Nintendo Switch Now Compatible With These Third-Party Classic Controllers

If you've been hoping for a classic controller to play Nintendo Switch games with, now you can. Third-party peripheral manufacturer 8bitdo announced today that its line of controllers received a firmware update that now allows them to work on Switch.

The company makes several retro-style controllers evocative of NES, SNES, Famicom, and Super Famicom controllers, and all of these now can be paired via Bluetooth with Switch. Not all controllers work with every Switch game, as some of 8Bitdo's products have fewer buttons than the Joy-Cons. However, the NES30 Pro and the FC30 Pro have enough buttons to fully support Switch button configurations.

We've tested them out and they work great for classic games like the Neo Geo ports available on the eShop. They'll likely also be good for the upcoming Switch port of Street Fighter 2. Not surprisingly, these controllers don't support Switch-specific features like HD Rumble or Amiibo support, but they're still cool. You can find the instructions for how to pair the controllers with your Switch here.

8Bitdo's controllers also work with PC and Android devices. They range in price from $35 for the standard NES and SNES controllers to $43 for the Pro versions.