The Nintendo Switch 2 is here, and we’ve been playing it a lot. I got my system with the new Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller, and despite its overall improved buttons and comfort, it has two new options that took me completely by surprise in how drastic a difference they would make in the accessibility of my gaming – the new GL and GR buttons.
I’m a disabled gamer, and part of my disability is weakness in my hands. It’s not enough to stop me from playing anything, I’ve beat every Dark Souls game with my own two hands after all. But the one area that always gives me problems is when a game asks me to press in one of the sticks. It takes a lot of effort to press them in, and during a high-risk scenario like in the middle of a game of Splatoon 3, it’s too demanding an ask for me to be able to press them at a moment’s notice. Until now, that is!
Both the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller and the Joy-Con 2 Charging Grip both add two new buttons on the back of the controller, named GL and GR. These buttons offer no functionality by themselves, but instead exist to be customized to your liking. They are essentially two remappable buttons to assign any other button onto, so you can press them quickly with your fingers that rest on the back of the controller.
I first had the idea to remap them during my exploration of Mario Kart World’s free-roaming mode. When attempting a P-Switch challenge, you need to press in the left stick to retry the challenge from the beginning after you fail, and it needs to be done quickly. The window to press the stick was expiring before I could do it, and then I realized I could just try and change it. I did so, and the problem was immediately solved – I just had to press in the new GL button and it worked as a left stick press for me. I remapped the GR button to the right stick as well, which will hugely help me during Splatoon 3 matches.
It’s surprising how deep the issue of pressing in the controller sticks actually runs if you’re not someone that experiences it. I’ve heard from plenty of other people, including non-disabled people, who also find pressing in the sticks inconvenient. However, it can’t be too much of an inconvenience if developers keep adding it to their games. From locking on to targets, to activating photo mode or turning the camera around, pressing in controller sticks is a frequent need in games but it’s one that always used to spook me when it appeared, but the GL/GR buttons have relieved that for me.
Now, Nintendo are not the ones to invent remappable back buttons. They exist on lots of controllers, especially third-party ones, but they don’t come as standard in most official controllers from platform holders. What Nintendo is doing that’s worthy of praise is making them standard in cheaper products. The standard PS5 DualSense controller doesn’t come with them, but the far more expensive DualSense Edge controller does. It’s $170 for an official PlayStation controller with back buttons, compared to the standard $85 for the Switch 2 Pro Controller with them – or $40 for the cheaper Joy-Con 2 Charging Grip.
It’s great to be able to play games on my Switch 2 without the worry of encountering those tricky stick presses. Do you find pressing in the sticks on a controller inconvenient, or is it simple? What buttons would you map to the GL and GR buttons on a Switch 2 controller? Let us know in the comments down below, and keep your eyes on GameLuster for more breaking gaming news and Nintendo Switch 2 coverage.
