Attention all classic controller lovers, your favorite classic Nintendo and Sega controllers, which refer to the Switch specific NES, SNES, Sega Genesis/ Mega Drive, and N64 controllers, are now supported by Steam (and thus your PC). This comes after Steam announced a slew of updates and patch notes yesterday, with the most fun announcement (at least for me) being the addition of “support for Nintendo Online classic controllers.” Originally, it was a little vague as to which classic controllers were supported, but as a Valve spokesperson confirmed to The Verge, it’s all of them.
The tricky thing is actually buying these controllers. While these reproductions are startlingly accurate, you can only buy them if you have an active Nintendo Switch Online subscription. A one-month, individual membership for Nintendo Switch Online costs $3.99 and a 12-month membership would cost you $19.99.
Aside from the subscription, there’s also a question of stock. The NES controllers are currently available through Nintendo, as is the SNES controller. But the N64 and the SEGA Genesis pads are currently out of stock.
Before this Steam update, these controllers only officially worked on the Nintendo Switch, as they were intended for use with Nintendo Switch Online’s retro libraries. This new update means you can now play your favorite PC games with the classic controllers. Though the controllers might not be suitable for all games, they’re still a fun novelty, especially for us that love the retro style.
Other Steam supported controllers added in this update include the Qanba Obsidian and Dragon Arcade Joysticks, plus the HORI Fighting Stick mini 4. You can check out all the updates and patch notes on Steam’s website.
Meanwhile, if you can’t get your hands on one of Nintendo’s official retro reproductions, we can’t speak highly enough of 8BitDo’s various retro-themed controllers. Many even come with extra features not available on the originals.