The 10 Best Nintendo Wii Controllers
Editor's Notes
January 18, 2021:
Since the Wii U was discontinued in 2017, due to the release of the Switch, there aren't many new options available as far as controllers are concerned. The OEM options, such as the Official Gamepad and the Nintendo Pro Controller, are still by far the best choices, with most third-party replacements often being sub-par in terms of accuracy and durability. It should be noted that many of these options are pre-owned, therefore due diligence should be shown before deciding to purchase one.
In this update, we added two aftermarket models to the ranking, as they have garnered good response from the gaming community and have shown themselves to be durable replacements. The Yudeg Remote and Nunchuck have the same design and button layout as the OEM Remote Plus and Nintendo Nunchuk and make a good backup set or a cheaper alternative. The Nexilux Wireless 3 also receives critical praise due to its classic design, layout, and coloring, and features a built-in rechargeable battery and wireless connectivity.
November 21, 2019:
You may notice that we have mostly OEM Nintendo products listed here, and that's for good reason. The Wii and Wii U were pretty closely associated with their various controller types, and as such, Nintendo manufactures far and away the best-quality options. In fact, every Wii U owner should have a Remote Plus and probably a Nintendo Nunchuk, and to enjoy some of the more complex titles you'll need an Official Gamepad. There are also a couple games, such as Zelda: Breath of the Wild, that require a Nintendo Pro Controller. The Pro is especially well made, but it's also absurdly expensive, so if you're not a major stickler for pristine button action you can probably get by with the CooleedTek Classic Pro, which closely mimics the OEM version but just doesn't have quite the same build quality. The PDP Fight Pad will also suffice for those games, though you will need to plug it into a Remote Plus to work properly.
Also worth mentioning are the Hori Battle Pad and Nintendo Balance Board. The Hori is quite affordable, though it isn't compatible with Pro Controller titles, and the Balance Board is absolutely necessary to get the most out of the Wii U's interactive exercise component. Also, take a look at our rundown of some of the best Wii U games overall as well as some of Nintendo's other consoles.