Quick answer: The Switch Pro Controller is not an XInput device, so games that only read Xbox-style controllers ignore it. Through Steam, Steam Input can translate it (and optionally swap to Nintendo's layout). Outside Steam, use an input layer that supports it: Unity's Input System, SDL-based engines such as Godot, or an Unreal plugin. Handle the A/B and X/Y layout difference in your prompts.
Switch owners plug their Pro Controller into their PC and expect it to work. Whether it does depends on how your game reads controllers. It is a well-supported device in most input libraries, just not in the XInput path that many games rely on.
Why it does not work out of the box
Windows exposes Xbox controllers through XInput and most other gamepads as generic HID devices. The Pro Controller is a HID device with its own report format, and over USB it needs an initialization handshake before it sends input. Games and engines that only use XInput never see it; generic HID handling sees odd or no input. Libraries with a dedicated Switch driver handle both details for you.
Check that Windows sees it at all in joy.cpl (Set up USB game controllers). Bluetooth pairing is usually more reliable than USB for plain HID access.
Path 1: Steam Input
When the game runs through Steam and Steam Input is enabled for Switch Pro controllers, Steam translates it into a virtual Xbox controller, which XInput-only games understand. Steam also has an option to use the Nintendo button layout, which swaps A/B and X/Y to match the labels on the controller. If your game supports the Pro Controller natively, opt that controller type out of Steam Input in Steamworks to avoid double input.
Path 2: native support per engine
- Unity: the Input System package includes a Switch Pro controller layout on desktop, mapped to the standard
Gamepadcontrols. Check the Input Debugger to see whether it is recognized on your Input System version and connection type. The legacy Input Manager does not map it. - Godot: joypad support is built on SDL's game controller mappings, which include the Pro Controller, so it appears as a standard joypad.
- Unreal: no native Pro Controller support on Windows. Rely on Steam Input, or use a plugin built on SDL or the RawInput plugin with a per-device mapping.
- SDL-based custom engines: SDL's HIDAPI driver supports the Pro Controller directly, including over USB.
Handle the button layout
Nintendo's A is on the right and B at the bottom, the reverse of Xbox. Input libraries map by position (the bottom button is “south”), so your confirm button stays in the same physical place, but its label changes. Show the correct prompts by detecting the device and using Nintendo glyphs, or players see “press A” while A means a different button. If Steam Input's Nintendo layout option is on, positions and labels change again; Steam's glyph API tells you what to show.
Joy-Cons
Each Joy-Con is a separate Bluetooth device. Steam can combine a pair into one virtual controller; most engines see two half-controllers otherwise. Treat a single Joy-Con as a small sideways pad only if your game is designed for it.
Controllers you do not own
Few developers test with every controller players own. Bugnet's SDKs for Unity, Godot and Unreal let players file an in-game report (reachable by mouse when the pad fails), and you can attach the connected device names as metadata, so “controller does nothing” arrives with the device that failed.
Related problems
- Fix a Controller Not Working in Your Game
- Fix: Controller Inputs Registering Twice With Steam Input (Double Input)
- How to Fix Controller Glyphs Showing the Wrong Buttons
- Fix: XInput Controller Not Detected on Windows 11
Frequently asked questions
Why doesn’t the Switch Pro Controller work in my PC game?
It is not an XInput device. Games that only read Xbox-style controllers ignore it unless Steam Input translates it or the game uses an input library with Switch support.
Does Unity support the Switch Pro Controller on PC?
The Input System package includes a Switch Pro controller layout on desktop. The legacy Input Manager does not map it.
Why are A and B swapped on a Switch Pro Controller?
Nintendo places A on the right and B at the bottom, the reverse of Xbox. Map by position and show Nintendo glyphs when that controller is in use.
Map by position, label by device. That covers Nintendo, PlayStation and Xbox at once.