Can You Use A Third-Party Controller For Your Nintendo Switch 2?

​​It’s been a long time coming, but the Nintendo Switch 2 finally went on sale on June 5, 2025, and sold more than 3.5 million units worldwide in its first four days on the market. While some continue to wonder if the Nintendo Switch 2 is worth the upgrade, others have been busy with launch titles like Mario Kart World and Street Fighter 6. There’s a lot to like about the new console, including its larger 7.9″ 1080p screen, faster performance, 256GB internal storage, plus full backward compatibility with first‑party accessories like Joy‑Con, Pro Controller, NES/SNES pads, and even the GameCube adapter. However, there’s one question on the mind of many Switch 2 owners that hasn’t been answered: third-party controller compatibility. While Nintendo has confirmed official support for its own controllers, it hasn’t said anything about third-party alternatives.

Even though Nintendo has been silent on the issue, early testing by content creators has become the only way to find out. Based on the results so far, there’s room for cautious optimism. Third-party controllers like Mobapad, GuliKit, and 8BitDo appear to pair and work properly with the Switch 2. In fact, Mobapad has released a firmware update enabling full Switch 2 support via Bluetooth or 2.4 GHz wireless, which the company says makes its controllers compatible and ready to play. Meanwhile, Gulkit has also confirmed its controllers are compatible with the Switch 2 and say they can even wake the console. We’ll have to wait and see if other third-party brands follow suit with their own firmware updates.

If you bought a replacement controller for the original Nintendo Switch to avoid Joy-Con drift, you may be wondering if it’ll work with the new console. Nintendo has confirmed that its official Switch controllers, like the Joy-Con and Pro Controller, as well as compatible wireless controllers made for Switch Online, including NES, SNES, N64, and Sega Genesis models, work wirelessly with the Switch 2. However, the video game giant has not mentioned third-party brands such as 8BitDo, PowerA, Mobapad, or GuliKit on its compatibility page, which implies any support for those accessories is still unofficial at best.

The silence from Nintendo hasn’t stopped players from trying third-party controllers with the Switch 2 to see if they work. A few videos have already popped up showing that third-party controllers can indeed be paired with the Switch 2. A YouTube video from CantoHouse titled “Testing EVERY Nintendo Switch 2 Third Party Controller & Joy‑Con” shows a couple of popular third-party controllers, including the CRKD Nitro Deck and the NYXI Wizard Joy-pad Wireless, working with the Switch 2. However, which controllers ended up working was hit or miss, as you can see in the video. 

You should keep in mind that third-party controllers often lack full system integration and may not trigger sleep/wake on their own. They may also require firmware updates to match new Switch 2 protocols. That means we’ll have to wait until Nintendo issues an official list or full support documentation; compatibility will mostly depend on each controller’s hardware and its manufacturer’s software updates. In the meantime, as you get your setup ready, avoid removing your Nintendo Switch 2’s screen protector layer when you sit down to play.