JoyCon Droid (Public Alpha)—also simply called JoyCon Droid—is a free utility application developed by DeepBlue Labs for mobile. This app is specially made for Nintendo Switch users who want a practical way to have pro-controllers without spending extra money on purchasing a physical one. It is capable of emulating Switch JoyCon controls, which you can use to play your favorite video games. On top of that, it also allows you to connect your USB gamepad to your smartphone—which gives it the power to act as a bridge in order to control your Switch.

Prerequisites to use with ease

Before you decide to employ this utility app, you must ensure that your mobile device embodies all the requirements needed to smoothly run it. One of its major requirements for your device is the Bluetooth HID Profile, wherein Android Pie (9) or higher version is also needed to operate. You can verify if you have the needed profile through the Bluetooth HID Profile Tester app. 

This app is still in its alpha stage of development, thus, you will experience occasional moments of bugginess. Take into consideration also that there are instances that the app will not be fully functional in some devices. In case you encounter this issue, take note of the device model that is not working properly with the application and report it to the Discord or email of the developer.

JoyCon Droid also enables you to play with an Amiibo function—interactive figures and cards that work with compatible Switch games such as Animal Crossing. This feature contains a lot of potential—however, it has issues with reading the files, which can take a couple of seconds just for it to load, and the reading process itself will take forever. Furthermore, it also has a delay in inputs oftentimes and the analog stick doesn’t take directions easily.

Potential of growth in the future

JoyCon Droid still has quite a lot of rooms to improve but the potential is still there—especially since its developers are eager to fix and accommodate all the issues reported by them by the users. It’s still a great and practical alternative to download instead of spending so much to buy pro-controllers. In spite of its drawback in some areas, it is still a highly-recommended app for Switch gamers.