The patch notes don’t detail each and every controller that is supported, so The Verge reached out for clarification. Valve spokesperson Kaci Aitchison Boyle confirmed that the Switch-specific NES, SNES, Sega Genesis and Nintendo 64 controllers are all compatible with Steam. The SNES controller retails for $29.99 while the Genesis and N64 controller command $49.99 each. A two-pack of the NES controllers is priced at $59.99. A bit frustrating (especially now) is the fact that you must have a Nintendo Switch Online membership to be eligible for purchase.
A one-month Switch Online individual membership goes for $3.99, or you can get an annual pass for $19.99. Perhaps Nintendo will change this requirement in light of the Steam tie-in. Nintendo started adding classic console games to its Switch Online library a few years back to bolster the value of its membership. Retro-inspired wireless controllers modeled after their original counterparts soon followed. All are optional purchases, and can be recharged using a USB cable (except the NES set, which has to be connected to a Switch with detached Joy-Cons to recharge them). I haven’t personally tried any of these wireless remakes but if they are anything like the wired versions that come with Nintendo’s Classic Edition mini consoles, you can expect a very authentic look and feel.
The Steam update additionally adds support for Qanba Obsidian and Qanba Dragon arcade sticks as well as the more affordable Fighting Stick Mini 4 from Hori. The latter will set you back just $49.99 while the Qanba Obsidian and Qanba Dragon arcade sticks retail for $199.99 and $299.99, respectively. Valve’s latest patch also fixes a handful of bugs related to general usage, remote play, macOS, Linux and Steam Cloud, the company’s cloud storage service. Full details are outlined in the change log.
