Joy-Con is the name for the Switch's primary game controllers. The Joy-Con are internally called Ukyo (Left) and Sakyo (Right).
Hardware
Ukyo
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| SoC | Broadcom BCM20734 |
| IMU | STMicroelectronics LSM6DS3H |
| PMIC | Texas Instruments BQ24072 |
| Storage | Macronix International MX25U4033E 4 Mb CMOS Flash |
Sakyo
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| SoC | Broadcom BCM20734 |
| MCU | STMicroelectronics STM32P411 |
| NFC | STMicroelectronics ST21NFCB |
| IMU | STMicroelectronics LSM6DS3H |
| PMIC | Texas Instruments BQ24072 |
| Storage | Macronix International MX25U4033E 4 Mb CMOS Flash |
Protocol
The Joy-Con can communicate wirelessly over Bluetooth or through the rails over UART. The latter uses a Nintendo proprietary protocol called "Nwcp".
NwcpPacket
| Offset | Size | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 0x0 | 0x5 | HciHeader |
| 0x5 | 0x7 | NwcpHeader |
| 0xC | Variable | Data |
HciHeader
This is a 5-byte packet header used by Broadcom's HCI Control Protocol.
| Offset | Size | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 0x0 | 0x1 | PacketType (always 0x19) |
| 0x1 | 0x1 | CommandCode |
| 0x2 | 0x1 | GroupCode (always 0x03) |
| 0x3 | 0x2 | PacketLength |
CommandCode
| Value | Description |
|---|---|
| 0x1 | SendToDevice |
| 0x81 | ReceiveFromDevice |
NwcpHeader
| Offset | Size | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 0x0 | 0x1 | CommandType |
| 0x1 | 0x1 | DeviceCommand |
| 0x2 | 0x2 | DataSize |
| 0x4 | 0x1 | CommandResult |
| 0x5 | 0x1 | DataCrc (CRC8 over Data for DataSize bytes) |
| 0x6 | 0x1 | HeaderCrc (CRC8 over the previous 6 bytes) |
CommandType
| Value | Description |
|---|---|
| 0x91 | DeviceCommandIn |
| 0x92 | Hid |
| 0x93 | |
| 0x94 | DeviceCommandOut |
| 0x95 | |
| 0x9A | |
| 0xA3 | |
| 0xA5 | Handshake |
HidCommandInputReport
This is a 0x31-byte struct.
| Offset | Size | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 0x0 | 0x1 | ReportId |
| 0x1 | 0x1 | LatencyTimer |
| 0x2 | 0x1 | PowerInfo |
| 0x3 | 0x1 | RightPadButtonStatus |
| 0x4 | 0x1 | SharedButtonStatus |
| 0x5 | 0x1 | LeftPadButtonStatus |
| 0x6 | 0x3 | LeftAnalogStickData |
| 0x9 | 0x3 | RightAnalogStickData |
| 0xC | 0x1 | MotorStatus |
| 0xD | 0x1 | CommandAck |
| 0xE | 0x1 | CommandId |
| 0xF | 0x22 | CommandReply |
HidMcuUpdateInputReport
This is a 0x30-byte struct.
| Offset | Size | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 0x0 | 0x1 | ReportId |
| 0x1 | 0x1 | LatencyTimer |
| 0x2 | 0x1 | PowerInfo |
| 0x3 | 0x1 | RightPadButtonStatus |
| 0x4 | 0x1 | SharedButtonStatus |
| 0x5 | 0x1 | LeftPadButtonStatus |
| 0x6 | 0x3 | LeftAnalogStickData |
| 0x9 | 0x3 | RightAnalogStickData |
| 0xC | 0x1 | MotorStatus |
| 0xD | 0x23 | McuUpdateData |
HidBasicInputReport
This is a 0x31-byte struct.
