20 Best Gamecube Controller For Switch (2023 Updated)

The controller was in good condition and wasn’t worn out. The outside was clean, joystick was tight and buttons weren’t mushy from wear. However there was gunk between the A button and the topcase that caused it to stick.

I took apart, cleaned it and after that it was great. The process only took me five minutes but it’s something that should have been done by you guys, and not left to the customer. If the controller isn’t going to be properly checked and cleaned there isn’t really a reason to buy from this site versus a lower priced ebay listing.

Smash bros.

In the decade + since the GameCube’s release, many companies stepped up to offer their products for take on the controller. This is especially warranted as the GameCube’s controller remains one of the most comfortable and intuitive ever released and each game in the Smash Bros.

series to date (Switch version not released as of this writing) made use of this controller an option. For some time now, third party controllers were the only means of obtaining replacements. Unfortunately, replacements were often needed as one of the GameCube controllers flaws was that its joystick, when overused, began to weaken, or was automatically centered at an angle on startup.

This did have a built-in workaround, but remained a constant annoyance and continued use and strain would eventually make it unfeasible unless you were tech-prone enough to replace it yourself. Thus, the third party controllers were almost essential to feed the demand for such controllers for Smash and other games on Wii and Wii U that supported it.

However, in some ways many third party controllers were not quite up to the full range of tasks demanded by these systems. I personally used two such controllers from different companies and the weakness in their design was mainly in the use of the directional pad, which was all but required for certain games, especially RPGs played using the system’s GameBoy Player.

The directional pad was often imprecise, and must have been built with a different feel as I often found my characters walking off in the wrong direction. Nintendo released this new controller along with its 4th entry in the Smash Bros.

series to sate the demands of its strong fanbase and, although an adaptor is required to use it with the system, this new release of the controller was very well received. It shares the same design specifications as its original, meaning that each part of it is fully capable of supporting all the proper functions.

Just try to be gentle with the joystick or you may find yourself replacing it after a few years of use (or less).

About the same size and shape as traditional GameCube controllers, though a bit slimmer. It is smaller than the PDP GameCube style wired controllers, so it may be more comfortable for people with smaller hands or kids.

It has a lightly textured back as part of the plastic mould, which I don’t mind but some people may not like it. It’s also compatible as a USB controller for PC! I got mine on Sale for only $19. 99 and don’t think I could get any better quality for that price.

The only thing the controller is lacking is a rumble function, so I took off one star.

Good controller. Feels like gamecube controller (which is what I wanted). Joystick doesnt pop out by accident which happens sometimes to my ZELDA Hori model. However the one downside which takes some getting used to are the R and Zr buttons are switched as well as L and zL (all back buttons).

When used to certain game mechanics this can be confusing to re-learn or to get accustomed to. The only real problem I have with that is,why make the Zelda and perhaps other models one way,and have this Pikachu one have a different button layout? All in all structurally sound andI like the design as well as clear yellow backing.

It has a minor grip texture on the back which is nice for the hands.

Looks great, the switch fits very neatly and the screen protection is very good, thick padding. The aluminium is pretty solid and doesn’t bend so I feel it will protect the switch. I did expect a little more padding around the edges inside of the case to protect it more, it is just cloth inside but I am happy it will be ok as long as it isn’t knocked about a lot.

Nice size.

I own a Gold color PowerA wireless GameCube controller. It’s a solid controller, nice weight, good button feedback and decent joysticks. My problems unfortunately outweigh the positives. The D-Pad. The D-pad is extremely sensitive, when putting inputs in if you even slightly move your finger to the side a right or left, or up and down input will be put in.

While this is annoying not many games have problems with this, save for some like Monster Hunter Rise, but still, it’s a bit disappointing. My second gripe, is the left stick. The left stick has only recently begun to give me major problems.

It will begin to drift off target, usually downwards and can be extremely annoying to deal with. I’ve found that simply firmly pressing down on the joystick can fix this, but only temporarily until it begins to drift again.

