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The Nintendo Switch is one of the most popular gaming consoles on the market, now surpassing 122 million hardware sales in its 6-year lifespan. This means a lot of people who need a controller option outside of just the native joy-cons! The Nintendo Switch Pro Controller is Nintendo's official first-party controller that works across all titles and is the premiere controller to use when gaming on Nintendo Switch. With HD Rumble, built-in amiibo functionality, motion controls and one of the most impressive battery spans around this comfortable durable controller is a fantastic accessory for any gamer.
Over time we've seen several special editions of the controller to celebrate different game releases, acting as the perfect partner to these new titles. In this guide, we’ll break down all the different colours and variants of the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller that have been released since 2017. We'll be sure to point you in the right direction if any of these controllers are still available for purchase but keep in mind special editions can be a bit more on the pricey side and also tend to go out of stock rather quickly. A lot of these controllers due to their age are going to be tough to find now without going to places like eBay or StockX and will be at inflated prices. With all that said let's get into all the colourways and special editions of the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller. We've also included some anchor links below if you want to check out a specific controller.
Release Date: 3rd March 2017
Availability: Currently In Stock
Kicking it all off is the original Nintendo Switch Pro Controller - Standard which was released alongside the Nintendo Switch console back on the 3rd of March in 2017. Whilst this controller isn't a huge head-turner with its rather dark grey/black plastic and rubber aesthetic it still looks great and if you're more into the minimalistic design the standard Nintendo Switch Pro Controller may be your best option. The controller features a translucent finish on the black casing with a circuit board looking background coming through with rubberised black grips.
Over the years this controller has seen some hardware revisions in order to improve both battery life and ergonomics but the controller has always maintained the same aesthetic. This controller is also the easiest to obtain on the list, it is always in stock somewhere and often sees good discounts during sale periods like Black Friday.
Release Date: 21st July 2017
Availability: Out of stock at RRP
So our first special edition Nintendo Switch Pro Controller that was released was the Splatoon 2 edition. The first striking difference with this controller is the rubberised grips being a neon green and neon pink colour offering some great contrast, similar to what we'd expect to see on a pair of Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons. The main body of the controller is a matte grey and black colour covered in the paint splats we'd expect from anything Splatoon themed!
Sadly as one of the oldest controllers, this one is now really hard to find unless you want to pick it up second-hand or from somewhere like eBay. But fear not Splatoon fans there's another controller later on this list that you can still get your hands on.
Release Date: 1st of December 2017
Availability: Out of Stock at RRP
Released alongside Xenoblade Chronicles 2 this variant of the Nintendo Switch Pro controller features a pinkish-red tone across the rubberised grips as well as on the back of the controller which is contrasted by blacks, greys and a turquoise accenting on the face buttons and d-pad which is a feature exclusively seen on this variant of the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller. This turquoise cross-slash pattern really stands out and looks fantastic on this controller.
If you're a Xenoblade Chronicles fan this is a controller that most likely peaks your interest but is very hard to find at RRP due to the controller's age, if you do want to pick one up you can check StockX or eBay.
Release Date: 27th August 2018
Availability: Out of stock at RRP
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is most certainly a Nintendo Switch title you do not really want to be playing on Joy-Cons regardless of who your main fighter is. The competitive nature of fighting games and the speed of inputs necessary to be the best definitely complement the Nintendo Switch Pro controller so of course Nintendo brought out a limited edition controller for the game.
This time we're contrasting whites and blacks with a white rubberised grip and black plastic casing which features a large Super Smash Bros. logo in light silver. You can't really go wrong with that striking balance of black and white.
Release Date: 26th March 2021
Availability: Out of stock at RRP
We now have my personal favourite on the list and that's the Monster Hunter Rise Special Edition Pro controller.
