Alright folks, today I gotta share a headache I finally solved: getting those damn Switch controllers to work properly with Gang Beasts. Seriously, nothing worse than being mid-match, ready to throw someone off a building, and your dude just stops moving. Nearly threw my own controller!
The Big Frustration Hits
So there I was, fired up to play Gang Beasts with my buddies. Grabbed my favorite Switch Pro Controller and the Joy-Cons. Started the game, picked my ugly little fighter, and boom… into the arena. Maybe 30 seconds in, swinging my arms like crazy, suddenly my guy just froze. Stood there like a lemon while my friend’s character pushed me straight into the meat grinder. Infuriating! Tried shaking the controller, mashing buttons – nada. Totally unresponsive. This wasn’t just a one-off; it kept happening randomly. My Joy-Cons also felt weirdly laggy, like my punches and grabs were happening a second too late. Completely ruined the chaos. Knew I had to fix this nonsense.
Starting Simple: The Usual Suspects
First thought, like always: batteries. Grabbed the controllers. My Pro Controller showed decent charge on the Switch menu. Joy-Cons? Same thing. Ruled that out quick. Maybe they just needed a fresh connection? Okay.
Dug into the Switch system settings. Went to “Controllers and Sensors,” then hit “Disconnect Controllers.” Said goodbye to all my pads. Then, grabbed each one, pressed and held the tiny sync button on top (for the Pro) or the little pairing button on the side rail (for the Joy-Cons) until the lights started running wild. Waited for the pairing symbol to pop up on the Switch screen again. Reconnected everything. Felt hopeful. Loaded Gang Beasts back up… same stinking problem! Still freezing up, still lagging. Ugh.
Taking It Up a Notch
Fine. Time for the classic “turn it off and on again,” but for everything. Fully powered down my Switch completely, not just sleep mode. Unplugged the dock from the wall too, just in case. Waited a good minute – felt like forever, tapping my foot. Plugged the dock back in, turned the Switch on.
Did the controller disconnect/reconnect dance one more time. Made sure no other Bluetooth junk nearby (phone, headphones) was potentially messing with the signal. Fired up Gang Beasts again. Played for a couple of minutes… seemed okay? Then WHAM! Pro Controller froze solid again mid-swing. Seriously?! Why does technology hate fun?
Fighting the Airwaves
Started thinking harder. My setup’s near my Wi-Fi router and some other gadgets. Maybe interference? Heard Bluetooth can get cranky. Didn’t really have a choice in room layout. Tried playing closer to the Switch dock, practically sitting next to it. Seemed slightly better? The lag was less horrible, but the Pro Controller still froze outright once more. Joy-Cons were just kinda mushy feeling. This wasn’t a proper fix, just a band-aid on a bullet wound.
The Wired Lifeline
Out of desperation, I grabbed the USB-C cable that came with the Pro Controller. Plugged that sucker directly into the front of the Switch dock. The controller switched to wired mode automatically. Crucially, went back into the Switch settings, found “Controller Communication Method” under settings, and flipped it to “Wired Communication” for the Pro Controller specifically. This prioritizes the cable.
Didn’t bother with the fussy Joy-Cons this round. Loaded Gang Beasts solo. And… sweet relief! Total stability. No freezing, no input lag. My punches landed instantly, grabbing felt crisp. Played a bunch of matches without a single hiccup. Was it ideal being tethered? Maybe not. But finally winning without wanting to punch the air in frustration? Absolutely worth it. For a lag-free group session, wired Pro Controllers are definitely the way to go if wireless is messing up. Gotta say, sometimes the simplest cord fixes the most annoying problems!
