One Nintendo Switch console can support up to eight wireless controllers simultaneously.
This capability allows multiplayer games to use several separate controllers, including Joy-Con controllers and Nintendo Switch Pro Controllers, when a compatible game supports that many participants. The exact number of players still depends on the individual game and mode.
The figure is often confused with the number of players supported by a single pair of Joy-Con controllers or by local multiplayer on one screen. Those are game-specific limits, whereas eight refers to the console’s wireless controller connection capacity.
The original Nintendo Switch launched in 2017 with detachable Joy-Con controllers that could be used separately or together. Additional Joy-Con pairs and Pro Controllers can be paired wirelessly, making large local multiplayer sessions possible in games designed for them. Not every title uses all eight connections.