There's a secret message in Nintendo's Switch Pro controller. Here's how to find it.
Nintendo appreciates you. It's right there in the fine print.
The Switch Pro Controller -- a $70 add-on for Nintendo's new console that lets you play Zelda with the form factor of an Xbox gamepad -- hides a secret message. It's nothing subversive or anything like that; just a brief utterance of thanks.
The message -- which reads "Thx2 allgamefans!" -- is printed on what looks like a circuit board just beneath the right thumbstick. The Switch Pro Controller is semi-transparent, though it still takes some effort (and a powerful light) to find the text.
It's not clear who first found the secret message, though an Imgur and subsequent Reddit post helped get the word out.
CARD ID: 175386, CARD TYPE: Imgur
In other news, the Switch Pro Controller is apparently a metaphor for Nintendo's sometimes-difficult-to-see fan service.
To find the message yourself, try pulling down on the right thumbstick and shining a light through the clear plastic ring around the base of it. You should see the text spread across two lines in the area below the thumbstick's forward position.
I recommend a smartphone flashlight or some other LED source. Even then, expect to adjust the controller in your hand as you bring different parts of the message into focus.
Here's some photographic proof of the message from my own DSLR, with closeups of the relevant bits. I secured the thumbstick with a bit of tape and used a small camping flashlight to illuminate the text.
Topics Gaming Nintendo Nintendo Switch
Adam Rosenberg is a Senior Games Reporter for Mashable, where he plays all the games. Every single one. From AAA blockbusters to indie darlings to mobile favorites and browser-based oddities, he consumes as much as he can, whenever he can.Adam brings more than a decade of experience working in the space to the Mashable Games team. He previously headed up all games coverage at Digital Trends, and prior to that was a long-time, full-time freelancer, writing for a diverse lineup of outlets that includes Rolling Stone, MTV, G4, Joystiq, IGN, Official Xbox Magazine, EGM, 1UP, UGO and others.Born and raised in the beautiful suburbs of New York, Adam has spent his life in and around the city. He's a New York University graduate with a double major in Journalism and Cinema Studios. He's also a certified audio engineer. Currently, Adam resides in Crown Heights with his dog and his partner's two cats. He's a lover of fine food, adorable animals, video games, all things geeky and shiny gadgets.
