Skip to main content

Nintendo’s FCC listing suggests the Switch is getting a wireless SNES controller

Detail shot of the right side of the SNES Classic Edition controller
Mike Epstein/Digital Trends

The Nintendo Switch’s versatility is one of its main selling points, and if a new FCC listing is indicative of the company’s plans for future controllers, it could get even more versatile. A wireless SNES-style controller could be on the way, despite the system not currently offering SNES games through its subscription service.

The listing is available via the FCC website, and is for a “Wireless Game Device.” It’s quite the broad term, but documents contained within the listing show the back of a controller that looks nearly identical to the original Super Nintendo controller, but with slightly raised sections on the top. This could mean it will have additional functionality compared to a standard SNES controller, but it could also mean it will slide onto the Switch’s sides much like the NES controllers available to Nintendo Switch Online subscribers.

Recommended Videos

Given the number of controllers meant to emulate classic Nintendo devices already available for the Switch, we’re putting our money on the latter. Nintendo has been remarkably bullish on its subscription service thus far, using it as an alternative to its long-running Virtual Console system. This has been met with some backlash from longtime players who wish to enjoy their digital library on the Switch, and SNES games are one of the biggest omissions. As it stands, traditional 3DS systems can’t play the games unless they were in the “Ambassador” program, though New 3DS consoles can play them.

FCC ID

The move to playing retro Nintendo games through the subscription service isn’t all bad, however. The games come with special online features and the vault continues to grow with games each month. Some of the titles are even available in variants that start you near the end of the game so you can finally know what it’s like to be a winner, and you’re likely to be introduced to a game you’ve never played before.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

It’s unclear when Nintendo would plan to introduce SNES games on Switch, but if you need your fix, you can always play the SNES Classic. Though the console was discontinued, you shouldn’t have too much trouble finding it from resellers.

Gabe Gurwin
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…
The best Lego games for Nintendo Switch
Aloy holds a bow in Lego Horizon Adventures.

You can't talk about the best Switch games without at least one Lego game coming up. These games have adapted all of the major franchises, from superheroes to fantasy characters, into some of the most enjoyable games for kids and adults. Or, better yet, play them together since nearly all of them are best played in local multiplayer. At this point in the Switch's lifecycle, there are over a dozen Lego games out there to pick from. While you could always go with whichever one is based on your favorite franchise, there are a few others not based on a license that are just as good. These are our picks for the best Lego games on the Switch that mix in both license properties and original IPs.

If you do plan on playing these with a friend or family member, make sure you have a spare controller ready.

Read more
Nintendo Switch’s successor must overcome one major challenge
Someone picks up a Nintendo Switch OLED Model.

The latest news on the Nintendo Switch’s successor, colloquially referred to as the Nintendo Switch 2, excites me. Unfortunately, it also demonstrates a major hurdle that Nintendo Switch 2 will have to overcome.

While Nintendo has yet to go all out in terms ofexplaining what the Switch 2 is yet (or if that’s even its name), we did learn in the company’s latest financial results that the console will be backward compatible with Nintendo Switch titles. That’s a win for not just Switch 2, but game preservation and the Nintendo Account system. Although backward compatibility is a net win for Nintendo’s next system, as it was for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, it reminds me that Nintendo must succeed where PlayStation and Xbox have struggled this generation.

Read more
Nintendo Switch 2: everything we know so far
Prime Day Nintendo Switch Deals

Rumors of a Nintendo Switch 2 have been circulating for years. Whispers of the next-gen Nintendo console first started when The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was initially teased in 2019, then gained steam when the Switch OLED launched in 2021. Now that Nintendo has properly confirmed that it's working on a new console, rumors have only gotten more frequent. We've even hit the point where we're seeing more credible photos and spec leaks trickle out.

There's no doubt that the Nintendo Switch is a fantastic console -- it has a unique and impressive game library (with more upcoming games slated for this year), the number of features included with Nintendo Switch Online is constantly improving, and it's still our favorite portable console -- but it isn't without its flaws. There's enough room for improvement to warrant an entirely new console in the near future.

Read more