Nintendo Was Also Surprised to Find Out the Gamecube Controller Worked on the Nintendo Switch

Reggie Fils-Aime says it was as surprising for them as it was for us.

News by Matt Kim, News Editor

Updated on 27 October 2017

The latest 4.0 firmware update for the Nintendo Switch hid some secret updates, including adding support for both USB wireless headsets and the GameCube controller. Or rather, the Wii U GameCube controller adapter. The hidden feature was a surprise and delight to Nintendo fans, but also a surprise for Nintendo themselves.

In an interview with Kotaku, Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime revealed that the firmware update allowing the use of the GameCube controller wasn't something the company saw coming.

"In our latest system software update, it enables third-party peripherals to work on Nintendo Switch," said Fils-Aime. "As a result, the peripheral for Wii U that allows it to attach GameCube controllers also works."

However, Fils-Aime denied this was in preparation for a yet-unannounced Super Smash Bros. game for Nintendo Switch. "Of course, there's nothing to announce on this. I think it's fair to say, Stephen [Totilo], that that peripheral working was as much a surprise to us as it was to consumers."

So while it's unclear if the GameCube peripheral support for the Nintendo Switch is a complete accident or not, Nintendo is chalking this one up as a pleasant surprise.

Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. See our terms & conditions.

Matt Kim

News Editor

Matt Kim is a former freelance writer who's covered video games and digital media. He likes video games as spectacle and is easily distracted by bright lights or clever bits of dialogue. He also once wrote about personal finance, but that's neither here nor there.

PlayStation 5 Update Lets You Know If You're About to Play the PS4 Version of Game

Check yourself before you last-gen yourself.

Stardew Valley Just Got Beaches, Fish Tanks, Swimming Ducks, and a Whole Lot More

Nearly five years on, Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone just pushed what he says is Stardew's "biggest update yet."

Alien: Isolation Is Free on Epic and Just As Good as It Was in 2014

Get the motion tracker and don't go in the vents.

Shigeru Miyamoto Expresses Confidence in the Younger Generation of Nintendo

The legendary creator says the spirit will stay alive.