Nintendo surprised everybody by quietly adding GameCube controller support to the Nintendo Switch, and apparently, that includes Nintendo itself.
The latest firmware update that took the Nintendo Switch to version 4.0.0 officially added save data transfer and video recording features, while sneaking in wireless USB headset support. Adding GameCube controller support, however, was supposedly unintentional.
Nintendo Switch GameCube Controller Support Not Intentional
In an interview with Kotaku, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime confirmed that Champion's Ballad, the second The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild expansion, is still on track to be released this year.
In the same interview, Fils-Aime admitted that the latest Nintendo Switch update only looked to enable third-party accessories for the hybrid console. The peripheral that allowed players to use the GameCube controller with the Nintendo Wii U was suddenly compatible with the Nintendo Switch, and we never would have known about it if a few gamers didn't think about trying it out.
We can now all stop wondering why Nintendo would not publicly announce such a feature though, as Fils-Aime said that the addition of GameCube controller support to the Nintendo Switch "was as much a surprise to us as it was to consumers."
So ... No 'Super Smash Bros.' For The Nintendo Switch?
The addition of GameCube controller support to the Nintendo Switch drew significant interest because of its connection to a massively popular franchise, namely the Super Smash Bros. series. Super Smash Bros. players are still using GameCube controllers to play the fighting game, which is the reason why Nintendo created an adapter to allow the controller to function on the Nintendo Wii U in the first place.
With Nintendo secretly adding GameCube controller support to the Nintendo Switch, many gamers took that as a signal that the fighting game was finally coming to the hybrid console.
Now that Nintendo revealed that this was nothing more than an accident, does this mean that a Super Smash Bros. Nintendo Switch version is still a long way to go?
According to some theories, not necessarily. There has been some skepticism on the fact that the work necessary to enable third-party accessories was also exactly what was needed to add GameCube controller support to the Nintendo Switch.
Perhaps Nintendo wanted to keep the feature a secret, or maybe, Fils-Aime is saying the truth, and this was all really an accident. Either way, two things are certain: GameCube controller support is here to stay, and players are clamoring for Super Smash Bros. on the Nintendo Switch.
