There’s a key detail about the upcoming wireless GameCube controllers for Switch 2 that we all seem to have missed: they will only function with the GameCube app provided with a Switch Online subscription. As noticed by Nintendo Everything, the fine print in the UK version of the “GameCube Nintendo Classics” video states the following:
“This controller is only compatible with Nintendo GameCube – Nintendo Classics”
Curiously, this disclaimer was left out of the North American video. It’s also completely different from how the other classic controllers released for the Switch 1 operate. If you happen to buy the NES, SNES, N64, or Sega Genesis gamepads, they will function in every Switch title (though the lack of buttons will hinder their playability). This time around, it seems the wireless GameCube controller will only work for the app and nothing else. That will likely sting for Smash Bros. fans.
Even if the controller is limited in functionality on Switch 2, it should still operate normally as a Bluetooth controller for PC. It will make a great replacement for the WaveBird, which was an outstanding gamepad but is now over 20 years old. Mine is dead, and I’ve never been the same man since.
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Written by Peter Glagowski
Peter has been a freelance gaming and film critic for over seven years. His passion for Nintendo is only matched by the size of his collection.
