Nintendo’s Joy-Con Controllers Work on Mac, PC and Android

The release of Nintendo’s newest console, the Switch, has been one of the “strongest and most successful gaming launches for GameStop in the last several years,” according to the specialist retailer’s Senior Director of Merchandising. Stores across the US “were packed with customers who couldn’t wait to get their hands on the brand new Nintendo Switch” said Eric Bright, GameStop Senior Director of Merchandising, according to GameRant.

Now, according to a new report from The Verge, French Nintendo fan site Nintendo Actu has been experimenting with Joy-Con controllers on Windows and Android devices, and software engineer Sam Williams has discovered Nintendo’s controllers also work on macOS.

The Joy-Cons seem to be ready to use with Macs out of the box with no additional software, and you may need a few additional software tools to correctly map the Joy-Con’s key layout on PC depending on your needs.

“Such functionality isn’t surprising, especially given that you could use Nintendo’s Wiimote on PCs thanks to Bluetooth, and the Joy-Cons are simply identifying as similar Bluetooth controllers,” reads the report. “Microsoft’s latest Xbox One controller can also be used on other devices thanks to Bluetooth, as can Sony’s PlayStation 4 controller.”

Like their Wii Remotes predecessors, Joy-Con controllers connect to the Nintendo Switch via Bluetooth, so linking them with other Bluetooth-enabled devices is quite simple. The same is true of the PlayStation 4’s DualShock 4 controller and the Xbox One’s wireless controller.

Basically, it isn’t exactly a shocking discovery, but with all of the head-scratching decisions that Nintendo makes, it’s good to know that this still works.

Last week, it was also discovered the Switch will charge a new MacBook Pro–instead of the other way around.

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