iOS 16 lets you hook up Nintendo Switch controllers to your iPhone

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Apple’s WWDC 2022 revealed a lot about the new iOS 16, but at least one feature was swept under the rug during the keynote address. Expanding its reach in the gaming world, Apple added support for Nintendo Switch Joy-Con controllers on iPhone as part of iOS 16.

This hidden new feature was discovered in a developer beta build of iOS 16 that was released shortly after yesterday’s presentation. App developer Riley Testut discovered the new feature and took to Twitter to share the news.

The feature includes support for both the Switch Pro Controller, which Testut says works “perfectly” on iPhone, and for the original Joy-Cons. Apple engineer Nat Brown confirmed the new feature in a reply tweet last night.

https://twitter.com/rileytestut/status/1533954250824241153

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And it doesn’t look like this was a thoughtless integration, either. With Joy-Cons, you will be able to connect both sides or just one, depending on your preference. And when you connect both sides, they appear as a single controller in apps.

Additionally, the feature lets you dynamically switch between using both sides as one controller or two separate controllers. All you have to do is press the screenshot and home buttons for a few seconds, and the Joy-Cons will switch modes.

This is a great move from Apple, which is looking to break more into the gaming world. Your iPhone will essentially double as a Nintendo Switch, though the available games are not quite the same.

Still, it looks like Apple was thoughtful with this integration. The controllers seemingly work on iPhones the same way they work on the Switch.

Of course, iOS 16 is only available as a developer beta for now. But the public beta begins next month and the full release is in the fall.

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