| Offset | Size | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 0x0 | 0x1 | ReportId |
| 0x1 | 0x1 | LatencyTimer |
| 0x2 | 0x1 | PowerInfo |
| 0x3 | 0x1 | RightPadButtonStatus |
| 0x4 | 0x1 | SharedButtonStatus |
| 0x5 | 0x1 | LeftPadButtonStatus |
| 0x6 | 0x3 | LeftAnalogStickData |
| 0x9 | 0x3 | RightAnalogStickData |
| 0xC | 0x1 | MotorStatus |
| 0xD | 0x24 | BasicData |
HidMcuInputReport
This is a 0x16A-byte struct.
| Offset | Size | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 0x0 | 0x1 | ReportId |
| 0x1 | 0x1 | LatencyTimer |
| 0x2 | 0x1 | PowerInfo |
| 0x3 | 0x1 | RightPadButtonStatus |
| 0x4 | 0x1 | SharedButtonStatus |
| 0x5 | 0x1 | LeftPadButtonStatus |
| 0x6 | 0x3 | LeftAnalogStickData |
| 0x9 | 0x3 | RightAnalogStickData |
| 0xC | 0x1 | MotorStatus |
| 0xD | 0x6 | SensorAccelSample0 |
| 0x13 | 0x6 | SensorGyroSample0 |
| 0x19 | 0x6 | SensorAccelSample1 |
| 0x1F | 0x6 | SensorGyroSample1 |
| 0x25 | 0x6 | SensorAccelSample2 |
| 0x2B | 0x6 | SensorGyroSample2 |
| 0x31 | 0x139 | McuData |
HidAttachmentInputReport
This is a 0x16A-byte struct.
| Offset | Size | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 0x0 | 0x1 | ReportId |
| 0x1 | 0x1 | LatencyTimer |
| 0x2 | 0x1 | PowerInfo |
| 0x3 | 0x1 | RightPadButtonStatus |
| 0x4 | 0x1 | SharedButtonStatus |
| 0x5 | 0x1 | LeftPadButtonStatus |
| 0x6 | 0x3 | LeftAnalogStickData |
| 0x9 | 0x3 | RightAnalogStickData |
| 0xC | 0x1 | MotorStatus |
| 0xD | 0x6 | SensorAccelSample0 |
| 0x13 | 0x6 | SensorGyroSample0 |
| 0x19 | 0x6 | SensorAccelSample1 |
| 0x1F | 0x6 | SensorGyroSample1 |
| 0x25 | 0x6 | SensorAccelSample2 |
| 0x2B | 0x6 | SensorGyroSample2 |
| 0x31 | 0x139 | AttachmentData |
HidGenericInputReport
This is a 0xC-byte struct.
| Offset | Size | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 0x0 | 0x1 | ReportId |
| 0x1 | 0x2 | ButtonStatus |
| 0x3 | 0x1 | StickHatData |
| 0x4 | 0x4 | LeftAnalogStickData |
| 0x8 | 0x4 | RightAnalogStickData |
HidCommandOutputReport
This is a 0x31-byte struct.
| Offset | Size | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 0x0 | 0x1 | ReportId |
| 0x1 | 0x1 | PacketNumber |
| 0x2 | 0x8 | MotorData |
| 0xA | 0x1 | CommandId |
| 0xB | 0x26 | CommandData |
HidMcuUpdateOutputReport
This is a 0x13E-byte struct.
| Offset | Size | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 0x0 | 0x1 | ReportId |
| 0x1 | 0x1 | PacketNumber |
| 0x2 | 0x8 | MotorData |
| 0xA | 0x134 | McuUpdateData |
HidBasicOutputReport
This is a 0xA-byte struct.
| Offset | Size | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 0x0 | 0x1 | ReportId |
| 0x1 | 0x1 | PacketNumber |
| 0x2 | 0x8 | MotorData |
HidMcuOutputReport
This is a 0x30-byte struct.
| Offset | Size | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 0x0 | 0x1 | ReportId |
| 0x1 | 0x1 | PacketNumber |
| 0x2 | 0x8 | MotorData |
| 0xA | 0x26 | McuData |
HidAttachmentOutputReport
This is a 0x30-byte struct.
