Switch controllers now work with the oldest Nintendo consoles, proving they do make them like they used to.
Enterprising company 8bitdo released a firmware update for its Retro Receivers today that adds Switch controller compatibility. Currently the company sells Bluetooth Retro Receivers for the NES, the SNES, and the NES Classic, all of which use the same firmware.
You can now use Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons and Pro controller with your NES Classic. FW update at https://t.co/YRrVcZKTpF. pic.twitter.com/qkskX95eWB
— 8bitdo (@8bitdo) March 8, 2017
We wrote about 8bitdo’s Retro Receiver for the NES Classic when it came out last year. We loved how much it improved the Classic, both by allowing you to use any controller you have laying around, and by sparing you the headache of the packaged controllers’ short cords.
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Currently, the Retro Receivers also supports PS3 and PS4 controllers, Wiimotes, and Wii U Pro controllers in addition to 8bitdo’s in-house controllers.
This also bridges the gap between the Switch and its nonexistent backwards compatibility. The Switch has no virtual console at launch, meaning you can’t play older games on the console.
The Switch’s online service confirms that NES games will eventually be playable for monthly subscribers. Consider this adaptor as a way to practice using the Joy-Con with all of the old Mario platformers.
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