Where To Find The Hidden Code In The Nintendo Switch Pro Controller

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By Brittany Roston/Jan. 27, 2023 10:07 am EST

Nintendo Switch players who spend most of their time playing games on a TV or monitor can swap the small Joy-Con gamepads for the larger Pro Controller. While it's styled like any other console controller, there's one big exception: the housing is made from a tinted transparent plastic. It may sound funny to say something that's literally see-through is hiding a secret, but it's true. The Pro Controller has its own tiny Easter egg in the form of a string of code.

Many Switch buyers started reporting their discovery of the Easter egg in 2017 shortly after the console hit shelves, but over the years since, reports of the secret code's presence have varied. It seems that while the regular Nintendo-branded Pro Controller features the Easter egg, other versions of the controller — such as ones that were released with themes related to new game releases — don't feature the same hidden phrase (via Reddit). With that said, if you have the original model lying around, grab it and take a peek behind one of the joysticks.

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The Nintendo Switch Pro Controller features the tiny code "THX2ALLGAMEFANS" printed in white letters inside of the housing — written normally, it reads, "Thanks to all game fans." The message appears to be a sentiment shared by Nintendo to everyone who has purchased its consoles and played Nintendo games. You can only see the phrase if you hold the controller at the right angle and pull the right joystick all the way down. 

You'll likely need to turn a light on to see the phrase if your room is dim, but many Switch players managed to notice it during ordinary gameplay. The code appears within the small gap that opens up when the joystick is moved out of the way, and you can get a better look at it in Tinker Man Mick's YouTube teardown above. It's unclear whether this Easter egg is available in every region where the Nintendo Switch is sold, or if it was limited to select markets.