| Offset | Size | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 0x0 | 0x1 | ReportId |
| 0x1 | 0x1 | PacketNumber |
| 0x2 | 0x8 | MotorData |
| 0xA | 0x26 | AttachmentData |
HidReportId
| Value | Description |
|---|---|
| 0x01 | CommandOutputReport |
| 0x03 | McuUpdateOutputReport |
| 0x10 | BasicOutputReport |
| 0x11 | McuOutputReport |
| 0x12 | AttachmentOutputReport |
| 0x21 | CommandInputReport |
| 0x23 | McuUpdateInputReport |
| 0x30 | BasicInputReport |
| 0x31 | McuInputReport |
| 0x32 | AttachmentInputReport |
| 0x33 | |
| 0x3F | GenericInputReport |
| 0x70 | OtaEnableFwuReport |
| 0x71 | OtaSetupReadReport |
| 0x72 | OtaReadReport |
| 0x73 | OtaWriteReport |
| 0x74 | OtaEraseReport |
| 0x75 | OtaLaunchReport |
| 0x80 | ExtGripOutputReport |
| 0x81 | ExtGripInputReport |
| 0x82 |
DeviceCommand
| Value | Description |
|---|---|
| 0x01 | Inquiry |
| 0x02 | WriteChargerSettings |
| 0x03 | ReadChargerSettings |
| 0x04 | AttachmentEnable |
| 0x05 | IsAttachmentEnabled |
| 0x06 | GetBatteryVoltage |
| 0x07 | ReadWakeUpReason |
| 0x10 | CreateHidConnection |
| 0x11 | DisconnectHid |
| 0x12 | SetHidInterval |
| 0x13 | GetHidInterval |
| 0x18 | Pairing |
| 0x20 | UpdateUartBaudRate |
| 0x40 | Test |
HidCommand
| Value | Description |
|---|---|
| 0x01 | PairingOut |
| 0x02 | GetDeviceInfo |
| 0x03 | SetDataFormat |
| 0x04 | LRButtonDetection |
| 0x05 | Page |
| 0x06 | Reset |
| 0x07 | ClearPairingInfo |
| 0x08 | Shipment |
| 0x10 | SerialFlashRead |
| 0x11 | SerialFlashWrite |
| 0x12 | SerialFlashSectorErase |
| 0x20 | McuReset |
| 0x21 | McuWrite |
| 0x22 | McuResume |
| 0x24 | McuPollingEnable |
| 0x25 | McuPollingDisable |
| 0x28 | AttachmentWrite |
| 0x29 | AttachmentRead |
| 0x2A | AttachmentEnable |
| 0x2B | GetAttachmentInfo |
| 0x30 | SetIndicatorLed |
| 0x31 | GetIndicatorLed |
| 0x38 | SetNotificationLed |
| 0x40 | SensorSleep |
| 0x41 | SensorConfig |
| 0x42 | SensorWrite |
| 0x43 | SensorRead |
| 0x48 | MotorEnable |
| 0x50 | GetBatteryVoltage |
| 0x51 | WriteChargeSetting |
| 0x52 | ReadChargeSetting |
| 0x58 | ExtDevWrite |
| 0x59 | GetExtDevInfo |
| 0x5A | ExtDevPollingEnable |
| 0x5B | ExtDevPollingDisable |
| 0x5C | ExtDevInFormatConfig |
| 0x5D | |
| 0x60 | InternalAttachmentWrite |
| 0x61 | |
| 0x62 | InternalAttachmentEnable |
| 0x63 | InternalAttachmentPollingEnable |
| 0x64 | InternalAttachmentPollingDisable |
| 0x7A | AddButtonPlayData |
| 0x7B | StartStopButtonPlayData |
| 0x80 | Ack |
| 0x81 | PairingIn |
| 0x82 | DeviceInfo |
| 0x83 | LRButtonElapsedTime |
| 0x90 | SerialFlashData |
| 0xA0 | McuData |
| 0xA8 | AttachmentData |
| 0xA9 | AttachmentInfo |
| 0xAA | InternalAttachmentRead |
| 0xB0 | IndicatorLed |
| 0xC0 | SensorData |
| 0xD0 | BatteryVoltage |
| 0xD8 | ExtDevRead |
| 0xD9 | ExtDevInfo |
ExtGripCommand
| Value | Description |
|---|---|
| 0x01 | Inquiry |
| 0x02 | CreateHidConnection |
| 0x03 | DeleteHidConnection |
| 0x04 | StartHidData |
| 0x05 | StopHidData |
| 0x06 | |
| 0x07 | GetFirmwareVersion |
| 0x08 | |
| 0x91 | LoopbackTest |
| 0x92 | |
| 0xA0 | SetUartClockTrim |
Firmware
The firmware is stored inside the flash in Broadcom's PatchRAM format as follows:
| Offset | Size | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 0x0 | 0x1000 | PatchramConfiguration |
| 0x1000 | 0x1000 | OtaFailsafeSection |
| 0x2000 | 0x1000 | PairingInfo |
| 0x5000 | 0x1000 | ShipmentInfo |
| 0x6000 | 0x1000 | FactoryConfiguration |
