When you buy a new Nintendo Switch, you soon realize that the console comes with a set of joy cons, an innovative Nintendo controller that can be ripped in half.
A single set of Joy-Cons is composed of two little controllers that players can use to enjoy their favorite Nintendo games.
At first instance, this single set of Joy-Cons should do the trick, but do you need two Joycons to play Nintendo Switch at all? Gaming Power Up will answer that for you as soon as we can.
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Do You Need Two Joycons for Switch?
Not always. Let us elaborate: most Nintendo Switch games can be played with a single Joy-Con because they support horizontal gaming.
This means that you can simply flip your Joy-Con horizontally, and play the game with it. This is the case in some multiplayer gamers, such as Mario Kart 8 (learn How to Play Mario Kart with Friends here).
Nonetheless, other games will indeed require you to use the two Joy-Cons that come in a single set for vertical gaming. What’s more, you might as well need two complete sets of Joy-Cons, which makes it four JoyCons, to start playing certain games.
This is one of the most asked questions by new Nintendo Switch users. The general answer that we can provide is that it depends on the game you play and what it requires on the different game modes available.
What Do You Need for Two Players on Nintendo Switch?
It depends on the game you want to play, but most of the main titles on Nintendo Switch will work just fine with just a single set of Joy-Cons.
Two players just need to Connect Nintendo Switch to TV, separate the two individual JoyCons, and use each half to play the games.
Some games will indeed require you to use the two joy-cons at once, which creates the need to have four pieces of JoyCons if you want to enjoy two-player experiences on your Nintendo console.
Are Joy-Cons One or Two Controllers?
JoyCons come in a pair, and even though they can be split in half, they can be considered a single controller for some games, and two controllers for other games.
For instance, as we mentioned before, Mario Kart will consider one half of the Joy Con as a single controller ready to play.
Other games, such as Zelda: Breath of the Wild, might require you to use the two controllers as one, which in said case, your Joy-Cons will be taken as a single controller for an individual player.
In the same order of ideas, these games can push your Nintendo Switch’s hardware to the limit, so if you ask yourself, Why Is My Nintendo Switch Blowing Air? Then you now have the answer.
How to Use Two Joy-Cons on Nintendo Switch
Most games, by default, will let you use a single Joy-Con as an individual controller. You simply need to start off the game, and you will see on the main screen how you need to use the Joy-Con.
Do you remember the Nintendo Wii? Well, sometimes you had to use the controller in a vertical position, and other times using them in a horizontal position would do the trick.
The same happens here, which means that it depends on the game you play. We cannot give you a pretty accurate answer because most games are treated differently in the Nintendo Switch’s ecosystem.
Therefore, and once again, it will always depend.
Gaming Summary: Do You Need Two Sets of Controllers for Nintendo Switch?
So, will you always need two sets of controllers of JoyCons for Switch? Not always. But do you necessarily need to purchase two sets of Joy-Cons, which is equivalent to four individual Joy-Cons? Not at all.
Our best recommendation would be that you perform your own research before you buy a game. After all, it’s the game that decides whether two, one, or four JoyCons will be needed to play individually or with your friends.
FAQ
Do You Need Two Joycons for Mario Kart?
You can play Mario Kart on Nintendo Switch with a single piece of Joy-Con. If you want to play with more people, then you can use half of the Joy-Con as well.