How to Test a Switch Pro Controller on PC

Connect the Pro Controller

Nintendo's support pages cover the Switch console, not PCs, so the PC steps below use the Windows Bluetooth settings. Nintendo says every official Pro Controller has the model number HAC-013 printed beneath the Nintendo logo.

• USB: connect the controller to the PC with the USB charging cable that came with it. Any other USB-C cable works if it carries data, not only a charge.
• Bluetooth: press and hold the small SYNC button for at least one second. On the PC, select Start, then Settings, then Bluetooth & devices, add a device, and pick the Pro Controller under the new devices.

For a test, USB is the simpler choice: there is no pairing, and the controller charges while you test.

Test Every Button and Stick in Your Browser

1. Open the controller test and press any button. Browsers show a controller only after a button press or stick movement while the page is open.
2. Press A, B, X, Y, L, R, Minus, Plus, Home, Capture, and each direction on the +Control Pad. Press both sticks in. Each one lights up, and the counter climbs.
3. Press ZL and ZR. On the Pro Controller they are on or off buttons, not analog triggers, so they jump from 0% to 100% with nothing in between.
4. Push each stick to its edges, then let go. It should settle within about 0.05 of 0.00 on both axes.
5. If the test shows Weak Motor, Strong Motor, and Both Motors, press them to check rumble. If it says vibration isn't supported, your browser can't drive this controller's motors, which says nothing about the motors themselves.

The test labels the buttons for a Switch controller when it recognizes one. Nothing you press leaves your browser.

Web pages can't read the motion sensors or the NFC reader used for amiibo. Check those on a Switch.

Check a Resting Stick for Drift

A stick that reads off center while you aren't touching it is drifting. Browsers read each stick axis as a number from −1.0 to 1.0, so a resting stick should read close to 0.

For a measured result, put the controller flat on a table and run the stick drift test. It reports how far each resting stick strays, as a percentage of its full range, and suggests a deadzone.

If the Controller Doesn't Show Up

1. Press a button with the page open and its tab in front. The page can't see the controller before that.
2. Try a different USB-C cable or USB port. Nintendo suggests both when a wired connection fails.
3. Close Steam or other apps that take over controllers, then reload the controller test.
4. Charge it. Nintendo says a full charge takes about 6 hours and lasts about 40 hours.
5. For Bluetooth, remove the controller in Bluetooth & devices, then pair it again with the SYNC button.

Calibrate, Update, or Reset It on a Switch

Nintendo's fixes for buttons and sticks that don't respond correctly all run on a Switch console. If you have one, work through them in this order:

1. Install the latest system update: System Settings, then System, then System Update.
2. Update the controller: System Settings, then Controllers and Sensors, then Update Controllers. The controller must be paired and on. If the update stops, try it again.
3. Calibrate the sticks: System Settings, then Controllers and Sensors, then Calibrate Control Sticks. Tilt the stick fully in one direction for a few seconds, then follow the steps on screen. If it doesn't take effect, put the console to sleep and wake it, or reset the controller.
4. Reset the controller: press the SYNC button once, then press any other button to wake it.
5. Check the buttons: System Settings, then Controllers and Sensors, then Test Input Devices, then Test Controller Buttons. Nintendo also suggests trying the controller wired.

Then run the controller test on your PC again. If a button or stick still fails, Nintendo says the Pro Controller will need to be serviced and offers to inspect it.