Looking for a Switch Pro Controller Black Friday deal? Here are 5 gamepad alternatives I’d buy

By Dave Meikleham
published

Nintendo's official gamepad rarely goes on sale, but thankfully you can pick up great deals on third-party Switch controllers

Nintendo Switch Pro Controllers
(Image credit: Future)
Jump to:

Black Friday is almost here with all the inevitability of Thanos. Another fact of life that’s almost as unavoidable as a large purple dude snapping half of existence into oblivion is that the official Nintendo Switch Pro Controller almost never goes on sale.

It’s an excellent gamepad, and our pick as the best Switch controller overall here at Tom’s Guide. At time of writing, though, it’s still stubbornly stuck at its default price tag of $70 on Amazon. Things aren’t any better for British Nintendo fans either, with the brilliant pad costing its normal £50 on Amazon UK. 

Yet all hope is not lost. If you can make your peace with not getting a discount on the official Nintendo peripheral, there are a number of fantastic third-party controllers to pair with the handheld hybrid. Here are five great alternative Switch Pro Controller Black Friday deals, spanning both US and UK offers. Below, you’ll find a small selection of controllers that are mostly cheaper than the official version, while still offering additional features at a lower price point. 

5 Black Friday Switch Pro Controller alternative deals I'd buy

Black Friday Switch Pro Controller alternative gamepad deals (US)

PowerA Enhanced Wireless Controller: was $60 now $42 @ Best Buy

PowerA Enhanced Wireless Controller: was $60 now $42 @ Best Buy
This gamepad is actually officially licensed by Nintendo, so you can be assured of its quality. Not only are its face buttons remappable, you also get a couple of handy additional inputs on the rear of the controller for added functionality. 

View Deal
GameSir T4 Kaleid: was $50 now $42 @ GameSir

GameSir T4 Kaleid: was $50 now $42 @ GameSir
This may be a wired-only controller, but I really like the built-in RGB lighting and turbo functionality you get with this effort from GameSir. I also appreciate its pair of additional remappable buttons. And c'mon, that transparent design is the absolute business. 

View Deal
DinoFire Switch Pro Controller: was $36 now $24 @ Walmart

DinoFire Switch Pro Controller: was $36 now $24 @ Walmart
Like many other third-party alternatives to the official Switch Pro Controller, this pad from DinoFire boasts cool RGB lighting effects and remappable buttons on its rear. I'm a sucker for back buttons, and it's a feature I really wish Nintendo's gamepad came with. The red and blue color scheme is a cute nod to the Switch launch model, too. 

View Deal

Black Friday Switch Pro Controller alternative gamepad deals (UK)

8BitDo Ultimate Bluetooth: was £60 now £53 @ Amazon

8BitDo Ultimate Bluetooth: was £60 now £53 @ Amazon
Probably the Nintendo Switch controller with the best overall features. This versatile gamepad boasts Hall Effect sensors to eliminate annoying stick drift — a flaw that still plagues the Switch's Joy-Cons to this day — while it also comes packaged with a 2.4GHz dongle to help reduce input lag. It's a little bit more expensive than the official Switch Pro Controller, but I reckon it's worth the extra outlay. 

View Deal
Hasacool Switch Pro Controller: was £27 now £22 @ Amazon

Hasacool Switch Pro Controller: was £27 now £22 @ Amazon
I'm absolutely obsessed with this gamepad. So much so, I barely use my official Switch Pro Controller anymore. I like it so much, I've actually bought two of them — one to use with my Nintendo Switch OLED and one that I pair with my gaming PC. Its rumble effects are just that little bit more tactile than the first-party Pro Controller, it has 8 different LED lighting effects you can cycle through and I love the satisfying click of its remappable back buttons. 

View Deal
Dave Meikleham
Dave Meikleham
UK Computing Editor

Dave is a computing editor at Tom’s Guide and covers everything from cutting edge laptops to ultrawide monitors. When he’s not worrying about dead pixels, Dave enjoys regularly rebuilding his PC for absolutely no reason at all. In a previous life, he worked as a video game journalist for 15 years, with bylines across GamesRadar+, PC Gamer and TechRadar. Despite owning a graphics card that costs roughly the same as your average used car, he still enjoys gaming on the go and is regularly glued to his Switch. Away from tech, most of Dave’s time is taken up by walking his husky, buying new TVs at an embarrassing rate and obsessing over his beloved Arsenal.