Retro NES-style Controllers: You Now Can Buy Them For Your Nintendo Switch

Ever wish your Nintendo Switch looked more like the original NES?

No? Just us? Well, either way, ColorWare thinks someone out there wants a NES-style Switch, because it has just launched the Joy Con Classic, a pair of custom-painted Switch controllers. They're painted in black and grey to resemble the original NES, but they're only available for a limited time. And, yes, they function just like any other Switch controllers and work with your existing Switch system.

ColorWare has been releasing custom versions of the Switch for several months, giving consumers the chance to literally switch up the look of their Switch. The company's new Joy Con Classic features a two-tone design in black and grey with glossy red buttons and accents, just like the Nintendo Entertainment System that originally released in 1985. But these retro controllers aren't exactly cheap. 

They come with a $200 price tag ($120 more than the standard Joy-Cons), though they feature all the same hardware - accelerometers, gyro sensors, buttons, and even matching wrist straps. So you're probably only going to pick these up if you're diehard Nintendo fan. Keep in mind shipping for the controllers is currently starting at three weeks from the time of checkout.

If you live in the UK, ColorWare says it ships there, too. We'll update this post when we find out more about UK pricing.

How To Best Connect The Controllers Of Nintendo Switch Joy-Con/Pro To Your PC

The Joy-Con and Pro Controllers for the Nintendo Switch work just like modern Xbox One and PlayStation 4 controllers. They support Bluetooth, so you can pair them with your PC without any special hardware.

There’s one catch here: The two Joy-Cons are seen as separate controllers by your PC. You can use them as separate controllers, but you can’t combine them and use them as a full controller at the moment. 

Connecting the Controller to Your PC

First, ensure Bluetooth is enabled on your PC and open the Bluetooth interface. On Windows 10, head to Settings > Devices > Bluetooth > Add Bluetooth or other device > Bluetooth. On Windows 7, head to Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Add a device.

Next, get your controller. If you’re using Joy-Con controller, disconnect them from the Switch or the Joy-Con grip first. Long-press the “Sync” button, which you’ll find located between the SL and SR buttons on the Joy-Con. The lights next to the Sync button will begin to blink.

If you’re using a Pro Controller, you’ll find the “Sync” button at the top of the controller, to the left of the USB-C charging plug. Long-press it.

The controller will be in pairing mode after you long-press the Sync button. You’ll see the Joy-Con or Pro Controller appear in your computer’s Bluetooth menu. Select it in the menu to connect it to your PC.

Oddly enough, the lights on a Joy-Con will continue to blink even after it’s connected to your PC. However, you can clearly see that a Joy-Con is connected to your PC from the Bluetooth window, as it’s displayed in the list of connected devices.

Repeat this process if you want to pair more than one controller—for example, if you want to pair both Joy-Cons. You’ll see each controller appear in the Add a device screen when you long-press its Sync button.

This trick also works on Macs and Android devices. Just open the Bluetooth interface and long-press the Sync button on the controller to pair it like any other device.

Configuring Your Controller

You’ll be stuck using the Joy Con controllers as separate small controllers, just as you use them in two-player mode in various games on the Nintendo Switch. An enterprising geek may one day make a program that can combine them and allow you to use them as a single controller, but sadly, right now we’re stuck waiting.

The Pro Controller will work better in many PC games and emulators, as it has all the standard buttons a typical full controller would have, including two analog sticks and an D-pad.

Whichever type of controller you use, you can configure it to function in many games or emulators. Go into the program’s input menu and configure the controller however you like.

Whether you use a Joy-Con or Pro Controller, one problem you’ll find is that the controller uses the older DirectInput method instead of the newer Xinput input method, which is used by Xbox 360 and Xbox One controllers. Many modern games only support Xinput, while others may just have better support for Xinput than DirectInput. That’s why Xbox controllers are the most widely supported option for PC gaming.

