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Steam gets Nintendo Switch Pro controller support, including gyro features

switch pro controller pc steam

Nintendo’s Switch Pro controller is for my money the finest gamepad around, with terrific weight, button feel, and ergonomics. (Yes, your concerns about the D-pad’s accuracy are still fair.) Unfortunately, it doesn’t have the easy plug and play operability on PC that an Xbox controller does – but the latest Steam Client Beta adds full support for the Nintendo gamepad.

Maybe you’ll find new ways to enjoy the best PC games.

If you opt in to the Steam Client Beta, you can enable global support for the Switch Pro pad on the controller settings page, the same place you turn on PS4 and Xbox controller support. That enables you to make and share configs on a per-game basis. You also have the option of enabling “Nintendo Button Layout,” which properly swaps X/Y and A/B for support in the Nintendo style.

Notably, these setting also include full gyro support, which will offer an option for better precision when you’re playing shooters from your couch. Yes, I’m sure many of you will stick your tried-and-true mouse, but it’s good to have options.

With Xbox gamepads having become the de facto standard on PC over the last decade, it’s good to see Valve working to keep options open for those who want to make use of different controllers – especially when it means we can avoid using third-party tools to make it happen.