The Nintendo Switch recently received a big 3.0 firmware update which added to it a bevvy of small quality of life features and updates, including the ability to use the Pokken Pro controller, which released with Pokken Tournament in 2015 for the Nintendo Wii U.
Prior to E3 2017, Nintendo announced Pokken Tournamant DX for the Switch, therefore it makes sense that the games company would update their latest console to work with the Pokken Pro gamepad. As it is the case with most console launches, new features and abilities slowly trickle out over time as new firmware updates get rolled out, and the 3.00 update for the Nintendo Switch is no exception, alongside the aforementioned Pokken Pro controller, any previously released controller such as the Switch’s own Pro controller along with the range of 8BitDo’s collection of classic Nintendo inspired controllers can now all be used on the Nintendo Switch via a wired connection.
Previously, compatible controllers could only be charged through a wired connection and used wirelessly, this new update allows them to be actually used which should prove to be useful to those who sit close to the dock and don’t want to worry about charging or latency due to a wireless connection.
As the Pokken Pro controller is a wired device, a direct connection to the Switch means that the controller does not require pairing and can be used right out of the box via plug and play as long as the Nintendo Switch is on firmware 3.0 or above. The controller features a single D-pad in addition to four face buttons and two shoulder buttons, with start, select and ZL and ZR centred in a row of small circular buttons, for easy access. Overall the controller is reminiscent of both the Wii U Pro controller, sans the dual analogues and the Super Nintendo pad. Aside from the attended use in the upcoming Pokken Tournament DX, the controller can be used in a variety of titles and should pair excellently with some of the 2D games that the Switch has to offer.
