How to Connect Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons and Pro Controller to PC (Bluetooth Guide)

Prerequisites Before Connecting

Before initiating the Bluetooth pairing sequence, ensure your PC meets the following requirements:

• Bluetooth Capability: An internal Bluetooth 4.0+ module or a quality USB Bluetooth dongle.
• BetterJoy Driver: Download the latest verified package from our BetterJoy Windows Download page.
• ViGEmBus Driver: Virtual Gamepad Emulation Bus, packaged with BetterJoy, which translates Joy-Con inputs into virtual Xbox 360 controller signals.
• Controller Battery: Ensure your Joy-Cons or Pro Controller are charged at least 50% to prevent unexpected disconnects.

Step 1: Put Joy-Con or Pro Controller in Pairing Mode

Nintendo Switch controllers use dedicated sync buttons to broadcast Bluetooth discovery signals:

1. For Joy-Cons (Left or Right): Locate the small, circular SYNC button on the flat rail between the SL and SR buttons. Press and hold the SYNC button for 3 to 5 seconds until the green player indicator lights begin cycling back and forth in a running pattern.
2. For Switch Pro Controller: Locate the circular SYNC button on top of the controller, right next to the USB-C charging port. Press and hold it for 3 seconds until the bottom LED lights flash repeatedly.

Step 2: Pair Controller in Windows 11 / Windows 10

1. Open Windows Settings (press Win + I).
2. Navigate to Bluetooth & devices and make sure Bluetooth is toggled On.
3. Click Add device and select Bluetooth.
4. Look for Joy-Con (L), Joy-Con (R), or Pro Controller in the list of available devices.
5. Click on the controller to pair. Windows will display "Your device is ready to go!"
6. Note: If pairing Joy-Cons as a pair, repeat this process for both Joy-Con (L) and Joy-Con (R).

Step 3: Launch and Configure BetterJoy

Once paired via Bluetooth, Windows recognizes the controllers as generic DirectInput devices. To make them work with modern PC games and Steam, BetterJoy bridges them to XInput:

1. Extract the downloaded BetterJoy_v7.1.zip to a dedicated folder on your computer.
2. Right-click BetterJoyForCemu.exe and select Run as administrator.
3. BetterJoy will automatically scan your Bluetooth connections. You should see your controller icon appear in the main window.
4. Join Joy-Cons: By default, two connected Joy-Cons appear vertically. Click on either controller icon to toggle them between two individual controllers or joined as a unified single gamepad.
5. Launch your game or emulator, and your controllers will immediately function as standard Xbox 360 gamepads!

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my Joy-Con disconnect after a few minutes?

Windows aggressive power-saving settings often put Bluetooth radios into low-power mode. Open Device Manager, expand Bluetooth, right-click your Bluetooth adapter, go to Properties > Power Management, and uncheck "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power".

Can I use motion controls with Bluetooth?

Yes. BetterJoy includes a built-in UDP Cemuhook motion server. Emulators such as Cemu, Yuzu, Ryujinx, and Dolphin can directly read the gyro feed over 127.0.0.1:26760.