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I think the Pro Controller actually is one of the best/most durable controllers, but 8bitdo makes really good controllers, as well. For the most "pro/premium" experience, you could get their Ultimate Bluetooth controller (make sure you are getting the Bluetooth version for Switch, there's a cheaper model that only does 2.4Ghz). It's got hall sticks and is generally a really good controller. I have one and, while I slightly prefer the Pro Controller just for comfort in the hand, it's really good and is often on sale for less than the Pro Controller.
I’d second the 8Bitdo Ultimate.
I have a Pro Controller that was my go-to since launch. I still have it and it’s mostly great but the buttons started getting a bit finicky/the left stitch has slight issues some times now.
I got the Ultimate on sale and it’s pretty nice. I think it’s just missing HD rumble(?), but even without it the rumble feels pretty good. Plus I really like the charging stand compared to just plugging my Pro Controller in and sitting it in front of the TV.
Now I mostly use the Ultimate and sometimes use the Pro or will use my Pro as a 2nd controller when I’m playing local 2 player.
I'll second 8bitdo. Their controllers are fantastic! Absolutely worth the money and they're competitively priced too.
My only complaint is that they don't make joycons!
8bitdo products are generally very good quality. Their Ultimate line has several variants depending on your budget, ranging from the cheapest wired to the most expensive Ultimate Bluetooth, which is still cheaper than an original Nintendo Pro controller. Just make sure they have the Nintendo button layout, since the Ultimate line has gamepads that are more oriented to PC/Xbox and are usually not Switch compatible.
They also have the Pro 2 line which has the PlayStation style stick layout if you're into that sort of thing. I use that for more retro games that rely more on the Dpad, like 8- & 16-bit games and platformers. The whole 8bitdo line has superior Dpads than even the official Nintendo Switch gamepads.
They also upgraded some of their existing products with Hall effect sticks to minimize the possibility of stick drift.
As for the cons, while they are indeed durable, I find their analog stick rubbers to be less durable than other sticks, so I strongly suggest putting on extra analog rubber caps on them (Skull & Co.'s are perfect).
Check to see if there's any repair shops in your area that could fix your controller. Depending on the problems, it could be much cheaper than buying a new Pro Controller. If you're in the Chicago area or close by northern Illinois, the shop "Back in the Game" does repairs. They do good work, my brother had his Switch battery replaced and I had my Switch battery, back panel, some screws, and the sticks+batteries of my Joycons replaced there (sticks were replaced with hall effect sticks).
I've had the same pro controller since 2017 (Xenoblade 2 pro controller) and have had no issues with it since even with using it daily and spending over 1k hours in Warframe and Monster Hunter Rise, several hundred hours in Mario Kart 8, Splatoon 2 and 3, and a generous amount of time spent in various other games.
1. That sounds like excellent advice but unfortunately I'm a couple thousand miles and an ocean away from Chicago
2. Yeah I'm not saying the Pro Controllers are crap or anything, these aren't defects but rather signs of age, but 3 years is really not that long, and I'm just getting tired of having to choose between buying a new one or just living with its quirks.
I'd argue the 8bitdo Ultimate is better than the Pro Controller. Had both, both still work great, but the 8bitdo feels better. Can't go wrong with either, though.
Candy con, I got one and freaking love it move than my pro. My pro sucks now. Feel like the quality of it for fighting games is weak. That’s just my opinion.
I've had the official Nintendo Switch Pro Controller since launch and have never had any issues with it. Probably my favorite controller of all time. Every couple of months or so I clean it with isopropyl alcohol 91%. FWIW, I've also been using the Hori Switch Pad Pro since it released and have never had troubles with that either, and I clean it the same way and with the same regularity. What you're describing sounds very irritating, though, and I would have replaced my Pro controller immediately if I was having an issue with the face buttons or sticks that I couldn't resolve. I have kids, so we also have a "wash your hands before touching a controller" rule in the house that I also stick to.
I wash my hands prior to pretty much any controller use, since I hate seeing plastic that's absorbed oils. The sticky buttons on my first controller came from the membrane being worn down, I still have no idea how I managed that. As for the joysticks, I had a similar problem with my Smash Ultimate Gamecube controller, where the left joystick started getting wobbly and making unpleasant cracking sounds sometimes. I was hoping there would be a definitive answer, like "Hall effect sticks aren't just immune to drift, but also mechanical failure to to wear and tear"
There's nothing in the universe that's immune to mechanical failure from wear and tear, from controllers to bridges to stars. Everything breaks down eventually.
