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While not advertised on Apple's website, it has been discovered that iOS 16 adds support for the Nintendo Switch's Joy-Cons and Pro Controller. The feature was highlighted on Twitter by Riley Testut, the developer behind iOS video game emulator Delta.

nintendo-joy-cons.jpg

In a series of tweets, Testut said that iOS 16 supports both single left or right Joy-Cons, or both at once as a singular controller. Testut added that it is possible to dynamically switch between using the Joy-Cons individually or as one combined controller by holding the screenshot capture and home buttons for a few seconds.

Testut also confirmed that iOS 16 supports the Nintendo Switch's Pro Controller, which is a more traditional looking game controller.


The controllers can be customized in the Bluetooth menu of the Settings app on iOS 16, which is available in beta for developers starting today. Apple said a public beta of iOS 16 will follow in July, and the software update will be released in the fall.

iPhones have also supported PlayStation 5 DualSense and Xbox Series X controllers since the release of iOS 14.5 in April 2021.

Article Link: iOS 16 Adds Support for Nintendo Switch's Joy-Cons and Pro Controller
 
This is a welcome change! I was disappointed when the Switch controllers didn't get added when the PS4 and Xbox controller support were added a while ago. I don't have those consoles but have a Switch, so being able to use Joy-Cons on iOS or hopefully tvOS will be a nice addition.
 
I remember jailbreaking my original iPad and using a Wii Remote as a mouse, lol. The custom Bluetooth stack was so flakey.

We’ve come a long way.

I might 3D print a mount for my kids to slide some joycons onto their iPads this autumn.
 
This is actually a very exciting feature addition for me... The Nintendo Pro controller is my favorite gamepad. FINALLY!
 
Now, how about adding support for Xbox elite wireless controller with those extra paddles? Can’t configure them in iOS at all, let alone remapping buttons to those paddles. Low volume item sure but still.
 
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How painful is the re-pairing process every time you want to switch (no pun intended) the controllers from your Switch to your iPhone and back again?
 
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