TheNintendo Switch 2retro-style GameCube controller will work for other games besides the GameCube classics coming to Nintendo Switch Online, but “there may be some issues,” according to Nintendo. The GameCube retro-style controller was revealed as an additional accessory for the upcomingGameCube expansion to Nintendo Switch Online, aiming to provide players with a classic way to play the classic games released on the upcoming service.
Answering some questions fromNintendo Lifeabout the upcoming controller, Nintendo has stated the GameCube controller is designed for the upcoming GameCube classics collection of games and is an optional way to play those games, and"[s]ince 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."
Some of those buttons and features exclusive to the Switch 2 controllers are the C Button, the ZR and ZL buttons, and the plus (+) and minus (-) buttons. The controllerwill not be compatible with Switch 1.
The Switch 2 GameCube Controller Lacks Some Buttons
The Triggers Are Always A Hot Topic For Nintendo Controllers
Obviously, controllers have changed a lot since the GameCube’s release in 2001. While theSwitch 1 Joy-Cons and Nintendo Switch Pro controller will be compatible with the Switch 2, theGameCube retro controller seems to be designed for hardcore GameCube fanscraving a classic experience. Since the GameCube controller is missing ZL and ZR buttons, thenew C button for GameChat, and the + and - buttons, its use for Switch 2 titles or other Nintendo Switch Online classic games may be quite limited.
It’s also worth noting,Nintendo did not respond to a question from Nintendo Life regarding if the new GameCube retro controller would have its classic analog triggers or if it would have digital triggers instead. The GameCube was the last Nintendo console to use analog triggers, and every Nintendo controller since then has used digital triggers. Both theJoy-Con 2 and Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller will use digital triggers, so it’s unclear how this retro-style controller will approach the triggers, but analog triggers seem unlikely.
Our Take: This Is A Weird Controller
Especially Since Switch 1 Controllers and Accessories Work on Switch 2
This GameCube retro-style controller may appeal to some for the nostalgia, butit is a weird controlleroverall. It’s not clear why anyone would want to try and use this controller for Switch 2 titles, since it is missing crucial buttons. Since the Switch 1 controllers also work on the Switch 2, the audience for this accessory seems pretty narrow. Additionally, it was previously thought that theGameCube controller would only work for the GameCube classic games, but the adapters for the Switch 1, which allow players to connect an ordinary GameCube controller to the console, still work.
This controller might be a nice collectible piece for some fans, or maybe it will appeal to hardcore Nintendo fans,but the controller seems like an odd creation, given how cross-compatible the Switch 1 controllers and accessories are with the Switch 2. No matter the reason for its existence, the GameCube retro-style controller will release alongside theNintendo Switch 2on June 5, and maybe some players will find a use for it outside the GameCube classic titles.
