You Can Use The Xbox Adaptive Controller With The Switch, Too

Xbox’s Adaptive Controller, hands down, is one of the most interesting bits of tech this year. But even more interesting is the cool ways people are using it to interface with other systems – like the Nintendo Switch.

The Adaptive Controller is designed for accessibility, although its design means it has all sorts of functionality for working with other devices. So YouTuber My Mate Vince wondered: what if I could get the Adaptive Controller working with the Switch?

And as spotted by The Verge, that’s exactly what Vince ended up doing. Using a wireless controller adapter (one that’s specifically compatible with the Switch) through a USB-C to USB-A adapter, and enabling “Pro Controller Wired Communication” in the Switch settings, Vince was able to calibrate the Adaptive Controller to the Switch.

A pure wireless connection wasn’t working, but it worked enough that Vince could then hook up other controllers into the Adaptive Controller. So Vince opted to grab a couple of cheap USB joysticks – a cheap old-school Atari stick and a more traditional flight-esque joystick – and plugged them into the USB ports on the sides of the Adaptive Controller.

Some calibration, testing and setting up of profiles through the Xbox app in Windows 10 later, and Vince was able to get both the joysticks working in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. It’s a little elaborate and involved, and not without some expense when you factor in the cost of the adaptive controller, extra plugs and controllers.

But if you wanted to play Mario Kart 8 with a proper racing setup – or at least using the Adaptive Controller as a rudimentary set of petals – it actually works. And it opens up all other sorts of opportunities for able gamers who struggle with the small size of the JoyCons, or people who just want to try different setups with the Switch.

For me, these bits of ingenuity and perseverance really define what the gaming community has always been about. But it also highlights why the Adaptive Controller is one of the best bits of tech made by a platform holder in recent memory, and it’s just fun to watch the internet find creative and unique solutions with hardware.