My third gripe, the ZR and ZL buttons. Not only are they not analog as advertised but they are the single loudest thing I have heard come from a controller, minus Wiimote speakers. The obnoxious click is sure to distract your opponent in any Smash tournament, and disrupt anyone wherever you are.

The response to them is also flawed. Without a full press you are not inputting anything, though this is only a minor problem that can simply be remedied with practice it is still irritating. My next gripe is back to the joysticks.

The brackets for the joysticks don’t line up perfectly. When doing a joystick calibration check before writing this I was again realized that the gates for the joysticks are off by a significant margin.

This is not the end of the world, but if playing Melee through an emulator this will be sure to rear it’s ugly head. Another slight gripe. The right ZR button is now making this squeak sound whenever pressed down, most likely due to some sort of spring squeaking.

That’s all I’ve got to say. It’s an ok controller with some major issues that should have been avoided, but for casual and nostalgic players, this is an ok controller. It plays well with PC and Switch with bluetooth capabilities.

And one piece of advice for any possible purchasers, this controller is classified as a pro controller on the Switch, so when changing button mapping in smash make sure to switch controls from there.

For all intents and purposes, this it just like a Gamecube controller; it’s a solid, reliable controller, but isn’t restricted by a cable like the original. It works absolutely perfectly for Super Smash Bros.

and is leaps and bounds ahead of using the Joy-cons. It’s very energy-efficient too; the included AA batteries lasted me just under 2 months of almost daily use. However, I did notice in games like Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey that I turned right slightly when trying to run in a straight line.

I can only assume the octagonal hole the left joystick sits in was accidentally molded/cut at a slight angle; no more than a few degrees though. It’s not a major problem, but probably something worth mentioning.

Overall, I’d absolutely recommend grabbing one of these controllers, especially if you’re an avid Super Smash Bros. player.

Love the GameCube feel. Some ppl say it doesn’t feel like the original, but after not having picked up a GameCube controller for many years, who cares! For being a nintendo switch official controller, it’s the cheapest one out there, yet fantastic quality and definitely my favorite.

Will hope to buy another in the future. Only complaint is no rechargeable batteries or way to charge the controller, but that is normal to not have with switch pro controllers.

Controller was decent. returned it for a better controller that was on sale, which was the afterglow wired controller. It was a bit pricier (5 dollars more, i think), but it was worth it for 2 reasons for me: 1.

This PowerA controller has 2 buttons on the back that I often would hit since they are placed on the grips of the controller where my fingers would rest. Hence, any tense or quick moments that occur in my game tends to make me grip the controller tighter, forcing me to press one of the grip buttons.

With the Afterglow controller, I do not have this problem. 2. The placement of the plus, minus, photo and home buttons on the controller are too confusingly close together; granted, I’m coming primarily from a primarily Xbox player, but I constantly get them confused and end up pressing the wrong one if I don’t look down at the controller for the button I want to press.

Again, the Afterglow controller is preferable because the home and photo button are placed much higher away and further away from the plus and minus buttons on this PowerA Controller. Aside from these 2 reasons/comparisons, this controller was functional and worth it if you are on a very tight budget (under 20 bucks).

There were no errors or problems I had with this controller from the 1-2 weeks I was using it (about 20 hours total playtime).

This controller is very functional for several reasons. It is a great backup that never needs a charge when the wireless controllers run out of battery. It also is much more comfortable and ergonomic to hold when playing more immersive games like Mario.

The small switch remotes can be uncomfortable to use for long periods of time and the buttons are too close together, so this controller is a great alternative. I love the changing rainbow backlights, they are super cool.

I also love the grip of the controller, the texture keeps it from slipping out of my hands. I also don’t mind using a wired controller either this one, because the cord is very long so it reaches to my couch with no problems.

Highly recommend this remote (or maybe even 2) for anyone with a Nintendo Switch.

TL:DR – Great controller for PC players and the Switch Pro controller design is real nice. Build quality is cheap so may be a good idea to buy two when around the 15. 99 mark. Great for Devil May Cry 5 too! Can’t speak of long term reliability, but the controller has survived a solid week of Devil May Cry 5 gameplay.

