Nintendo Switch 2 Direct Live: Every Reveal & Update as It Happens

With the advent of the Nintendo Switch 2, fans are understandably curious if their existing Switch Joy-Con controllers will work with the new console. There’s no concrete answer just yet whether both Joy-Con controllers and the Pro Controller will indeed be compatible, though from the looks of the initial trailer for the Switch 2, the new console sure looks bigger, suggesting its Joy-Cons will be as well. That’s no guarantee that the old can’t be used with the new, though.

While Nintendo is expected to introduce a new, slightly updated Joy-Con design, your trusty original controllers may still be able to connect wirelessly to the Switch 2. Perhaps they won’t be able to slide on and off (rumors suggest the new Joy-Cons will magnetically attach to the sides of the new console), but we’ll wait for Nintendo to tell us they’re incompatible before assuming. If original Switch owners can still use them with the Switch 2, multiplayer gaming (and swapping out dead controllers for charged ones) easy and accessible. 

However, accessories built specifically around the current Switch hardware, like Nintendo Labo builds and the Ring Fit Adventure peripheral, probably won’t make the transition smoothly to work with the new Joy-Cons, or at all. Nintendo Labo relies heavily on precise console dimensions and the original Joy-Con sensors, so changes to size or controller features could mean the playful cardboard creations won’t fit or function properly with the Switch 2’s larger controllers.

Similarly, the Ring-Con and leg strap from Ring Fit Adventure are tailored to the shape and sensor features of the current Joy-Con controllers, making them unlikely to work with the redesigned tech expected for the new system. At the same time, Nintendo could still make concessions for these popular games, and there may be a way to get everything to work in harmony just yet. 

We’ll find out more about exact compatibility details during Nintendo’s official Direct presentation. Until then, it’s possible that standard controllers could transition just fine, but specialty peripherals might be stuck on the original Switch.