Controller tester / Connection guides
How to connect a Switch Pro Controller to a PC
The Pro Controller connects to a PC by USB-C or Bluetooth in a minute. Steam is the easy way to play with it, because many PC games don't recognise it on their own. The box below turns green when your PC sees it.
No controller detected yet
Follow the steps below, then press any button on the controller. This box turns green when the connection works.
Plug it in with a USB-C cable
Connect the Pro Controller to your PC with a USB-C data cable and press a button. Windows recognises it without a download. If nothing happens, try a different cable, since many only charge.
Or pair it over Bluetooth
Hold the small round sync button on top of the controller, next to the USB-C port, until the four player lights along the bottom start running back and forth.
On Windows 11, open Settings › Bluetooth & devices › Add device › Bluetooth; on Windows 10, Settings › Devices › Bluetooth & other devices › Add Bluetooth or other device › Bluetooth. Choose Pro Controller. On a Mac, open System Settings › Bluetooth; recent versions of macOS support it.
Set it up in Steam
Open Steam › Settings › Controller and turn on Steam Input for Switch Pro controllers. Steam then lets the Pro Controller work in games that expect an Xbox controller. Steam can also follow the Nintendo button layout, where A and B, and X and Y, sit the other way round to an Xbox pad; pick whichever matches the labels you want to see.
Games outside Steam
Add the game to Steam as a non-Steam game so Steam Input can translate for it. Without Steam, open-source tools such as BetterJoy can present the Pro Controller as an Xbox controller.
Check every button and stick
Once the box above is green, open the Switch Pro Controller tester to see every button and both sticks live, and run the drift test if a stick moves on its own.
Questions
Why isn't my Pro Controller detected on PC?
With a cable, swap to one that carries data. For Bluetooth, the player lights must be running back and forth after you hold the sync button; if they stop, press it again. Keep your Switch off or out of range so the controller doesn't reconnect to it.
Why are A and B swapped in my game?
PC games follow the Xbox layout, where A is the bottom button. The Pro Controller has B at the bottom. Change Steam's Nintendo button layout setting, or remap the buttons in the game.
Do ZL and ZR work as analog triggers on PC?
No. On the Pro Controller they are digital buttons, so games see them as fully pressed or not pressed.
How do I connect it back to my Switch?
Plug it into the Switch dock with a USB cable, or go to Controllers › Change Grip/Order on the Switch and press the sync button.
Last checked 2026-10-17. Menu names can change between system updates.