How to Find the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller in Stock

The Nintendo Switch is so unlike a typical video game console that buyers will find themselves in need of some accessories pretty-quickly. Take the Joy-Cons, short for Joy-Controller, there’s a left and a right Joy-Con included with every Nintendo Switch. To enjoy games on your television set you have to remove the Joy-Cons from their rails on the handheld and attach them to the included Joy-Con Grip that many people with access to them report not being all that comfortable. That’s where the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller comes in. At least it would, if it wasn’t incredibly hard to find the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller in stock.

Either Nintendo didn’t make enough of the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller to meet demand it knew might be there or it significantly underestimated the amount of people who would want to forego the Joy-Con Grip at home. Either way, the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller has become very difficult to find. This is just another thing for Nintendo Switch owners to worry about; finding the console without a pre-order is already expected to be difficult.

Read: Nintendo Switch Release Date & Price: What it Is and What it Isn’t

There are no surefire ways to find the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller in stock, but there are some tips and tricks that you can use to track inventory and know exactly when they arrive at your favorite retailer.

What the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller Is & Why It’s Hard to Find

When you take into account what the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller is, it’s easy to understand why everyone wants one. The Nintendo Switch Pro Controller is a lifeboat of sorts, a way for those that have spent a lot of time on other consoles to get something that they’re more comfortable with. Again, the Joy-Cons are an entirely new concept. Early reviews indicate that they’re not that comfortable used on their own. The Joy-Con Grip makes them more usable, but it’s still awkward.

The Nintendo Switch Pro Controller costs $69.99. It only comes in a single color; a dark grey that won’t show dirt easily, but also lets you see through the controller’s plastic shell. Whereas the Nintendo Switch’s Joy-Cons has directional buttons, the Pro Controller has a directional pad. The joysticks themselves are in the same places you’d find them on an Xbox One Controller. So is a set of bumpers, triggers and a XYAB buttons.

Read: Nintendo Switch Accessories Breakdown: What You’ll Need & Want

It can do many of the same Nintendo-centric tasks that the Joy-Cons can. An NFC tag built into its shell allows gamers to use their Amiibo figures. HD Rumble, the technology that Nintendo says helps give players the feeling that they’re in their games, is supported too. Motion controllers are built-in.

How to Find the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller in Stock: What Stores Are Carrying It

Every major retailer that’s carrying the Nintendo Switch itself has the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller listed. Unfortunately, none of them have the controller available for immediate purchase yet.

Amazon lists the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller as “Currently unavailable.” The accessory’s listing also notes that Amazon isn’t sure when it’ll have more controllers to sell. You can sign up for an email alert to get notified the moment they return for purchase.

Toys and gaming retailer ToysRUs doesn’t have the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller available for purchase either. Unfortunately, it doesn’t allow you to get notifications when something returns to its website. Wal-Mart has In Stock Alerts on its site, making it a great place for buying the controller. It too doesn’t have any available for purchase right now.

Savvy shoppers do stand a chance at getting their hands on one. Target doesn’t show the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller in stock online, but it has marked the page with a “Only in Stores” message. Show up to one of its stores early enough and you might be able to get one.

Read: Nintendo Switch Deals: Where and How to Save On Your New Console

Finally, there’s GameStop. The company doesn’t have the controller available for purchase right now, but it does list two bundles. One of these bundles includes Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for $129.99. The other packages the controller with a Zelda-themed Nintendo Switch Starter Kit for $99.99.

How to Find the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller in Stock: Stock Tracker

Normally, you’d be able to you’d be able to use an online stock tracking tool, like InStockNow, to find out if the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller is in stock at your local retailer and online in a single place. That’s not possible right now, though we expect it will be possible in the future.

For now the site is tracking two things directly related to Nintendo Switch, the Nintendo Switch Joy-Con bundles and Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild.

Read: How to Find the Nintendo Switch in Stock

Good luck trying to find the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller in stock. Presumably, we should see supply begin to improve in a few weeks after the initial rush of buyers cools off. That’s not guaranteed though, Nintendo is infamous for underestimating demand for new hardware launches. The Nintendo Switch costs $299.99.

Sonic Forces

> 1 / 10

Featuring three protagonists, Sonic Forces will offer platforming and an all-new story when it arrives on video game consoles – including the Nintendo Switch – in 2017. We know that Sonic Forces lets gamers create their own characters. Players must base this character on one of seven different classes that come with their own advantages and abilities. Sonic Team calls these custom characters "Avatars," and there are hundreds of cosmetic items for Sonic Forces players to add some style to their creation. You can skip the custom character mode and enjoy two generations of Sonic game play: 2.5D and 3D. The 2.5D mode offers the classic side-scrolling Sonic experience from your childhood. 3D Mode plays more like Sonic Unleashed. All game worlds and characters are three-dimensional, just like they would be in a modern game.

> 1 / 10