| 0x8000 | 0x1000 | UserCalibration |
| 0x10000 | 0x18000 | OtaDynamicSection1 |
| 0x28000 | 0x18000 | OtaDynamicSection2 |
OtaFailsafeSection
| Offset | Size | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 0x0 | 0xFF4 | Reserved |
| 0xFF4 | 0x8 | Signature |
| 0xFFC | 0x4 | Ds2Offset |
ShipmentInfo
| Offset | Size | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 0x0 | 0x1 | Shipment |
| 0x1 | 0xFFF | Reserved |
FactoryConfiguration
| Offset | Size | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 0x0 | 0x10 | IdentificationCode |
| 0x12 | 0x1 | Type |
| 0x1B | 0x1 | FormatVersion |
| 0x20 | 0x18 | Cal1 |
| 0x3D | 0x12 | Cal2 |
| 0x4F | 0x1 | Reserved |
| 0x50 | 0xD | Design |
| 0x80 | 0x18 | Model1 |
| 0x98 | 0x12 | Model2 |
| 0xAA | 0xF56 | Reserved |
Type
| Value | Description |
|---|---|
| 0x01 | JoyLeft |
| 0x02 | JoyRight |
| 0x03 | SwitchProController |
| 0x04 | (DeviceType 4) |
| 0x05 | (DeviceType 5) |
| 0x06 | Tarragon (DeviceType 6) |
| 0x07 | LarkHvc1 |
| 0x08 | LarkHvc2 |
| 0x09 | LarkNesLeft |
| 0x0A | LarkNesRight |
| 0x0B | Lucia |
| 0x0C | [12.0.0+] Lagon |
| 0x0D | [13.0.0+] Lager |
| 0x0E | [14.0.0+] (DeviceType 30) |
| 0x21 | FiftyLeft (DeviceType 14) |
| 0x22 | FiftyRight (DeviceType 18) |
Cal1
| Offset | Size | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 0x0 | 0x18 | SixAxisSensorCalibrationValue |
Cal2
| Offset | Size | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 0x0 | 0x9 | LeftAnalogStickCalibrationValue |
| 0x9 | 0x9 | RightAnalogStickCalibrationValue |
Design
| Offset | Size | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 0x0 | 0xC | ControllerColor |
| 0xC | 0x1 | DesignVariation |
ControllerColor
| Offset | Size | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 0x0 | 0x3 | Body color of controller in RGB Hex (see Joy-Con Colors) |
| 0x3 | 0x3 | Button color of controller in RGB Hex (see Joy-Con Colors) |
| 0x6 | 0x3 | Left grip color of controller in RGB Hex |
| 0x9 | 0x3 | Right grip color of controller in RGB Hex |
DesignVariation
| Value | Name |
|---|---|
| 0x0 | LuciaJ, LagerJ |
| 0x1 | LuciaE, LagerE |
| 0x2 | LuciaU, LagerU |
Model1
| Offset | Size | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 0x0 | 0x6 | SensorData |
| 0x6 | 0x12 | AnalogStickModuleParam |
Model2
| Offset | Size | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 0x0 | 0x12 | AnalogStickModuleParam |
UserCalibration
| Offset | Size | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 0x10 | 0x18 | UserCal1 |
| 0x28 | 0x18 | UserCal2 |
| 0x40 | 0xFC0 | Reserved |
UserCal1
| Offset | Size | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 0x0 | 0x2 | UserCalMagicNumber |
| 0x2 | 0x9 | LeftAnalogStickCalibrationValue |
| 0xB | 0x2 | UserCalMagicNumber |
| 0xD | 0x9 | RightAnalogStickCalibrationValue |
| 0x16 | 0x2 | UserCalMagicNumber |
UserCal2
| Offset | Size | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 0x0 | 0x18 | SixAxisSensorCalibrationValue |
Colors
HEX codes for the colors shown in the "Controllers" menu of the Switch UI can be found in a Joy-con SPI dump starting at offset 0x6050. Body color is first followed by button color and each is 3 bytes long. These values are able to be re-written with any HEX color value to make the Joy-cons show up as different colors in the UI. The following is a list of official HEX colors recovered from SPI dumps.