If you don’t know what that is lookup the kind of combos people pull off; it’s a great test of controller durability and input latency since some moves require frame perfect inputs. Build quality is.

okay for the price range. Can’t complain at sub $20 on sale and the screenshot button is a treat on Steam games. Yes, this controller can be used on PC with little to no issues (no issues in my case).

Compared to the Xbox and dual-shock controllers Nintendo really nailed a good balance between comfort and usability. Triggers are quite short, but let you pull of very easy strings of presses. The buttons have very low actuation while most other controllers have a bit more distance before the button presses and the sticks feel nice.

The two programmable back buttons are a treat too, but wish you could do create macros though excellent when in use for hard to reach buttons you need to hold down or for dpad inputs. Be warned, the controller from a feel perspective is very meh, but in use is more than enough.

The super long USB cable is great and if you have any devices that use that port you’re in luck. Cable length alone is probably as much as the controller! Only issues I have with it are how long before the controller breaks down or develops issues.

I have soldering experience so if it does I can just order new parts, but for the average user it may be a good idea to pick up two when they are on sale and call it a day till both break.

The controller is honestly better than the official pro controller in my honest opinion. I’m not a diehard gamecube fanatic or a super competitive smash player so this is coming from someone who uses the controller for general use.

It’s super great for some motion control titles like Mario Galaxy in the 3D AllStars collection. I love gyro aim with the controller so BOTW was great. You might get drift, I did but it went away somehow.

PowerA offers a replacement incase you get drift but thats a lot of mailing back and forth or something (I never submitted a claim so I wouldnt know) so keep that in mind.

Feels a bit more hollow and flimsy than the first party pro controller, and no rumble. Also takes AA batteries instead of being rechargeable, which may or may not be an issue for you. I haven’t used the customizable buttons on the back, but I can say I accidentally push them all the time when playing so I’m not sure I would want them mapped to anything.

D-Pad is not much of an improvement over the mediocre one on the first party pro controller. Overall though a good cheap alternative. Think of it as a “player two” controller.

Pros: Better alternative for those who don’t like the tiny joycon buttons. Works great, I have not had any issues with it. Easy to pair. The controller art is nice. Cheaper than the Switch Pro controller.

Cons: It feels light. Not a lot of weight to it which makes it feel like a cheap plastic toy. No headset jack. Batteries drain pretty quickly depending on how much you use this.

This is a fun remote for the nostalgia of the GameCube remote. It’s also good for feeling less fatigue in the hands while holding, as opposed to the regular Switch remote that feels heavy and needs support on the sides.

The downside is that is must be connected to the game system with a wire. So, the player needs to be near the game system, and it’s an extra cord running across the floor to trip on. If that isn’t a concern for you, then this could be a good fit for you.

I just played with this last night on my Nintendo Switch and it gave me serious nostalgia. I miss playing the gamecube and this is the same controller but it works for the newest console. It works just fine.

And is worth it for any 90s gamer nerd like myself. I would highly recommend.

My kids like this controller because it makes it easy to play their video games with. They really like how it feels in their hands. They say it is easy for them to press all the buttons while they play their games.

They really like the color it came in, purple because it is easy to find. They recommend it.

DISCLAIMER: might be a lil misinformed but i’m trying my best As a Melee player, this controller will do you just as well as any other used official GameCube controller. Eventually, like all GameCube controllers, the potentiometers will experience PODE the longer you play with them.

Used controllers may not have as much snapback as brand new controllers, so you might not get the misinputs you would get from snapback albeit with less consistent pivots. You play long enough, you might consider getting Noble/Panasonic potentiometer replacements/snapback modules, though if you’re just getting into Melee, you won’t need to shell out all that dough to learn the game and be good.

You’ll find that Emerald Blue controllers will come with either a T2 or T3 motherboard. T3 motherboards have screw-in stickboxes as opposed to being soldered on with T2 motherboards, which make it easier for you to disassemble stickboxes, replace the spring inside the stickbox, replace it with another T3 stickbox, etc.

