The official GameCube controller for Nintendo Switch 2 includes gyro controls, fans have discovered — a feature that Nintendo itself kept quiet about before launch.
Now, the hunt is on to find how tilt controls work in various Switch 2 games — as fans try their shiny new purple controllers with a range of other titles.
Initially, Nintendo had stated that its GameCube controller would only be compatible with the Nintendo GameCube — Nintendo Classics collection that is now available to Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscribers.
But the company later clarified that while the controller was designed for use only with GameCube games, it could be used for other Switch 2 titles — albeit on a case-by-case basis.
“Since it doesn’t have all the buttons and features found in other controllers that can be used with the Nintendo Switch 2 system, there may be some issues when playing other games,” the company previously said in a statement to Nintendo Life.
So, fans were already planning to see how the GameCube controller worked elsewhere on Switch 2 — but the inclusion of gyro controls has come as a fresh surprise.
In one social media post that’s since gone viral, one fan shows off their GameCube controller’s gyro controls moving the camera in Splatoon — to the bemusement of their cat.
【朗報】Switch2 と同時発売のSwitch用ゲームキューブコントローラー、まさかのジャイロ搭載により「ゲームキューブコントローラーでスプラをやる」という新しい選択肢が生まれる pic.twitter.com/MzTFCCZujj
— さしぶー (@sashibu2) June 5, 2025
In another post, we can see the GameCube controller being used in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, allowing Link to aim his bow.
The GameCube Controller for Nintendo Switch 2 has Gyro controllers
pic.twitter.com/E4iZOeZXuc
— LittleMacMain (@LittleMacMainKO) June 5, 2025
And in a third post, another fan has discovered the gyro controls act as the Wii Remote pointer in Super Mario Galaxy, played via Nintendo’s time-limited Super Mario 3D All-Stars package.
playing mario galaxy on the gamecube pic.twitter.com/6DfQLkeyZs
— AK (@Akfamilyhome) June 5, 2025
On YouTube, GVG has a deep dive into how the GameCube controller can play the Switch’s Metroid Prime 1 remaster, with a number of different options available. This is especially cool as you are, of course, playing a remaster of a GameCube game using a remake of a GameCube controller, four console generations later.
Why Nintendo didn’t more widely advertise its inclusion of gyro controls in the GameCube controller is anyone’s guess — though the sheer number of compatibility options for every game playable on Switch 2 would have been a headache to keep track of.
(And let’s not forget, the Switch 2 still has compatibility issues with some Switch 1 games — even including big hitters like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.)
As fans discover how gyro controls work in a wider number of games, for now it’s safe to say that there’s plenty you could be using your new GameCube Switch 2 controller with, beyond just a few old retro classics.
Right now, the Switch Online’s Nintendo GameCube – Nintendo Classics collection is looking pretty thin, with just the original version of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, plus F-Zero GX and SoulCalibur 2 available.
Still, Nintendo has confirmed a number of other GameCube classics will follow (including Super Mario Sunshine, Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, Mario Smash Football, Luigi’s Mansion and Chibi-Robo!), though there’s no word yet on when they might materialise.
With gyro controls available, though, surely Super Monkey Ball should be next?
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
