If you still have your GameCube controller from back in the 2000s or have recently purchased one, like the controller released alongside “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate,” you may be wondering how to connect it to your Nintendo Switch. The original GameCube controller’s connector is not directly compatible with the Switch, but with the right add-on, you can work around this limitation.
Nintendo offers an official GameCube to USB adapter plug for $70 that allows you to connect up to four wired GameCube controllers to your Nintendo Switch. When plugged in, the Switch recognizes the GameCube controllers as generic USB controllers, giving you the freedom to customize button layouts. You can even utilize features like rumble, but only in supported games such as “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.” Once you have the adapter, here’s how to use it:
- Turn on your Nintendo Switch in TV mode.
- Connect both of the adapter’s USB plugs into the two USB ports on the side of your Switch dock.
- Connect the GameCube controller to one of the open GameCube ports on the adapter.
- Press any button on the GameCube controller to activate it.
Once the controller is activated, you can use it to play compatible games. Just remember that the adapter needs to be plugged into the Switch dock, meaning you can’t use the GameCube controllers in handheld mode.