Unless you live under a rock, you will certainly be aware of the Nintendo Wii that is an interactive and quite popular home-based console for all sorts of audiences. They were first popularized when they were launched in 2006 since they offered a healthier alternative to stationary video games!
This is called its motion-controlled gaming feature and it attracted more people particularly due to its now-famous tennis game. This became a worldwide phenomenon especially since it got new audiences to get up and join in the action! While the 2013 launch of Wii mini, was an updated version, it still couldn’t match up to Nintendo’s new offering.
We are of course talking about the Nintendo switch. While you can say that this new gaming system was in many ways similar to Wii, it had a ton of new upgrades and features! The Nintendo Switch was in many ways faster but the main reason why more people took a liking to the Switch was in part due to its portability.
Let’s say right now, you have a few old Wii controllers lying around the house that are not being used since you switched to Switch. You don’t want to let them go to waste or maybe you can’t afford a new Switch controller, so what do you do?
The only logical question that comes up next is of course; can I use my Wii controller on Switch? This is a question that many avid Nintendo users might ask purely based on curiosity. Before we reveal the answer for this, most of you might be wondering whether this is even realistic due to differences in controllers!
So, before we get to the important bit, let’s clear a few confusions out!
Do the Wii controller and Switch controller have major differences between them?
As we have established earlier, the Wii came out in 2006 and Nintendo launched Switch in 2013! This means that you have almost 10 years’ worth of difference between both device’s technology and features. With gaming technology, in particular, making such leaps forward in advancement, you cannot expect the two to be completely similar.
Therefore, connecting them up perfectly should be out of the question! Another thing to consider is that before you can even think of linking them up, you will need to know exactly how the Wii controller and your switch controllers differ. This will give you a better idea of what the Wii might be missing out on!
In our opinion, the major difference here has to be the design of the controllers. The Wii has a clunky remote that is meant to be held in your hand as you play. This is fitted with 2 function buttons, 2 options buttons and 3 face buttons along with a trigger option as well.
On the other hand, the Switch controller, also known as Joy-Cons is fitted with 1 function button, 1 option button, and four face buttons. However, that’s not all since they also have 2 side-facing shoulder and 2 front-facing buttons.
Many of these above-listed aspects are simply not a part of the Wii Remote controller! This means that even if you do end up linking the two, you might have to deal with more than one setback. You can turn the motion controls off of course, but we don’t see how that would be an improvement.
Finally, the last difference between the two controllers is that your Wii Remote will come fitted with an IR sensor. If you want it to function well, you will need to connect it to its sensor bar. The sensor bar is vital for games that need positional information and it might not work at all without it!
How to use a Wii controller on Switch?
To answer whether it is possible to use a Wii controller on Switch, the simple answer is yes! However as we have mentioned earlier, there might be a few key differences in the 2 controllers and that might get in your way a lot.
However, the positives are also there! Sure, you might need quite a few adjustments made to your adaptors and purchase customizable dongles as well. You can also lookup reviews on how to achieve that yourself! So all-in-all, this certainly isn’t impossible.
However, coming back to the point we raised at the start, there are so many differences between the Wii controller and the Switch one that you might feel trapped in the past! Enhanced gameplay is the last thing you should expect from this exchange! However, we do feel that this is a fun and interesting learning experience if you are interested!
A good tip is to go over Nintendo’s guides on both devices and then work your way to finally connecting them. You will be able to connect the two but your functionality will not be excellent. However, as we mentioned, this should be a fun experiment for all avid gamers who want to try something new and put their old controllers to good use.
When it comes to concluding this review on using Wii controllers on Switch systems, one thing is certain. You might not be able to make the most of your gaming experience with this combination. In a lot of ways, your overall performance will be hindered or will be limited.
Even with the impressive and specialized dongles that keep popping up, your Wii controller might not work on some games. However, to answer the question of whether it is possible, this is a clear yes.
With that, we are ending today’s informational article and we hope that we have covered all necessary aspects that are crucial to finding out more about this topic. At the end of this discussion, you should know all the basics about the possibility of using your Wii Controller with Switch.
