AbstractTo balance the performance and implementability of classical predefined performance control algorithm when its hard constraint is violated, this article investigates a switching‐based prescribed‐performance‐like control (PPLC) approach for nonlinear teleoperation systems. To achieve the objective, a switching mechanism is introduced into the classical controller design and based on this, a nonlinear proportional plus auxiliary compensation controller is designed, where a switched filter control technique is employed. By modeling the resulting closed‐loop system as a special switched delayed system and using the piecewise Lyapunov‐Krasovskii functional method, the state‐independent input‐to‐output stabilty of closed‐loop system is established, where a feasible range of the “initial” values of piecewise continuous performance function is given to achieve a tradeoff between the closed‐loop stability and overshoot. It is shown that the developed switching‐based PPLC approach obtains better performance than the classical predefined performance control algorithms. Simulations on a pair of 3‐DOF planar arms illustrate the approach.