Fix USB Controller Connectivity Issues on Nintendo Switch

In this episode, we show you how to fix USB Controller Connectivity issues with the Nintendo Switch and Switch OLED related to the Retro Fighter Defender and other USB-connected controllers.

Check out our full review of the Retro Fighters Defender by clicking https://youtu.be/wPlN42MDuw8

While I personally love wireless controllers, there are times when using a USB device on my Nintendo Switch or Switch OLED is necessary. Some wireless controllers still rely on some sort of USB dongle to connect to the system instead of utilizing Bluetooth technology. In our recent review of the Retro Fighters Defender, a number of people have expressed that they have had issues getting the Defender to work with their Switch. Thankfully, the solution is fast and easy, and just about anyone should be able to solve the issue in about a minute.

The problem is, on the Switch, Switch OLED, and Switch Lite, USB Wired communication is disabled by default out of the box. This is what causes issues, not just with the Retro Fighters Defender, but with ANY USB-connected controller. This is really an inconvenient thing, especially since Nintendo licenses USB-Controllers from other manufacturers themselves!

To enable USB communication you'll need some sort of wireless controller, and yes you can simply use the Joy-Cons to do this. Navigate to the System menu. From here, scroll down to Controllers And Sensors. Enter this menu, and scroll down to Pro Controller Wired Communication. If this is in the off position, congrats, you have found your communication issue. Toggle this from Off to On and you should be good. If not, then there's one last thing to try.

Being basically an Android Tablet, there are a few different power-off options to use. When connected to a TV, you can only put the system to sleep, however in handheld you have more options. Hold down the Power button for 3-5 seconds, and a different menu will pop up. Instead of just entering Sleep Mode, you will also see options to restart or shut the system down. If Wired USB Communications are turned on and the system will still not work with wired controllers, do a hard restart using this menu. Once restarted, the system should work flawlessly.

There you have it, in just a few basic steps you can resolve your wired communication issues with the Nintendo Switch, Switch OLED, or Switch Lite. It is irritating that Nintendo disabled wired communications from the box, but it is an easy fix. This is something that Retro Fighters normally covers in the manuals of their controllers, however, it was missed in the first run of manuals for the Defender. I have spoken to Robert at Retro Fighters and this is being corrected in the next batch of controllers and manuals. I'm glad to see them address this moving forward, and it just shows their dedication to the community.

The footage used in this review are used under the Fair Use laws, referenced below:

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/107

Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 106 and 106A, the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright. In determining whether the use made of a work in any particular case is a fair use the factors to be considered shall include—

(1) the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;
(2) the nature of the copyrighted work;
(3) the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and
(4) the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.

The fact that a work is unpublished shall not itself bar a finding of fair use if such finding is made upon consideration of all the above factors.
(Pub. L. 94–553, title I, § 101, Oct. 19, 1976, 90 Stat. 2546; Pub. L. 101–650, title VI, § 607, Dec. 1, 1990, 104 Stat. 5132; Pub. L. 102–492, Oct. 24, 1992, 106 Stat. 3145.)