What’s The Deal With The Switch 2 GameCube Controller?

If there’s anything we’re looking forward to more than the Nintendo Switch 2 itself, it’s the opening of a classic library of GameCube games and, if you have enough dough, a brand-new wireless GameCube controller to go along with it. While just about any Switch 2 controller will work for The Wind Waker or F-Zero GX, there’s still a question as to whether the new GameCube controller will work in reverse – on new Switch titles?

Nintendo answers the call

On paper, it seems like a done deal. In a promotional trailer (above) shared around the time of the Switch 2, a quick disclaimer is snuck in that reads: “The controller is only compatible with Nintendo GameCube – GameCube Classics.” That should have ended the debate. But according to the folks who bought Nintendo’s previous +Expansion Pack controllers, these have worked just fine on the original Switch’s regular games.

That’s not to mention the other questions users have raised, like whether the new wireless GameCube controller would work on the Nintendo Switch 1, or if users could continue to use their current GameCube controller adapters on the new hardware. Nintendo’s not usually the type to unmuddy the waters – except for now.

In what we suspect is a move to convince on-the-fence gamers to pick up the controller after its disclaimer potentially harmed pre-orders, Nintendo has stepped in to put an end to the discussion. Kinda. Speaking with Nintendo Life, the Japanese company confirmed that the controller could work on the Switch 2. Kinda.

Read More: Nintendo Switch 2 local pre-orders are live – here’s what it costs

“The Nintendo GameCube controller is designed for use with the Nintendo GameCube – Nintendo Classics collection of games and is an optional way to play those games. Since it doesn’t have all the buttons and features found in other controllers that can be used with the Nintendo Switch 2 system, there may be some issues when playing other games. The Nintendo GameCube controller can only be used on Nintendo Switch 2 and is not compatible with Nintendo Switch.”

While it’s still unconfirmed whether the new GameCube controller would feature clickable analogue sticks, it’s safe to assume that it won’t. In the GameCube Classics trailer above, we catch a brief glimpse of its player remapping the controllers, none of which point to either stick as a separate button. This likely caused Nintendo to make a disclaimer in the first place. Games requiring a player to press L or R3 may not function.

The jury is still out on whether the controller supports gyro controls, though judging by Nintendo’s previous retro controllers, it’ll be lacking in that department. Fortunately, the company’s website does answer another one of our questions, too. If you’ve still got a wired GameCube controller knocking about, it’ll work just fine on both the Switch and Switch 2 thanks to the USB adapter.

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