The Switch 2 Pro controller’s battery is technically removable, if you can get to it. (Credit: VK’s Channel, YouTube)
For those of us who have worked on SNES and GameCube controllers, we know that these are pretty simple to get into and maintain. However, in the trend of making modern game controllers more complex and less maintainable, Nintendo’s new Switch 2 Pro controller is giving modern Xbox and PlayStation controllers a run for their money in terms of repair complexity. As shown in a teardown by [VK] on YouTube (starting at nine minutes in), the first step is a disappointing removal of the glued-on front plate. After that you are dealing with thin plastic, the typical flimsy ribbon cables and a lot of screws.
The main controller IC on the primary PCB is an ARM-based MediaTek MT3689BCA Bluetooth SoC, which is also used in the Switch 2’s Joy-Cons. The 3.87V, 1070 mAh Li-ion battery is connected to the PCB with a connector, but getting to it during a battery replacement might be a bit of a chore.
More after the break…
The analog sticks are Alps-branded and do not seem to match any other sticks currently on the market. These are (disappointingly) also still resistive potentiometer sticks, meaning they might have to be replaced before long due to stick drift. Reassembly has a few tricky parts, especially with the two sticks being not identical, yet easy to swap by accident. Which would require a second disassembly round.
There’s also a soft-touch coating on these controllers, which have been known to get… gunky after a few years, so time will tell what the lifespan is here. As is typical, these controllers also only work with the Switch and not with a PC or other consoles. Overall, it seems like a nice, silent controller, but the repairability seems low at best.