To check if the Emerald Blue controller is T3, check/ask for pictures of the back of the shell or of the controller motherboard. T3 Emerald Blues have a stamp on the back that reads CE (CE dot). T3 stickboxes have white plastic housings compared to T2 stickboxes which are metallic and gray.

Some Emerald Blues like mine come with a metal piece in the trigger. It isn’t guaranteed. I don’t have a strong opinion about the metal piece, some like it, it doesn’t make too much of a difference for me.

Colored GameCube controllers will yellow when exposed to UV light (sun). This controller turns from a bright blue to a dark green, and if you like the discolored color like I do, you may find suntanned Emerald Blues when searching ‘discolored’, ’emerald green’, etc.

If you want more info. I suggest you visit gccontrollerlibrary dot com. TLDR: check pictures, ask for pics if you don’t see what you’re looking for, just like any official gamecube controller.

I’m not fond of this controller. I have 2 different designs of this GameCube style controller, and I don’t like how the triggers aren’t proper analog buttons, all of my joysticks are slightly off center for the directional inputs, and the lack of any form of rumble or internal rechargeable battery is disappointing, and nothing can be remapped through the console since it’s third-party hardware.

It’s a very base-level wireless switch controller, and the fact that my issues are consistent across both of my controllers tells me that they all have the same issues. My primary is the (slightly) less disappointing PowerA Waluigi Pro Controller.

A great little controller that’s a decent price plus I never really cared for gyros and vibratations so it’s a great choice for me. Perfect for travel and smaller hands. However I would advise those wanting to travel with it open it up and remove the two large weights that are in the handles where vibration motors would go.

They are 1/3 of the total weight of the controller and a total waste of time.

I was surprised how nice this controller is. Everything is honestly well through out and well placed. There is a nice micro texture that makes the grip more comfortable. I like the option of having the rear paddles as optional buttons but how I grip the controller make it less useful for me.

I’m sure other people would enjoy it! The changeable height of the joystick is very much appreciated. I’m hoping more accessories manufacturers will take into consideration not everyone has the same size hands PDP does a great job here.

The audio port option is nice to play some games without having the audio blasting out of the TV or switch. The mic quality depends on what kind of mic you have but its greatly appreciated. This such a nice upgrade over the pro controller which doesn’t have an audio port option at all! Overall for the price the controller is unbeatable.

I find this nicer than the pro controller I don’t care for the wireless options or the rumble pack in the pro controller so this wired option from PDP works perfect for me.

I purchased this controller November 2020 for a great price and wrote a review. I promised to write a review after a year Plus of use and I am here to deliver on that promise. TLDR; This controller can’t be beat when it comes to features, value and build.

Similar priced items don’t have the Paddles. To even get similar paddles your looking at a sweaty $100+ scuf with a bunch of bells and whistles middle range users like me don’t really need. I was at a loss at finding a good middle ground controller until I ran into these.

Why these paddles are not standard is beyond me. Now unto the real reason for the review – Build Quality. 2 years of using this controller grinding warzone with try hard slide canceling movement, maximizing my FPS potential and the paddle buttons are as responsive as ever.

The right joystick is a little loose but still very much playable. The timed test is in and this bad boy is still kicking strong. I just purchased another one to keep for when this model gets discontinued.

This Switch controller is great! It fits nicely in your hands and is very similar to the Pro controllers and an Xbox controller. The textured plastic is also nice and not slippery like some other controllers.

The interchangeable faces are cool if you have different faces to use and it is very easy to take the face off. It comes with a “precision” joystick, but I don’t really notice a difference when using it to play – it is a taller joystick though.

The back programmable paddle buttons are cool, but I can’t seem to find a great purpose for them. It would be awesome if you could program a button combination, but you can only do a single button. You can also change the volume on your plugged-in headphones but pushing the function button and the up or down D-pad keys – a nice feature if you use headphones.

Overall, this is a great controller, albeit corded, that seems to have great manufacturability and very easy to setup.