Whilst not the flashiest or most vibrant of the Nintendo Switch the gold accenting on the default translucent body on this controller just looks gorgeous. The gold design is of Monster Hunter Rise's flagship monster Magnamalo, and there's just some real poetic justice in taking down a hellfire blight-inflicting beast with a controller he's depicted on. Sadly another really tough controller to get your hands on for RRP. As you can see this is a common theme with these limited edition pro controllers just showing how much fans pick them up!
Release Date: June 30th 2022
Availability: Out of stock at RRP
Another Monster Hunter controller this time launching alongside the Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak Expansion. This is the only Nintendo Switch Pro Controller that was released alongside a DLC as opposed to a full game, however, the amount of content in a Monster Hunter expansion usually rivals any regular title release.
The general theme and design are similar to the Monster Hunter Rise controller but instead of gold, we've got a silver accent of the expansions flagship vampiric dragon Malzeno. Within the backdrop of the controller, you can also see a flock of small flying wyverns that look like they're almost fleeing from the terrifying Malzeno. Another great controller for fans of the Monster Hunter series. Although Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak was released back in June of 2022 this controller is currently unavailable at RRP.
Release Date: September 9th 2022
Availability: Currently In Stock
Following the more intricate designs of the Monster Hunter controllers Nintendo brought back the vibrancy with the next Nintendo Switch Pro Controller which was the Splatoon 3 special edition. This is the latest pro controller on our list and as you can see takes a lot of inspiration from the Splatoon 2 controller. This time around We've got a dark blue and a neon yellow rubberised grip but the same paint splatter design on the black and grey plastic face of the controller.
We're happy to say that at the current time of writing this controller is actually available for purchase. If you're interested we'd advise picking one up sooner rather than later as you can see by the rest of the list that these Nintendo Switch Pro Controller limited editions don't stick around for long.
Nintendo Switch Pro Controller Splatoon 3 Edition
Release Date: May 12th 2023
Availability: Pre-order
Now we have the first Nintendo Switch Pro Controller of 2023 and it's a banger. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is the most anticipated Nintendo Switch game of 2023, and with good reason, it's the sequel to the beloved Breath of the Wild which takes the throne for a lot of people as their favourite game. Nintendo seems pretty aware of this releasing a Zelda limited edition Switch OLED, carry case and of course, a Nintendo Switch Pro controller to commemorate the release of this blockbuster title. Surprisingly, this is the first Zelda-themed Nintendo Switch Pro Controller. We have seen Zelda-themed Joy-Cons before with the Skyward Sword Edition Joy-Cons but no Pro controllers until now! In all honesty, this could be the last Zelda Switch Pro Controller as Nintendo Switch is approaching the end of its life cycle which could mean a new model of Switch Pro Controller later down the line, but that's just speculation.
This controller will be released alongside the game on the 12th of May and is currently available for pre-order but it's going to sell out fast. If you're keen to pick this one up do it sooner rather than later as it's going to be flying off the shelves.
So what about the design itself? We've got the usual black base with a dark Hylian crest contrasted by gold accent runic patterns. One interesting thing with this Pro Controller is there is no Nintendo Switch logo, it is entirely replaced by the Hylian crest, this is the only Nintendo Switch Pro Controller that doesn't have the Nintendo Switch logo front and centre. Honestly, this controller looks great and I am a fan of the use of both a black and a white grip here. I do however think it's a bit of a shame they left the green off that is used in the Zelda Limited Edition OLED Switch as I feel this would have just elevated the controller even more.
So there you have it those are all the mass-released Nintendo Switch Pro Controllers that we've had since its original release in 2017. It's actually quite surprising how few controllers there have been so far, especially with how popular and dead-stock some of the special editions are now. There are also 2 controllers that were excluded from their list as they were never released to the general public. These were a special Splatoon 2 pro controller with golden handles which was a prize for the winner of the Pax East Inkling Open in 2019 as well as a Super Smash Bros Controller with a golden logo to the winners of both a Pax East 2019 and EVO Japan 2020 Smash Bros. Ultimate tournament.
Which controller from this list is your favourite? Is there any titles you wish had received a special edition Nintendo Switch Pro Controller? Let us know down below in the comments.
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