Nintendo Switch is one of our favourite gadgets here at Beebom. I personally love passing my free time by playing games on it. The best part about using the switch is the Joy-Cons. They give you the freedom to play games in ways which no other controller can. Due to their versatility, I have always felt they are under utilised when only used with the Switch console. That’s why I was happy when I came to know that the Joy-Cons pair natively with Android devices. However, the native pairing is really unreliable, and most of the time, you could pair only one of the Joy-Cons. Even when you could pair the Joy-Cons successfully, they didn’t work with most of the games. The good news is, now there’s a way you can pair the Joy-Cons easily with your Android device and use them as a controller when playing games. So take out your Joy-Cons, and read this article to find out, how to use Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons with your Android Device:
Connect Switch’s Joy Cons to Android Device
Note: Your device needs to be rooted for this feature to work.
1. Install Joy Con Enabler
The first step in the process for pairing Joy-Cons with your Android device is to install the Joy Con Enabler app (free). The app is free to download but the free version only allows you to test the Joy-Cons. For gaining the ability to play games, you will have to buy the Pro version ($1.99). Once you buy the Pro version, every game with native controller support can be played using the Joy-Cons.
2. Setting Up the App
When you launch the app, you will be guided through the setup process which is easy to follow. The first step is to sync your Joy-Cons with your Android device. To do that, press & hold on to the sync buttons present on in the inner side of the Joy-Cons (See picture below). When the Joy-Cons appear on the Bluetooth menu on your smartphone, tap on them to pair.
Now, the second step is to allow the app the required permissions. The setup guide will walk you through the process but if somehow you missed it, go to Settings->Languages & input->Virtual keyboard->Joy-Con Enabler Pro and enable it. Remember, you will have to buy the pro version to complete this step. Without the pro version, you will not be able to access the settings menu of the app.
3. Testing the Joy-Cons
You don’t need to buy the pro version just to test your Joy-Cons. Launch the app and tap on “Test Joy-Cons” as shown in the picture. Now you will be guided to the Joy-con Testing Interface.
To test your Joy-Cons, press any of the buttons, and the corresponding buttons will be marked in red on the app’s interface. Also, when you move a joystick, the corresponding joystick will start moving on the interface. Test to check whether all the buttons are working or not. Below is the picture of the testing interface when no button is pressed.
Here is how it looks when I press the ZR button. You will see that to show that the device is recognising your inputs, the ZR button changes its colour to red.
4, Playing Games
By now, you have checked if the Joy-Cons are working or not. Now, the only thing to do is to play games using the Joy-Cons. As said earlier, all the games with native controller support will work with Joy-Cons. Once you have paired your Joy-Cons, there nothing much to do here. Just launch the app and start playing the games with your Joy-Cons. You don’t have to go through any extra set-up process. Unfortunately, there’s no way for me to show this to you in this article, but, it certainly works.
Note: Some handsets might suffer lag while using the Joy-Cons. The app will not be able to resolve this glitch.
SEE ALSO: 15 best apps for rooted android device
Ready to Play Games With Joy Cons on Android?
There’s no point of buying a Nintendo Switch just for the sake of using the Joy-Cons on your Android device, especially when the integration is not that optimal. However, if you already own a Switch, it is fun to see what other things we can do with its components. I really love the idea of being able to play games on my Android device using the Switch’s Joy-Con controllers. To see it become a reality (although not perfect) is even better. If you do try this and I will urge you that you do, tell us your favourite Android games which you played using the Joy-Cons, in the comment section below.
Abubakar Mohammed
