Gaming is good and fun and all, but sometimes you just really need to use your Nintendo Switch controllers on your PC.
There are lots of reasons for this, but the main one is probably that the Pro controller is damn near perfect, and you'd be a fool to not want to use it as often as possible on as many things as possible. That's why you might want to know how to connect your Nintendo Switch controller to Windows 10. Well, we're here to help.
The first way is the easiest way, and that's all thanks to the magic of Bluetooth. Now, both the Joy-Con controllers and the Pro-Controllers use Bluetooth, but there is a key difference when setting them up. We'll get to that, but let's go through the basic steps first.
- Turn on the Bluetooth on your computer, make sure your Bluetooth adaptor is plugged in or you PC has it built-in already.
- Disconnect your controller from the Switch
- Hold the Sync button on the controller until the LED light starts flashing
- Go into the Bluetooth menu on your PC and select the controller you want to use.
Keep in mind that the two Joy-Con will be treated as separate controllers when pairing, so it's usually better to stick with the Pro Controller. That being said, the Pro Controller uses a different kind of input to what your PC is used to, so you'll need to download x360ce, which is an excellent freeware program that will help you make things work properly.
The other way is Steam-specific. All you have to do with this one is go into the Steam settings and activate the support for the Switch Pro Controller, then make sure that the Use Nintendo button layout option is enabled. All you have to do at this point is use a USB cable to connect your Pro Controller to the PC, and you're golden. You may have to run through key-mapping every so often, but it's worth it for the wonderful feel of the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller.
If you've got other controllers lying around not doing anything, not paying rent, and not even connecting to your PC, then you can change that too. Just have a read of our guide on how to pair a PS4 or Xbox One controller to your Windows 10 PC, then you too can play with any controller you want. The sky's the limit really.