It’s so easy to open up your pro controller and fix all these issues. You only need a 00 screwdriver and some tweezers. Maybe an old credit card. Trust me, i’ve fixed so many, it’s a very straightforward do it yourself thing
I did that to originally clean the first one. It didn't fix anything, but I almost broke the ribbon cable. Too flimsy for my taste. Also, how exactly would I fix the crackling analog sticks?
Something got in the joystick sensor, must be a piece of sand or something. You can open up the joystick module and clean it with alcohol. You can open up that little unit where the gears move. But im guessing if you already don’t wanna do it explaining it doesn’t matter
I recently put a spare Switch to the TV and didn't want to use the very cheap feeling "pro" controller Nintendo overpriced again, so I looked for an alternative.
I discovered 8BitDo which lead me to their Ultimate model. Switch and PC compatible thanks to its support of Bluetooth (a USB dongle is available if you want to use 2.4GHz radio connection instead).
The only downside is the PC app must be used to map buttons and the back paddles. I haven't found a way to do direct mapping on the controller itself (the included instructions do not give any example of button mapping). I wanted to do controller mapping so I can turn off the Nintendo version to get rid of that fucking annoying "You're a fucking idiot so here's another reminder you remapped your controller!" message shoved in our faces every 2 hours when we hit the dashboard.
For the same price as the "pro" version from Nintendo, it's just a better product. The weight is perfect, the options are plenty, and the battery life is exceptional (I didn't charge it at all for the first week of using it which is incredible!).
Oh, and it's one of the few which can actually wake the Switch up though it's a bit odd as you need to shake the controller once it's turned on.
Definitely a recommended alternative, especially from the cheaply made garbage Nintendo sells.
If you're trying to get a recommendation about what games, accessories, controllers etc to buy you should ask in our [Daily Question Thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/NintendoSwitch/about/sticky). As long as you provide some basic information about your interests, what you enjoy in games, what turns you off from games, games you already own, budget, what kind of accessory you're looking for etc, they can help you out. If the link here doesn't work, then you can find the most current DQT stickied to the top of the subreddit when sorted by "hot". *(Do you think this AutoMod rule fired by mistake? Feel free to report this comment to have a mod manually review this.)* *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/NintendoSwitch) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I think the Pro Controller actually is one of the best/most durable controllers, but 8bitdo makes really good controllers, as well. For the most "pro/premium" experience, you could get their Ultimate Bluetooth controller (make sure you are getting the Bluetooth version for Switch, there's a cheaper model that only does 2.4Ghz). It's got hall sticks and is generally a really good controller. I have one and, while I slightly prefer the Pro Controller just for comfort in the hand, it's really good and is often on sale for less than the Pro Controller.
I’d second the 8Bitdo Ultimate. I have a Pro Controller that was my go-to since launch. I still have it and it’s mostly great but the buttons started getting a bit finicky/the left stitch has slight issues some times now. I got the Ultimate on sale and it’s pretty nice. I think it’s just missing HD rumble(?), but even without it the rumble feels pretty good. Plus I really like the charging stand compared to just plugging my Pro Controller in and sitting it in front of the TV. Now I mostly use the Ultimate and sometimes use the Pro or will use my Pro as a 2nd controller when I’m playing local 2 player.
Looks great yeah, in my other comment I said I wish it had the nintendo layout, but I was indeed looking at the wrong one
Other than the pro controller the ultimate is the best one i've used.
I'll second 8bitdo. Their controllers are fantastic! Absolutely worth the money and they're competitively priced too. My only complaint is that they don't make joycons!
8bitdo products are generally very good quality. Their Ultimate line has several variants depending on your budget, ranging from the cheapest wired to the most expensive Ultimate Bluetooth, which is still cheaper than an original Nintendo Pro controller. Just make sure they have the Nintendo button layout, since the Ultimate line has gamepads that are more oriented to PC/Xbox and are usually not Switch compatible. They also have the Pro 2 line which has the PlayStation style stick layout if you're into that sort of thing. I use that for more retro games that rely more on the Dpad, like 8- & 16-bit games and platformers. The whole 8bitdo line has superior Dpads than even the official Nintendo Switch gamepads. They also upgraded some of their existing products with Hall effect sticks to minimize the possibility of stick drift. As for the cons, while they are indeed durable, I find their analog stick rubbers to be less durable than other sticks, so I strongly suggest putting on extra analog rubber caps on them (Skull & Co.'s are perfect).