| Developer Kit Joy-Con | Release | Body HEX | Button HEX |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black / ブラック | 2015.10.16 | #313131 | #0F0F0F |
| Standard Retail Joy-Con Color | Release | Body HEX | Button HEX |
| Gray / グレー | 2017.03.03 | #828282 | #0F0F0F |
| Neon Red / ネオンレッド | 2017.03.03 | #FF3C28 | #1E0A0A |
| Neon Blue / ネオンブルー | 2017.03.03 | #0AB9E6 | #001E1E |
| Neon Yellow / ネオンイエロー | 2017.06.16 | #E6FF00 | #142800 |
| Neon Green / ネオングリーン | 2017.07.21 | #1EDC00 | #002800 |
| Neon Pink / ネオンピンク | 2017.07.21 | #FF3278 | #28001E |
| Red / レッド | 2017.10.27 | #E10F00 | #280A0A |
| Blue / ブルー | 2019.10.04 | #4655F5 | #00000A |
| Neon Purple / ネオンパープル | 2019.10.04 | #B400E6 | #140014 |
| Neon Orange / ネオンオレンジ | 2019.10.04 | #FAA005 | #0F0A00 |
| White / ホワイト | 2021.10.08 | #E6E6E6 | #323232 |
| Pastel Pink / パステルピンク | 2023.06.30 | #FFAFAF | #372D2D |
| Pastel Yellow / パステルイエロー | 2023.06.30 | #F5FF82 | #32332D |
| Pastel Purple / パステルパープル | 2023.06.30 | #F0CBEB | #373037 |
| Pastel Green / パステルグリーン | 2023.06.30 | #BCFFC8 | #2D322D |
| Special Edition Joy-Con Color | Release | Body HEX | Button HEX |
| Nintendo Switch Gray Joy-Con / Nintendo Switch グレー | 2017.03.03 | #828282 | #0F0F0F |
| Nintendo Switch Neon-Blue Left Joy-Con / Nintendo Switch ネオンブルー・ネオンレッド | 2017.03.03 | #0AB9E6 | #001E1E |
| Nintendo Switch Neon-Red Right Joy-Con / Nintendo Switch ネオンブルー・ネオンレッド | 2017.03.03 | #FF3C28 | #1E0A0A |
| Splatoon 2 Edition Neon-Green Left Joy-Con / スプラトゥーン2 | 2017.07.21 | #1EDC00 | #002800 |
| Splatoon 2 Edition Neon-Pink Right Joy-Con / スプラトゥーン2 | 2017.07.21 | #FF3278 | #28001E |
| Super Mario Odyssey Edition Red Joy-Con / スーパーマリオ オデッセイ | 2017.10.27 | #E10F00 | #280A0A |
| Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Edition Gray Joy-Con / 大乱闘スマッシュブラザーズ | 2018.11.02 | #828282 | #0F0F0F |
| Pokémon: Let's Go! Edition Eevee-Brown Left Joy-Con / ポケットモンスター Let's Go! イーブイ | 2018.11.16 | #C88C32 | #281900 |
| Pokémon: Let's Go! Edition Pikachu-Yellow Right Joy-Con / ポケットモンスター Let's Go! ピカチュウ | 2018.11.16 | #FFDC00 | #322800 |
| *Nintendo Labo Creators Contest Edition "Cardboard"-Colored Joy-Con | 2018. (...?) | #D7AA73 | #1E1914 |
| **Dragon Quest XI S Lotto Edition Royal-Blue Joy-Con / ドラゴン クエスト XI S （ロト版） | 2019.09.27 | #1473FA | #00000F |
