Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons in Steam?

[TheHans255]

I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask this, but do we have information at this point about the connection protocol that the upcoming Nintendo Switch's controllers will use? If it was feasible to connect them to PC (kind of like how the old Wii Remotes were), would it be possible, at some point in the future, to add them to the Steam Controller Configurator alongside PS4 and X-Input controllers?

I could imagine the Joy-Cons especially being very versatile and taking very well to custom inputs, because in addition to the standard button layout between the two of them, they also each have their own accelerometers and gyros as well as HD feedback. Not to mention that you could assign the second Joy-Con to a second player and let them load their own configurations for it.

Can anyone at Valve confirm any of these speculations?

[EmperorFaiz.wav]

No words from them yet but it's pretty neat to have joycon support. I mean, I can literally play game at any position on the couch while stretching my arms away.

[TheHans255]

Originally posted by EmperorFaiz.mov:

Not words from them yet but it's pretty neat to have joycon support. I mean, I can literally play game at any position on the couch while stretching my arms away.

Yes, that too. Probably the most appealing feature for me right there - I mean, if the Wii Remote and Nunchuk had more buttons and was less of a pain to connect, I'd probably use it in more games myself simply because I can move my hands far more freely. The Joy-Cons would be even better because they're completely independent *and* they have a full button set between them.

Not to mention that those extra shoulder buttons on either half of the Joy-Con could be mapped to controls as well - I could see Right's SL and SR for reload and melee and Left's SL and SR for jumping and crouching.

[EmperorFaiz.wav]

Basically those little shoulder buttons on both joycons act like a grip buttons. That's great too.

[TheHans255]

So, Nintendo UK recently posted a Specs page on the Switch's components, and it states that the Joy-Cons will have Bluetooth 3.0. This appears to mean that PCs, with the right driver software, will in fact be able to recognize Switch controllers.

Can anyone recommend to me any effective tools that would help me to reverse engineer the connection protocol? And with that, is there yet a software interface that allows you to integrate your own controllers into the configurator? I would like to be able to implement this as a proof of concept and perhaps distribute this feature as a client mod if it doesn't get official support.

Link to page: https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Nintendo-Switch/Specifications/Specifications-1176277.html#3

[Forcen]

Joy-cons work great with the Steam Link, but only as two controllers.

I want official Switch Pro Controller support, that controller feels nice.

[Gyro]

+1

Joycons are far superior to any other controller, due to one single fact.. it's a split controller. It's also much easier to use gyro aiming, when you have a split-controller.. Valve needs to support Joycons and allow a mapping function so WHEN YOU PRESS A BUTTON, it deactivates the gyro, that way you can press and hold it, reposition the controller and aim again (easy for 180/360 flicks).

[Gyro]

Bump again... DO THIS VALVE

[Forcen]

What steam should do instead is let you use any two or more controllers and make them act as one, that sounds like a lot of work to be honest but it would be great for this and other things like if you got a disability or just want to rest your wrists.

[Gyro]

It's all about having a controller in each hand, like the Valve Knuckles, but for NON-vr gaming, all I am waiting for.

[EmperorFaiz.wav]

BUMP!
Sucks man...

Cmon Valve!