We recently received two Nintendo Switch Pro controllers that a family member inadvertently purchased from a 3rd party seller on [Walmart.com](https://Walmart.com/). The controllers ended up being fairly high-quality counterfeit controllers. To the untrained eye, they might easily pass off as authentic.
While counterfeiters spend a significant amount of effort on the items themselves, often obtaining copies of the molding used to manufacture the authentic controllers, they often do not spend as much effort on replicating the packaging.
Here are a few tells that will often help you identify a counterfeit Nintendo Switch Pro Controller based upon the packaging:
* Errors and errant spaces in the printing. If you look at the word Controller on the front of the box, you will notice an errant space after the two lls. This can also be seen in the second picture, If you look at the [www.nintendo.com.au](https://www.nintendo.com.au) web address, you will notice a space between Nintendo. and [com.au](https://com.au)
https://preview.redd.it/v7qnzcc35ja81.jpg?width=2982&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a854f5ac7d607b5ca82ae6ccab42066ecba9e218
* Markings that indicate a different market or region of the World. The boxes for the controllers were for the Asian/European market. As you can see from the picture below, the web addresses are for Europe and Australia. Authentic controllers sold in the United States will reflect the appropriate US website.
https://preview.redd.it/elcitxqr3ja81.jpg?width=3013&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=159f09454dbf340b59ae2410a6e825fbf21adb21
https://preview.redd.it/axosgkoz6ja81.jpg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e3b41f6d9854c399ea9220ab1e12232862a1a2c7
* Additionally, the packaging may contain other added artifacts that are a pretty good indicator that they are counterfeit. In this case, the boxes had a sticker that appears to be a price tag in Chinese.
https://preview.redd.it/6sxc3vur5ja81.jpg?width=3812&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b5edaeb2c4d152ed0320a99a44c43d6459c19608
* The color and sheen of the packaging does not match the original. The red color is off and the sheen is a matte finish. Authentic packaging is slightly glossy.
* Badges and logos that do not appear on the original such as the seal below.
https://preview.redd.it/labon4826ja81.jpg?width=2756&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e4b699612eaa7fe9fa275b07e4dbfc9bb3839157
These items were shipped via USPS from Jamaica, NY without any packing slip. While many items being shipped from New York are legitimate, New York City is notorious for counterfeit items.
In order to avoid being ripped off and ending up with a counterfeit controller, it is best to avoid 3rd Party sellers, especially on Amazon and Walmart. I would recommend purchasing items locally or from websites that allow you to pick up items locally from Brick-and-Mortar stores.
This is not an all-inclusive list and the quality and packaging are constantly changing. If the price of an item is too good to be true, it most likely is. In this case, these controllers were similar in price to authentic ones.
If there is any question as to the authenticity of an item, a quick trip to a local store with the same item is a good way to know what you should expect.
EDIT:
Apparently some of the readers aren’t aware as to why counterfeit items are inherently bad. Besides the fraud involved in not getting an authentic item when that is what was expected when the item was purchased, counterfeit items often contain substandard components that can present real safety issues (such as batteries that can leak and explode or components that contain lead and other hazardous substances) or cause the item to not function as desired. Counterfeiting has ties to organized crime and is often but one of many revenue streams for criminal organizations and terrorists.
At its very base is stealing and copying the work of another for one’s own personal gain. These are not off brand or generic items. These are items that a designed to trick the purchaser into believing that they are the real item while not being of the same quality. They carry no warranty and often are far less durable than the original item.