The Nintendo Change Professional Controller is without doubt one of the priciest “baseline” controllers within the present console technology, nevertheless it’s sturdy, feels good in hand, has a wonderful directional pad, and options spectacular movement sensors and vibration tech. On prime of that, the gamepad makes use of Bluetooth, so you do not want an adapter to attach it along with your PC.The Professional Controller seems to Home windows as a DirectInput controller fairly than an XInput controller just like the Xbox Collection X/S gamepad (or the fancier Xbox Elite Core Controller), so it may be a little bit of a chore to get it working along with your PC video games. Fortuitously, Valve added full Change Professional Controller help to Steam, in order that in all probability covers a superb chunk of your recreation library. Non-Steam video games require further steps that we’ll stroll you thru.In fact, you’ll be able to’t use your Change Professional Controller along with your PC till you first join it to your PC. You may have two choices: wired and wi-fi. Wired is easiest, however wi-fi is, effectively, wi-fi. And it requires a bit of labor.
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Join Your Change Professional Controller to PC With a Wired ConnectionPlug your Professional Controller cable (or any USB-A-to-USB-C knowledge cable, or USB-C-to-USB-C knowledge cable in case your PC has a USB-C port) into the controller.Plug the opposite finish of the cable into your PC. That is it! The controller will probably be detected by Home windows 10 as “Professional Controller.” You possibly can transfer on to Steam setup steps under.
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Join Your Change Professional Controller to PC With a Wi-fi ConnectionYou want a Bluetooth adapter or onboard Bluetooth for this, nevertheless it’s additionally straightforward. With the Professional Controller charged, press and maintain the Sync button on the highest of the gamepad for just a few seconds till the indicator lights begin flashing.Open the system tray and right-click the Bluetooth icon. Click on “Add Bluetooth Gadget.”Click on “Add Bluetooth or different gadget.” Click on “Bluetooth” (as a result of Home windows must be reassured that you just actually need to use Bluetooth). The Professional Controller ought to present up on the listing of obtainable gadgets (if it does not, ensure the indicator lights are nonetheless flashing forwards and backwards). Click on it, and pair the controller. Now you’ll be able to transfer on to Steam setup.
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Steam SetupTo ensure every part works because it ought to between the Professional Controller and your PC recreation, it is best to use Steam’s Massive Image mode, the couch-friendly lean-back menu system that works effectively with a gamepad.If Steam does not open robotically into Massive Image while you join the Professional Controller, open Steam and enter the Settings menu. Click on Common Controller Settings, which opens a full-screen, Massive Image window. Click on “Change Professional Configuration Assist.”If the Professional Controller is linked, the mouse cursor ought to disappear and it is best to have the ability to navigate Massive Image with the gamepad. You possibly can toggle “Use Nintendo Button Structure” relying on whether or not you like the A/B/X/Y buttons to be mapped as they’re on the Professional Controller (clockwise X, A, B, Y from the highest), or as they’re mapped on an Xbox controller (clockwise Y, B, A, X from the highest).When arrange by means of Steam, the Professional Controller ought to work like an Xbox gamepad with any Steam recreation. You possibly can toggle vibration on and off by clicking the controller below “Detected Controllers” in the identical setup display as earlier than. If the analog sticks appear off, you’ll be able to manually calibrate them by clicking Calibrate. You too can set how lengthy the controller stays linked earlier than disconnecting, in order that it goes to sleep.
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Utilizing Massive Image ensures that Steam’s controller help and over-the-game remapping and configuration choices seem as they need to, which will not probably be the case when you open a recreation from the desktop. This occurred after we performed No Man’s Sky; the controller labored with the sport by means of Massive Image, however the mapping was unusual when launched by means of the desktop.With the sport operating by means of Massive Image mode, it is best to enter the Professional Controller’s controller choices to deliver up Steam’s Change Professional Controller overlay. It enables you to examine the controller mappings for various conditions and repair them when wanted. You possibly can manually map every enter on the Professional Controller to any keystroke or gamepad enter, however the default configuration ought to work for many video games. That is useful if any controls appear barely off with the default settings; operating in No Man’s Sky by clicking the best stick was finicky with out handbook corrections.
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{Hardware} Different: 8BitDo Wi-fi USB AdapterSteam’s Professional Controller help is welcome, however you are out of luck if you wish to play non-Steam video games with the controller due to how Home windows detects it. You possibly can repair this in one in every of two methods: utilizing a {hardware} Bluetooth adapter particularly designed for a number of gamepad sorts, or utilizing a software-based, XInput wrapper.The 8BitDo Wi-fi USB Adapter is a $20 Bluetooth adapter that allows you to simply join the Change Professional Controller, Change Pleasure-Cons, and even the Wii U Professional Controller to your PC. The adapter handles all the XInput particulars, so connecting the Change Professional Controller to it with the bodily sync button as a substitute of by means of your PC’s Bluetooth menu makes it work like a PC-friendly Xbox gamepad.
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Software program Different: DirectInput-to-XInput WrapperThis is essentially the most highly effective and most intricate possibility. As an alternative of counting on Steam or a USB adapter to do the job, you utilize a software program wrapper to translate the Professional Controller’s inputs right into a format that Home windows 10 can higher work with.
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X360ce is an open-source program that allows you to management how Home windows sees your non-XInput controller. It is a strong wrapper that emulates an Xbox 360 gamepad by mapping practically some other enter to the gamepad’s inputs. The venture is successfully full and/or lifeless at this level; x360ce was final up to date in 2020, however this system will work simply high-quality even with out ongoing growth.Betterjoy is one other program for getting the Change Professional Controller, in addition to Pleasure-Cons, working as XInput gadgets. Its most up-to-date launch is from 2021.Software program wrappers ought to get the job performed when you’re keen to put in and tinker with them a bit till the Change Professional Controller works the best way you need it to. It might take greater than a bit of labor; third-party driver wrappers are extraordinarily finicky.
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What About Pleasure-Cons?Pleasure-Cons are extremely highly effective and versatile on the Change, however they’re awkward on the PC. The excellent news is which you can join Pleasure-Cons to your PC simply by pairing them over Bluetooth just like the Change Professional Controller. The unhealthy information is that every Pleasure-Con will register as its personal controller, and getting two Pleasure-Cons to work collectively as one gamepad will be tough. Betterjoy, talked about above, may also help streamline that course of.
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The way to Join Different Recreation ControllersFor extra, see our information on how to decide on the best controller in your PC. When you’ve got a PS4, PS5, or Xbox controller that you just need to hook up with PC, we now have directions for these gamepads, too.
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About Will Greenwald
Lead Analyst, Client Electronics
I’ve been PCMag’s dwelling leisure knowledgeable for over 10 years, masking each TVs and every part you would possibly need to hook up with them. I’ve reviewed greater than a thousand totally different client electronics merchandise together with headphones, audio system, TVs, and each main recreation system and VR headset of the final decade. I’m an ISF-certified TV calibrator and a THX-certified dwelling theater skilled, and I’m right here that can assist you perceive 4K, HDR, Dolby Imaginative and prescient, Dolby Atmos, and even 8K (and to reassure you that you just don’t want to fret about 8K in any respect for a minimum of just a few extra years).
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