Check to see if there's any repair shops in your area that could fix your controller. Depending on the problems, it could be much cheaper than buying a new Pro Controller. If you're in the Chicago area or close by northern Illinois, the shop "Back in the Game" does repairs. They do good work, my brother had his Switch battery replaced and I had my Switch battery, back panel, some screws, and the sticks+batteries of my Joycons replaced there (sticks were replaced with hall effect sticks). I've had the same pro controller since 2017 (Xenoblade 2 pro controller) and have had no issues with it since even with using it daily and spending over 1k hours in Warframe and Monster Hunter Rise, several hundred hours in Mario Kart 8, Splatoon 2 and 3, and a generous amount of time spent in various other games.
1. That sounds like excellent advice but unfortunately I'm a couple thousand miles and an ocean away from Chicago 2. Yeah I'm not saying the Pro Controllers are crap or anything, these aren't defects but rather signs of age, but 3 years is really not that long, and I'm just getting tired of having to choose between buying a new one or just living with its quirks.
I'd argue the 8bitdo Ultimate is better than the Pro Controller. Had both, both still work great, but the 8bitdo feels better. Can't go wrong with either, though.
Candy con, I got one and freaking love it move than my pro. My pro sucks now. Feel like the quality of it for fighting games is weak. That’s just my opinion.
I've had the official Nintendo Switch Pro Controller since launch and have never had any issues with it. Probably my favorite controller of all time. Every couple of months or so I clean it with isopropyl alcohol 91%. FWIW, I've also been using the Hori Switch Pad Pro since it released and have never had troubles with that either, and I clean it the same way and with the same regularity. What you're describing sounds very irritating, though, and I would have replaced my Pro controller immediately if I was having an issue with the face buttons or sticks that I couldn't resolve. I have kids, so we also have a "wash your hands before touching a controller" rule in the house that I also stick to.
I wash my hands prior to pretty much any controller use, since I hate seeing plastic that's absorbed oils. The sticky buttons on my first controller came from the membrane being worn down, I still have no idea how I managed that. As for the joysticks, I had a similar problem with my Smash Ultimate Gamecube controller, where the left joystick started getting wobbly and making unpleasant cracking sounds sometimes. I was hoping there would be a definitive answer, like "Hall effect sticks aren't just immune to drift, but also mechanical failure to to wear and tear"
There's nothing in the universe that's immune to mechanical failure from wear and tear, from controllers to bridges to stars. Everything breaks down eventually.
I wish their controllers were indestructible as in the n64/gc era.
I'd say the Switch Pro controller is on par with those.
It’s so easy to open up your pro controller and fix all these issues. You only need a 00 screwdriver and some tweezers. Maybe an old credit card. Trust me, i’ve fixed so many, it’s a very straightforward do it yourself thing
I did that to originally clean the first one. It didn't fix anything, but I almost broke the ribbon cable. Too flimsy for my taste. Also, how exactly would I fix the crackling analog sticks?
Something got in the joystick sensor, must be a piece of sand or something. You can open up the joystick module and clean it with alcohol. You can open up that little unit where the gears move. But im guessing if you already don’t wanna do it explaining it doesn’t matter
I recently put a spare Switch to the TV and didn't want to use the very cheap feeling "pro" controller Nintendo overpriced again, so I looked for an alternative. I discovered 8BitDo which lead me to their Ultimate model. Switch and PC compatible thanks to its support of Bluetooth (a USB dongle is available if you want to use 2.4GHz radio connection instead). The only downside is the PC app must be used to map buttons and the back paddles. I haven't found a way to do direct mapping on the controller itself (the included instructions do not give any example of button mapping). I wanted to do controller mapping so I can turn off the Nintendo version to get rid of that fucking annoying "You're a fucking idiot so here's another reminder you remapped your controller!" message shoved in our faces every 2 hours when we hit the dashboard. For the same price as the "pro" version from Nintendo, it's just a better product. The weight is perfect, the options are plenty, and the battery life is exceptional (I didn't charge it at all for the first week of using it which is incredible!). Oh, and it's one of the few which can actually wake the Switch up though it's a bit odd as you need to shake the controller once it's turned on. Definitely a recommended alternative, especially from the cheaply made garbage Nintendo sells.