[Bug] Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller support is not functioning properly

[ShoobTheGoob]

Prerequisites

• I am confident that my issue has not been reported already in open OR closed issues.
• I am able to reliably reproduce the issue on the latest stable or canary version.
• I am not using an unofficial build (Flatpak, Emudeck, etc.).
• I am a silly goose and didn't read these boxes.
• I am a silly goose and DID read these boxes.

Description of the issue

When using the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller over USB in Canary 1.3.271, controller reports left stick in the top left corner, and all other inputs at neutral. No inputs can be provided to the emulator (either for mapping or for in-game use). Using a Nintendo Switch Pro Controller or the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller through Steam to utilize Steam Input (registers as a Nintendo Switch Pro Controller inside Ryujinx) functions as expected, meaning this is explicitly an issue with direct access to Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller.

The above description and screenshot applies to my current system setup, however I've also tried this in Windows 11 24H2. There, the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller does not appear inside Ryujinx at all, despite Device Manager seeing it under "Universal Serial Bus devices".

Reproduction steps

1. Plug in Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller over USB using a USB-C-to-USB-A or USB-C-to-USB-C cable.
2. Launch Ryujinx Canary.
3. Open Settings, and go to the Input tab.
4. Select Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller (0) option in the "Input Device" drop-down. (Not visible in Windows 11)
5. Attempt to test or change any inputs.

Log file

Ryujinx_Canary_1.3.271_2026-04-18_00-15-55.log

OS

Fedora Linux 43 KDE Plasma Desktop Edition

Ryujinx version

Canary 1.3.271

Game version

No response

CPU

AMD Ryzen 5 3600

GPU

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650

RAM

32GB

List of applied mods

No response

Additional context?

I have to have Steam closed to make sure that Ryujinx can actually see the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller while under Fedora KDE 43. I have not tested with Steam opened on Windows 11. Prior to just before I decided to write this issue up, I decided to remove a udev rule that set the proper values for Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller for Steam (I have to use it to make Steam Input properly recognize my controller. I have not tried to "apply" this udev rule to Ryujinx, if that's at all possible), but no change was observed.

To repeat, this is not a game specific issue, this is an issue that I've observed specifically with the emulator's input functionality.

[ShoobTheGoob]

Okay, an addition and an update:

First off, the update. A new Canary build, 1.3.272, was released with more SDL3-gamepad fixes. I tried the build from the pull request (for whatever reason the CI for building and releasing x64 builds did not work, but as far as I can tell it's identical to Canary 1.3.272), and I'm experiencing the same issue as before. To be fair, though, the specific PR did not mention any fixes for Switch 2 controllers.

Next, the addition, or more so a clarification. Before writing this issue in the first place, I was actually given a build of something called "testcontroller" by a Ryubing contributor, @sh0inx. Unlike with Ryujinx, though, testcontroller perfectly picked up my Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller and registers every input, including gyro.

EDIT: okay i'm gonna be completely honest i did not at all notice that this was calling it "Nintendo Switch Pro Controller", i genuinely don't know, i reapplied my udev rule after removing it so maybe that's what's going on with this specific app?? but it IS my Switch 2 Pro Controller, i promise

Why this works and why Ryujinx doesn't is beyond my understanding, but hopefully this does clarify for anyone that this seems to be a Ryujinx specific issue and not one with SDL3 itself.

[sh0inx]

for anyone wondering: https://github.com/libsdl-org/SDL/tree/main/test
you can compile the test application from sdl3, very handy for testing this sort of thing

[ShoobTheGoob]

Hi it's been a bit longer, I have another (more positive!) update about the situation.

In ✨private correspondence✨ with the Ryubing contributor who initially implemented Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller support into the emulator, it was discovered that the issue was, strangely enough, libSDL3.so, a shared library file. Choosing to build SDL3 from the original source rather than using the one provided with the emulator completely cleared up all issues with Switch 2 Pro Controller support, meaning that the issue, in that sense, is resolved!
(note that it says "Nintendo Switch Pro Controller" but it is indeed my Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller)

Except not really. It turns out that needing to build SDL3 manually and transplant it into Ryujinx isn't exactly a viable long-term solution! So I'm going to keep this issue open until something can be done to fix it without needing to do what's effectively (at least to my understanding) a workaround.

Also, one last note: since opening this bug report, I've decided to upgrade my Fedora install to an unstable pre-release of Fedora 44, meaning that a lot of packages have been upgraded on my system. However, to my current understanding this shouldn't affect the actual issue or a potential solution.

[sh0inx]

In ✨private correspondence✨ with the Ryubing contributor who initially implemented Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller support into the emulator, it was discovered that the issue was, strangely enough, libSDL3.so, a shared library file.

keaton is working on a slimmed down SDL3 nuget package with updated bindings that should resolve this (and hopefully any other SDL3 issues we might have).

[sh0inx]

should be resolved in https://git.ryujinx.app/Ryubing/Canary/releases/tag/1.3.278