This controller offers a great, original style design for a very affordable price. While it is true that nothing beats the quality of the original Nintendo brand GameCube controller, this is a great alternative if you are strapped for cash and just looking to play some old school GameCube games.

The CirKa brand GameCube controller is wired, with the same shape and general feel as the original Nintendo brand GameCube controllers. It features the standard A, B, X and Y buttons on the front, as well as the directional D-Pad, both the standard gray joystick and yellow C-stick, start button and the R, L and Z on the back.

This controller is not a good choice for gamers who play video games competitively, such as Super Smash Bros. Melee. This is because the CirKa brand controllers do not have the same level of responsiveness or button sensitivity as the original Nintendo brand controllers.

This controller is perfect if you are just looking to play one of the many popular adventure-style games released for the Gamecube, such as Super Mario Sunshine, Legend of Zelda Wind Waker, Luigi’s Mansion, or any of the Mario Party games.

Joystick and c stick are fairly responsive and smooth. D pad responds well but is not as smooth, resulting in directional issues. L and R triggers are satisfactory. Z button is a “click” press and feels of cheap quality, but performs otherwise.

A, B, X, and Y are extremely unresponsive and require unreasonable amount of pressure to register anything. Any sort of game requiring timing and precision is unplayable. Good controller for joystick heavy games or slow games, and spare parts.

But you’re definitely getting what you paid for.

Considering what its replacing, a brick with the Xbox 360s d-pad glued to it would have been a step up. However, this controller is admittedly a good value. The shoulder buttons and triggers are too mushy for my liking, but the price is right and its light years better than Nintendos official N64 tragedy of a controller.

It has a solid feel. The cord is a good length and well made. Its not stiff and hard to bend/wrap/maneuver like some other controller wires. Feels sturdy. The thumb stick is solid too. Again, cant really argue with the $25 I spent on it.

I hope they make some adjustments to the shoulder buttons and triggers to make them less mushy, and maybe move them further apart, but thats all the complaints I really have.

I love this controller. It has a great joystick and great buttons. My brother preffers this controller over the original because of the smaller design. But there are some problems. The L R and Z buttons are able to pivot on the membrane.

The D pad is mushy. The start button is not in an ideal place to press and the joystick was slightly off to the left. I managed to fix it by pushjng the joystick to the right. Over all not big problems though.

Good for what its worth.

This is a great alternative to the original N64 controller. The stuck is a bit more sensitive than the original, but nothing too jarring. The biggest problem is the size. With big hands it can take awhile to get use to the compact design, and even then your hands will cramp after long playthroughs.

But at 25 dollars, it’s a great value and honestly the size isn’t too big a deal for me personally.

Works great on my switch! Super easy setup, plug and play. I decided it was time to invest in an adapter and this was a cheaper option than the Wii U official adapter, that has become super hard to find for a decent price.

I’ve been getting better at SSBU and needed something better than drifting Joy-Cons! It seems to have no added input lag and has me feeling good about smoking my friends in Smash!.

Very poor quality. The second port never functioned, and the item has broken completely just at the end of the return window. Do not buy.

This Nyko controller hub works great MOST of the time. For the price it is unbeatable but occasionally one might expect a controller to stop working and have to unplug/plug the hub/controller. Our GameCube controllers are 15+ years old and are well worn.

Fresh controllers might show better results.

These things are great for playing your favorite GameCube games from the comfort of your favorite seat without the distraction of having to be wired into your GC. The only downside to them is that you lose the ability for any sort of rumbling, as the batteries take up the space where the wired controllers typically have their rumble device.

Aside from that smaller inconvenience, these things work well and they have the build quality of genuine Nintendo behind them, so you know its going to last a long time if its cared for. The stickboxes can be replaced relatively easily with other genuine Nintendo products, so you can keep them nice and responsive while still retaining 100% factory original components.

The GameCube controller was already one of my all-time favourites, but with the wireless capability slapped on top now, I can say without a doubt that this is my favourite controller! It’s comfortable, no noticeable weight added, the form factor remains in tact, and it’s super easy to set up! Definitely pricey nowadays due to its rarity, but was still worth every penny!.

