iOS 16 Supports Nintendo Switch Joy Cons Natively

It looks like Apple’s iOS 16 will add Switch Joy Cons iOS devices, allowing you to connect them as a controller to your phone to play your games.

According to app developer Riley Testut (via Nintendo Everything), you’ll be able to pair either one or both joy cons to your iOS 16 device via bluetooth, and the device will be able to tell if they’re being used as two separate controllers or as one whole one.

This isn’t the first time Apple has supported Nintendo hardware- according to Twitter user ShinyQuagsire, macOS 12 has also supported native drivers for the Nintendo Switch Pro on computers.

“They actually started this in macOS 12, for some reason I couldn’t find anyone commenting on it at the time tho (sic)”, he says.

Despite the gravity of this news, this isn’t hard confirmation of any Nintendo Switch games coming to the mobile platform- instead, it’s an expansion of how you can play iOS games, seeing as they already natively support PlayStation and Xbox controllers via Bluetooth.

It essentially means that you won’t have to worry about getting a new controller if you’d only bought a Nintendo Switch but wanted to play titles like Fantasian or Gear Club Stradale- both of which feature native controller support.

Apple has been pushing for stronger gaming on the iOS platform, owing in part to the Apple Silicone series chipset.

While it’s not as convenient as playing directly on your phone, giving more options is a good way to get people looking at Apple devices as the main way to enjoy these games.