This is the honest sibling of our DualSense page, and it opens the same way: the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller is not in InputMapper’s official input list, so do not expect InputMapper to handle it. That list names the DualShock 4, the DualShock 4 V2, the Xbox 360 and Xbox One controllers, the DualShock 3 and PlayStation Move Navigation Controller via a Magic-NS dongle, and generic DirectInput and XInput devices. No Nintendo controller appears in it. InputMapper’s final build dates to May 2020, and its world is the PlayStation, Xbox, and generic-PC landscape described by that list.
The good news mirrors the DualSense story too: the Switch Pro Controller works very well on PC — through other doors. Steam Input supports it natively, DS4Windows also supports Switch Pro and Joy-Con, and a dedicated free tool called BetterJoy exists specifically for Switch controllers on PC. This page walks through all three routes, covers the Bluetooth pairing basics that trip people up the first time, and finishes with a PC-friendly alternative pad worth considering if you are buying fresh. For the InputMapper side of your setup, the software and general workflow live on our download page and in how to use InputMapper.
Why InputMapper Is the Wrong Tool for This Controller
It is worth being precise about what “not supported” means, because a Switch Pro Controller connected to Windows may still show up somewhere as a generic device, and generic DirectInput devices are on InputMapper’s list. That generic appearance is not Switch Pro support — it is an unrecognised pad falling into a catch-all bucket, with none of the controller’s specifics understood and no promise that the result will be complete or pleasant. Planning a setup around it is planning around an accident.
The fair comparison is with controllers InputMapper treats as first-class citizens. A DualShock 4 is named, revision by revision, as our V1 vs V2 guide shows. Even the DualShock 3’s indirect route is spelled out with its prerequisite, in the Magic-NS guide. The Switch Pro gets no such entry — and as with the DualSense, the respectful thing to do is say so and hand you the tools that actually list it. If your desk holds both a DualShock 4 and a Switch Pro, the practical pattern is simple: InputMapper for the DS4, and one of the routes below for the Nintendo pad.
Route One: Steam Input — the Built-In Answer
For most players, Steam Input is the whole solution. Steam has built-in support for the Switch Pro Controller, and the recipe is short. Connect the controller to your PC. In Steam’s controller settings, make sure Switch Pro controller support is enabled. Then add your game to Steam — games bought elsewhere can be added as non-Steam shortcuts — and launch it through Steam, so Steam’s translation layer sits between the controller and the game.
Once that layer is in place, the pad behaves like a first-class PC controller, with per-game layouts you can tweak or borrow from community configurations. The mental model to keep is that Steam is doing the job InputMapper does for a DualShock: receiving a controller the game might not understand, and presenting something it does. If your library already lives in Steam, you may not need anything else on this page. Our InputMapper vs DS4Windows comparison gives useful background on how these mapping layers differ in scope.
Route Two: DS4Windows and Route Three: BetterJoy
Despite its PlayStation-flavoured name, DS4Windows also supports Switch Pro and Joy-Con — support the Ryochan7 line added during its run, making the tool a broader controller hub than its name suggests. If you already run DS4Windows for a DualShock or DualSense, using it for your Switch Pro as well keeps your mapping life in one place, with the same profiles-and-output workflow across pads. (Note the version landscape: the Ryochan7 line ended at 3.3.3 in December 2023, and the current continuation is ds4windowsapp, at v3.5 as of February 2026; our DS4Windows install guide covers getting set up.)
The third route is the specialist: BetterJoy, a known free tool built specifically for Switch controllers on PC — Joy-Con and Switch Pro alike. Where the other routes are general platforms that include Switch support, BetterJoy’s entire reason to exist is Nintendo hardware, which makes it a natural pick if your setup is Switch-centric, if you want Joy-Con handled as a pair or individually, or if the general tools have not behaved with your particular configuration. There is no wrong choice among the three; there is only the one that fits how many platforms your desk already runs.
Whichever layer you choose, use exactly one per game. Two translators stacked together is how inputs double up — and if that happens, the remedy is in our double input fix, with HidHide as the modern hiding tool.
Bluetooth Pairing Basics for Switch Pro on Windows
The Pro Controller’s one quirk is that its sync control is small and easy to forget. The sync button sits on top of the controller, next to the USB-C port — a tiny round button. To pair: open Windows Bluetooth settings and choose to add a device, then press and hold the sync button until the player indicator lights on the bottom of the controller start running, signalling that the pad is discoverable. Select the controller in Windows’ device list and let pairing finish; the lights settle once the connection is made.
A wired connection over USB-C also works and is the fastest way to confirm the controller and your chosen tool see each other before you debug anything wireless. Two habits will save you grief afterward. First, remember that pressing the sync button is also how the controller starts looking for a new home — if you also use the pad with a Switch console, expect each device change to involve re-pairing on one side or the other. Second, if Windows shows the controller paired but your tool sees nothing, remove the pairing and repeat the process cleanly rather than stacking fixes; a fresh bond solves a surprising share of Switch Pro mysteries.
If You Are Buying a Pad for PC Anyway
The Switch Pro is a lovely controller, and the routes above make it a real PC pad. But if you are purchasing specifically for PC and do not already live in Nintendo’s ecosystem, a PC-first pad such as the 8BitDo Ultimate line is worth a look: designed to move between devices without console allegiances, and free of the pairing etiquette that comes with sharing a controller with a console.
Shop 8BitDo Ultimate Controllers
Affiliate link — see our Affiliate Disclosure.
Already own the Pro Controller? Then buy nothing. Pair it, pick Steam Input or one of the mapper routes, and play — just do not ask InputMapper to be the middleman it never claimed to be.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does InputMapper support the Switch Pro Controller?
No. The Switch Pro Controller is not in InputMapper’s official input list, which covers the DualShock 4 and V2, Xbox 360 and Xbox One controllers, the DualShock 3 and Move Navigation Controller via Magic-NS, and generic DirectInput and XInput devices. Do not expect InputMapper to handle it.
What is the easiest way to use a Switch Pro Controller on PC?
Steam Input. Enable Switch Pro support in Steam’s controller settings, add your game to Steam (non-Steam games can be added as shortcuts), and launch through Steam so its translation layer handles the controller.
What other tools work with Switch Pro and Joy-Con?
DS4Windows also supports Switch Pro and Joy-Con, and BetterJoy is a dedicated free tool built specifically for Switch controllers on PC, covering both Joy-Con and the Switch Pro Controller.
How do I pair a Switch Pro Controller with Windows over Bluetooth?
Open Windows Bluetooth settings and start adding a device, then press and hold the small sync button on top of the controller, next to the USB-C port, until the player lights start running. Select the controller in the list and let pairing complete.