This controller serves as a solid replacement for the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller. It’s wired, so you never have to charge it, but the cable isn’t super long if you’re playing in a bigger space, so keep that in mind! Now it’s not the same size as a pro controller; it’s a bit smaller on the side grips.

While that might be perfect for you if you’re getting this for your child or if you have smaller hands, I found it somewhat hard to use for an extended period of time since I have relatively large hands.

I love that you can detach the cable if you’re not using the controller. That makes storage pretty simple. If you’re in the market for a switch controller, it gets my recommendation!.

My better half and I love our NS, and we love to travel with it every chance we get. The one thing that we missed while playing was an actual controller, so we were elated with this Rock Candy Wired Controller for our NS.

She has on the smaller size hands, and my hands are the opposite in size. However, we both feel comfortable in handling the thumb sticks and shoulder buttons. We thought maybe we’d feel a bit of lag with it being corded (included with the controller), but alas, our fears were allayed.

Love the look of the body of this controller with its frost white yet clear shell. Nice compact size for us to travel with or simply sit on the couch passing time playing on our NS.

This controller is fine for Smash. People have no idea. It’s the gamecube adapter itself that causes issues. We swapped to 2 of these instead and for 100s of hrs have had no phantom inputs. The pads are responsive and are great especially with the home and capture buttons.

I have had to replace one however and too much mashing made the replaceble stick crack the connecting shell. I love the idea of replacable sticks at first but now I think it would be better with a basic gamecube stick placement permanently.

It would also be good to be able to aquire replacement rubber membranes as on the old pad I had also split the A button, making it feel mushy. Overall great for general gameplay and great for smash but be very careful when abusing them.

I bought this controller in the hopes that I would be a good replacement for the GameCube controllers that I use to play Super Smash Ultimate on the Nintendo Switch. I have been wearing out the left joystick on the old controllers, so I was happy to see that this controller had a replacement stick included.

At first, I had trouble getting used to the size, though I like the controller being a bit bigger than the GameCube controller, but now that I’m used to it, I notice the A button sticking down long after I take my thumb off the button.

This affects gameplay quite a bit in Smash Brothers, and my 18-year-old GameCube controllers have never had this problem, at least not to the point where it couldn’t be solved with a little cleaning.

I wish it had a rumble feature like the old GameCube controllers, too. If I could get the A button to work like it should, I would change my rating to four stars.

I had the misfortune of having my left joycon start to drift pretty badly, and since it was right when the coronavirus came in full swing, I knew sending off my joycons for repair wasn’t the best idea right now.

So I decided to buy another controller to use in the meantime, but I wasnt up to spend a ton of money on a pro controller, or new joycons, and I was wary of buying third party controllers since quality wasnt always as high and there could be a switch update that could render them useless.

I decided on this controller cause it was the cheapest nintendo branded one in the store, and I’ve played on gamecube controllers before and they’re very enjoyable to use imo. I’ve had this controller for over a month and have pretty much no complaints, its so fun to use I’m planning on getting the wireless version in the future since I know I’ll love it.

The only complaints I have is that the plastic shell isnt as sturdy as I’d like, since I can feel some very small movement between the top n bottom pieces. It also doesn’t have rumble or an NFC reader, and if you’re playing something like Mario odyssey you most likely wont be able to do any of the moves that require shaking the joycons.

Also for anyone concerned that the C stick would make some games harder to play since it wouldnt feel like a normal joystick, the controller comes with a spare normal joystick top that you can swap the C stick part out for.

Overall, if you need a cheap switch controller n dont mind losing some extra features the joycons have, I completely recommend this controller.

Controller has the classic gamecube feel, and works well. My only complaint would be with the trigger buttons, which doesn’t have the same ‘clicky’ feel as an original GC controller. Doesn’t really hinder gameplay though!.

I was sent a defective controller, the c-stick was broken and gave no input in game. I took the controller apart to see if I could fix it, to no avail. It’s not worth the trouble to return it, I’m just going to buy a better controller elsewhere.