This article discusses how to connect Switch controllers to your Windows PC if you want to use this setup with the emulator or indie game of your choice. You can pair Joy-Cons to any version of Windows, but the drivers work best with Windows 10.

What to Know

  • Pair Joy-Cons with a computer via Bluetooth.Repeat the process for the second Joy-Con, if applicable.Install a third-party app such as BetterJoy that allows your computer to understand controller inputs.

How to Use Joy-Cons on a Windows PC

First of all, your PC needs to have Bluetooth connectivity. The Joy-Cons use Bluetooth to connect, so they won’t have any way to hook up if your PC doesn’t have that functionality. If it doesn’t, and you really want to use your Switch Joy-Cons on your PC, then you’ll need to add a Bluetooth adapter first.

If you have Bluetooth, then you have two options:

  • Use each Joy-Con individually: You will use each Joy-Con in the sideways configuration as a standalone wireless controller. This is good for two player action and retro style games.Use the Joy-Cons as one controller: This allows you to use the Joy-Cons together as a single controller, and it’s best for modern games that require two analog sticks.

We’ll show you how to connect your Joy-Cons to your PC via Bluetooth, and then how to get them working with BetterJoy. BetterJoy is free software you can download from GitHub that allows you to use your Joy-Cons either individually or as one controller.

How to Connect Joy-Cons to Your Windows PC

Before you can start using your Joy-Cons on your PC, you first need to get them connected. This is a simple process that involves pairing each Joy-Con with your PC via Bluetooth. Once you finish, you’ll be ready to use BetterJoy, or any alternative, set your Joy-Cons up to work with PC games and emulators.

  • Click Start, and navigate to Settings > Devices > Bluetooth, and, if the toggle is set to off (as pictured), click the Bluetooth toggle to turn it on.
  • Click Add Bluetooth or other device.
  • Hold down the sync button on your Joy-Con until the lights start flashing.
  • You can find the sync button on the connector rail between the SL and SR buttons.
  • Click Bluetooth.
  • Click Joy-Con (L) or Joy-Con (R) when it appears in the Bluetooth devices menu.
  • Wait for the Joy-Con to connect, and then repeat this process if you also want to pair the other one.

How to Use Your Joy-Cons as Controllers on a PC

Once you have successfully paired your Joy-Cons to your PC, you’ll have to provide some method for the PC to understand the inputs from each controller. There are a lot of solutions to this problem, but we’ll show you how to get things working with BetterJoy. This method allows you to easily switch between using the Joy-Cons as separate controllers or together as a single controller.

Click Start, and navigate to Settings > Devices > Bluetooth, and, if the toggle is set to off (as pictured), click the Bluetooth toggle to turn it on.

Click Add Bluetooth or other device.

Hold down the sync button on your Joy-Con until the lights start flashing.

You can find the sync button on the connector rail between the SL and SR buttons.

Click Bluetooth.

Click Joy-Con (L) or Joy-Con (R) when it appears in the Bluetooth devices menu.

Wait for the Joy-Con to connect, and then repeat this process if you also want to pair the other one.

  • Download BetterJoy from this GitHub repo.
  • Download the most recent version. Use the x64 version if your operating system is 64-bit, or the x86 version if your operating system is 32-bit. If you aren’t sure, check out how to tell if you have Windows 64-bit.
  • Extract the files to the folder of your choice, open the drivers subfolder, and run ViGEmBUS_Setup as administrator. This will launch an install wizard that installs the necessary drivers.
  • After you have finished installing the drivers, return to the main BetterJoy folder and run BetterJoyForCemu as administrator.
  • BetterJoy will recognize your paired Joy-Cons. To use the Joy-Cons as separate controllers, click one of the Joy-Con icons. Doing so will rotate the icons to display the Joy-Cons in a horizontal orientation. To switch back to using them as a single controller, click either icon again.

About Joy-Con Controllers

The Joy-Con is actually two controllers used in concert. These tiny controllers connect to the Switch via Bluetooth, which means you can also connect Switch controllers to your PC (Windows) to use with the emulator or indie game of your choice. When you’re done, you can always connect your Switch controllers back to your Switch.

This method works for Windows 7, 8, 8.1 and 10, but you may experience issues if you don’t have Windows 10. If the drivers crash, try updating your official Xbox 360 controller drivers.

Download BetterJoy from this GitHub repo.

Download the most recent version. Use the x64 version if your operating system is 64-bit, or the x86 version if your operating system is 32-bit. If you aren’t sure, check out how to tell if you have Windows 64-bit.

Extract the files to the folder of your choice, open the drivers subfolder, and run ViGEmBUS_Setup as administrator. This will launch an install wizard that installs the necessary drivers.

After you have finished installing the drivers, return to the main BetterJoy folder and run BetterJoyForCemu as administrator.

BetterJoy will recognize your paired Joy-Cons. To use the Joy-Cons as separate controllers, click one of the Joy-Con icons. Doing so will rotate the icons to display the Joy-Cons in a horizontal orientation. To switch back to using them as a single controller, click either icon again.

  • How do I use Joy-Cons on a PC without using Bluetooth?
  • Due to the Joy-Cons requiring a Bluetooth connection, it’s not possible to pair them with your PC unless you use Bluetooth. Other Switch controllers such as the Pro Controller do have wired connection options and so can be used on a PC without Bluetooth.
  • How do I turn off Joy-Cons that are paired with my PC?
  • You can turn off Joy-Cons that are connected to your PC by pressing the sync button.
  • What do I do if my PC asks for a PIN when pairing my Joy-Cons?
  • If you’re attempting to pair your Joy-Cons to a PC and are prompted to enter a PIN, try either 0000 or 1234. Both options are the default PIN for Bluetooth devices and should work.

Due to the Joy-Cons requiring a Bluetooth connection, it’s not possible to pair them with your PC unless you use Bluetooth. Other Switch controllers such as the Pro Controller do have wired connection options and so can be used on a PC without Bluetooth.

You can turn off Joy-Cons that are connected to your PC by pressing the sync button.

If you’re attempting to pair your Joy-Cons to a PC and are prompted to enter a PIN, try either 0000 or 1234. Both options are the default PIN for Bluetooth devices and should work.

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