Nintendo Switch Pro controller frequently disconnects

[elsoja]

The Nintendo Switch Pro Controller disconnects from the Deck all the time, which makes it impossible to use it for some games. This is a known issue for some time now and some people report that the problem was somewhat fixed after turning off the rumble (this doesn't seem to be a universal fix, however).

Possible cause of the problem:
https://github.com/DanielOgorchock/linux/issues/33

https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux/issues/7631
https://github.com/ValveSoftware/Proton/issues/2898
https://www.reddit.com/r/SteamDeck/comments/xgv1ee/nintendo_switch_pro_controller_and_some_other/
https://www.reddit.com/r/SteamDeck/comments/uioyqe/switch_pro_controller_wont_stay_connected/
https://www.reddit.com/r/SteamDeck/comments/w7avjh/switch_controller_keeps_disconnecting_from_deck/

[Teddybehrr]

Can you just fix this already Valve 😂 I NEED to use my Pro Controller but it’s a nightmare keeping connected

[Mykdee]

Unfortunately bump. Disconnected 7 times in 15 minutes of play. Completely useless. It worked for 3 hours the other day without a single issue.
Also had random latency issues with button presses.

[Infinity]

I found out that at least for me, it depends on a game I am playing. For example, I have played whole Mafia: definitive edition on the deck using the switch pro-controller without a single disconnect. Also did not have any issues in hogwards legacy, Batman: arkham knight, Ori and the will of the wisps and asphalt legends. But when playing Minecraft dungeons or Batman: arkham city, the controller disconnects every 5-15 minutes and then reconnects after about 10 seconds (which sucks when you are in a middle of a fight). Maybe the whole disconnecting issue has something to do with the proton version the game is using? Might be worth investigating.

[Twilight the Cabbit]

How is this still an issue? My Pro Controller works pretty well most of the time with... maybe a small disconnect here and there. I got a second controller for multi-player. It's a cheaper but still well made controller. And when attempting to use both controllers at the same time, a few seconds go by before they're suddenly turning off and swapping players. I thought it might just be because I'm using an official Pro Controller with a third party but looks like it's just an issue in general.
How is this issue that has been persisting for so long still not fixed?

[NaCl Keo]

bump, same to me :(

[Anon2]

2023 and still not fixed... smh

[Yns]

Tried multiplayer with a friend yesterday, Switch Pro controller kept disconnecting in Binding of Isaac Repentance and Cuphead.
No issues whatsoever with my 8bitdo SNPro but it's just unplayable with the Nintendo Switch Pro controller (Haptic & Rumbles off)

[EM]

Still happening.

[RocketChip30]

It’s like the more you use the controller, the connection degrades. This probably isn’t possible, but I think the more you use a certain switch controller the more it will mess up and ruin your experience.

I used to use one I own but stopped after it was performing awfully and gave itself extreme stick drift but only while on the deck. Also no other buttons where responsive when this happened. Again, only when you use it on the deck, on the switch it works fine. This is a third party controller.

I used the same brand of third party controller that my friend had gotten and it still works ok to this day. It still has problems connecting to the game we wanna play, but I found if you treat it like player 1 and have it connect first, then it will work fine with the other controllers (the other controllers are 2 PS5s and an Xbox series X/S). Only current gen controllers seem to work perfectly.

So, the less I use it the better the connection. Or maybe it’s the time inbetween when I use it not the actual time I use the controller itself. I really don’t know.

[ugtug]

My switch pro controllers also randomly disconnect. Would be nice if they did not disconnect at random and reconnected automatically. If I pair them to Windows, there are no disconnects and they reconnect automatically.

[MikingTheViking]

Bump! Please Gaben!

[Bluesweatshirt]

Wow, what a flaky thing here. Glad I found this thread, I was going crazy earlier wondering why my pro controller kept disconnecting. :( Looks like I will have to use an xbox controller instead.

[kiolakin]

+1 I get the problem consistently with 1 official nintendo procontroller + 1 ELISWWEEN knock off. Not only to they disconnect, but they always reconnect in the opposite spot. We have gotten in the habit of swapping controllers whenever it happens.

[Oo0Bailey0oO]

This is still a problem for the Pro despite the multiple Bluetooth controller fix in the latest SteamOS update.

However, that update did fix the disconnection problems for my other controllers, so that’s something I guess.

[CaptnYesterday]

Can anyone please confirm if this is still an issue with the steam deck OLED version?
There's supposed to be a new and unshared Bluetooth antenna in this version

Edit: also, I confirm this is a problem with the latest non-beta update (LCD). Today. Problem gets much worse when you have more than one pro controller attached. We're big fans of couch co-op multiplayer games from the deck and controllers are just a bloody latency nightmare. And switch pro controllers seem to fight for a limited bus. Don't even try three or four switch pro controllers. Ugh