular Bluetooth Technology for its Joy-Cons and Switch Pro Controller. That potentially opens up the possibility of using them on a computer of Apple Mac.

After all, you can connect the Xbox Controller to a PC or Mac as noted in Geezam blog article entitled “How to connect Xbox One controller to any Computer or Laptop”.

So how do you do that, exactly?

Connecting Joy-Con or Switch Pro Controllers - Step by Step

The steps for connecting the Joy-Con or Switch Pro Controllers are as follows:

1.      Turn on Bluetooth on your PC or Mac.

2.      Disconnect the Joy-Con from the Nintendo Switch 

3.      Hold the “sync” button on the Joy-Con, located between the SR and SL buttons, until the LED lights start flashing.

4.      Look for the Joy-Con in your computer’s Bluetooth menu

5.      Select the option to pair it with your device.

If you’re having difficulty, this video may help for the Pro Controller.

And here is an alternate video for the Joy-Con.

The pairing lights on the Joy-Con won’t stop blinking, but you can confirm that the controller is connected. This is done by looking at your computer’s Bluetooth settings.

If you see an error message, move the controller and check for interference from other Bluetooth device trying to connect to your PC. So now that you have them connected, how do you use them?

Nintendo Switch Controllers - x360ce conversion of DirectInput to API XInput helps

First, I'll explain the Switch Pro Controller. The layout for the controller is as shown below:

The Pro Controller connects via the USB-C port on the bottom of the controller, similar to the Xbox controller or the PS$ Controller The sync button for the Pro Controller is located at the top of the controller, directly to the left of the USB-C plug.

It has a more traditional layout and can thus be played with a wider range of games than the Joy-Con Controllers, which are made specifically for the Nintendo Switch. Still, there are some hiccups as the Pro Controllers works well with some games but not with others.

This is because the Pro Controller uses DirectInput instead of the newer API XInput, making it incompatible with many newer games. To get around this problem you'll need to download the freeware program x360ce.

This program translates DirectInput commands for XInput games and was specifically designed for Xbox 360 controllers. So it's a match made in heaven for the Switch Pro Controller.

Things to consider - Bluetooth issues and Older Games play well

Oh..One more thing.

If you connect the controller wirelessly, remember this; that you can’t charge the Pro Controller while it’s paired via Bluetooth. The Pro Controller has exceptional battery life, roughly 40-plus hours on a full charge. So charging it for about 5- 12 hours before play is not a bad idea!

The Bluetooth connection can connect and disconnect and is easily interrupted by interfering devices, especially when playing with the Joy-Con Controllers. If you’ve had connectivity issues with your left Joy-Con on Switch, you may run into similar problems on other devices.

Make sure there are no physical obstructions between you holding the Joy-Con and the PC...even if your little sister climbs into your lap. Finally, aside from Steam games, the Joy-Cons and Pro Controller support older DirectInput API.

Albeit it won't allow you to play newer games, at least you can enjoy the nostalgia of emulated games a lot better as noted in my MICO Wars blog article entitled “How to use OpenEmu to Play Retro Games with USB Game Controllers on your Apple Mac”.

  

Sharing is caring so share this with your friends and children who have rediscovered how awesome Nintendo is and why they are No. 1.