| **Disney Tsum Tsum Festival Edition Neon-Purple Left Joy-Con / ディズニー ツムツム フェスティバル | 2019.10.10 | #B400E6 | #140014 |
| **Disney Tsum Tsum Festival Edition Neon-Pink Right Joy-Con / ディズニー ツムツム フェスティバル | 2019.10.10 | #FF3278 | #28001E |
| Animal Crossing: New Horizons Edition Pastel-Green Left Joy-Con / あつまれ どうぶつの森 | 2020.03.13 | #82FF96 | #0A1E0A |
| Animal Crossing: New Horizons Edition Pastel-Blue Right Joy-Con / あつまれ どうぶつの森 | 2020.03.13 | #96F5F5 | #0A1E28 |
| Fortnite Wildcat Edition Yellow Left Joy-Con / フォートナイト ワイルドキャット(山猫) | 2020.10.30 | #FFCC00 | #1A1100 |
| Fortnite Wildcat Edition Dark-Blue Right Joy-Con / フォートナイト ワイルドキャット(山猫) | 2020.10.30 | #0084FF | #000F1E |
| Mario Red × Blue Edition Red Joy-Con / マリオ レッド × ブルー | 2021.02.12 | #F04614 | #1E1914 |
| Monster Hunter Rise Edition Gray Joy-Con / モンスターハンターライズ | 2021.03.26 | #818282 | #0E0F0F |
| Fortnite Fleet Force Edition Dark-Blue Left Joy-Con / フォートナイト フリート フォース(力の艦隊) | 2021.06.04 | #0084FF | #000F1E |
| Fortnite Fleet Force Edition Yellow Right Joy-Con / フォートナイト フリート フォース(力の艦隊) | 2021.06.04 | #FFCC00 | #1A1100 |
| Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword Edition Dark-Blue Left Joy-Con / ゼルダの伝説 スカイウォードソード | 2021.07.16 | #2D50F0 | #1E0F46 |
| Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword Edition Dark-Purple Right Joy-Con / ゼルダの伝説 スカイウォードソード | 2021.07.16 | #500FC8 | #00051E |
| Nintendo Switch OLED Edition White Joy-Con / Nintendo Switch （有機ELモデル） ホワイト | 2021.10.08 | #E6E6E6 | #323232 |
| Splatoon 3 OLED Edition Blue-Gradient Left Joy-Con / （有機ELモデル） スプラトゥーン3 | 2022.08.26 | #6455F5 | #28282D |
| Splatoon 3 OLED Edition Neon-Yellow-Gradient Right Joy-Con / （有機ELモデル） スプラトゥーン3 | 2022.08.26 | #C3FA05 | #1E1E28 |
| Pokémon: Scarlet × Violet OLED Edition Scarlet Left Joy-Con / （有機ELモデル） ポケットモンスター スカーレット・バイオレット | 2022.11.04 | #F07341 | #322D1E |
| Pokémon: Scarlet × Violet OLED Edition Violet Right Joy-Con / （有機ELモデル） ポケットモンスター スカーレット・バイオレット | 2022.11.04 | #9650AA | #32322D |
| Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Edition Gold Joy-Con / （有機ELモデル） ゼルダの伝説 ティアーズ オブ ザ キングダム | 2023.04.28 | #D2BE69 | #32322D |
| // *(Prize Awarded for Labo Contest - No Retail) // **(Available Japan Only) |