You can fix this by using a program like x360ce, which you can set up to convert input presses on your Switch controller to Xinput button events. This effectively allows you to emulate an Xbox 360 controller, giving your Nintendo Switch Controllers the ability to function in games that only support Xbox controllers. You have to do something similar when setting up a PlayStation 4 DualShock controller for maximum compatibility with PC games.

Pairing Your Controller With Your Switch

When you’re done, you can easily pair your Joy-Con controllers with your Nintendo Switch once again. Just physically connect the Joy-Cons to the sides of your Switch. They’ll automatically pair with your Nintendo Switch.

If this doesn’t work for some reason—or if you want to pair your Pro Controller with the Switch console once again—you can use the Switch’s normal controller-pairing process. Select Controllers > Pair New Controllers on your Switch’s home screen to get started. Follow the instructions on your screen. You’ll be prompted to press the Sync button on your controller to continue.

When you want to use your controllers with your PC again, you’ll have to return to the Bluetooth menu and pair them using the Sync button once again. But, once you know where to look, the pairing process is fast.

How to Change the Location On Your Nintendo Switch To Play Games Meant For Other Countries

With the Switch, Nintendo has left behind a long legacy of region-locking its consoles. Now, if you buy a console in the US, you can buy cartridges from Japan, or browse other region’s eShops for new games or cheaper prices. Here’s how to change the region on your Switch.

While the Switch isn’t region-locked, there are still some differences that might make temporarily changing regions more appealing. A game may be released in Japan before it’s released in the US, or you might find a game for a cheaper price in another region’s eShop.  




Some games might never see a release in your region. If you’re into foreign games or just want to shop around, it might be worth changing your region. If you buy cartridges from another region, you’ll need to change your console’s region to play them, too.

To change the region on your console, select Settings from the main menu.

Scroll down to the bottom and select System.

Select Region from the System menu.

Choose the region you want to switch to from the pop up that appears.

Next, you’ll need to accept a new EULA to switch regions. Click Next.

On the next screen, click the Accept checkbox. Next , select Restart. The console will reboot using the region you selected.

Once your console has restarted, you can use any cartridges from the region you chose. For example, if you bought a copy of Breath of the Wild in Japan, you can play it in your console after you change your region to Japan. If you want to shop from another region’s eShop, you can create a second account and user profile and set the location for that account to match the region. The Switch asks you which user you’re playing as every time you open a game or the eShop, so you can always pick the user that matches the region you bought a game for every time.

Leaked Nintendo Switch SDK Suggest Guest Login & Save Data Transfer Incoming

The Nintendo Switch console is progressively being updated with improvements and additions for its system, and it seems that in the not too distant future the players of the new console will have in their hands one of the most demanded options: managing save data to perform backups or transfer them to another console if necessary.

The recent leak of a Nintendo Switch SDK suggests that Nintendo would be already working on a storage system to allow players, for example, to make backup copies of their save games or transfer them to another machine.


Due to its current nature, the Nintendo Switch storage system does not allow you to extract content for storage on other devices. At the moment, there are no official details as to when this functionality could be available on the Nintendo Switch.

Another of the points mentioned in the SDK is the ability to log in as a guest to access your Nintendo account and download content on a console for a while. According to the description of the functionality, players could, for example, upload a character to the network and download it on a friend’s console to use it at that time.

You can check the details given in the leaked document below:

In the future, we plan to provide a feature to transfer account save data among multiple consoles. As a result, there is the possibility that user accounts with uninitialized account save data will be added. Note that your design must work without issue, even in this case.

We are considering a feature in the future (tentative name: Guest Login) to access existing network service account information without linking to a user account. This feature would allow temporary access to the network service account linked to the Nintendo Account by logging into the Nintendo Account within the application. This feature would, for example, make it possible to upload a character you have raised as online data and then use that data on a friend’s NX (without creating a user account).

Nintendo Switch was put on sale last March and it is still having a great success worldwide.