The Ultimate Guide to Nintendo Switch Accessories
Don’t lie to yourself.
Your excitement about the upcoming Nintendo Switch release is becoming an unhealthy obsession. Despite what you think, no, you can’t stop thinking about the Nintendo Switch anytime that you want.
You have single handedly bump the view count for Zelda: Breath of the Wild trailer on Youtube by seven digits. You have eaten nothing but lentils and Uncle Ben’s Rice to save money for the Nintendo Switch, and you have been
doing this for the past 44 days (and counting).
Right now, you look terrible, and your stomach hates you. Actually I think I also hate you in a “I am disgusted by your obsession kind” of way.
But that’s not the ultimate sacrifice. You are ready for 4chan to turn you into a internet meme sensation and for the internet to ridicule you for camping out in front of your local game store too many days too early. You are ready to become an internet martyr.
And that is ok.
You are a man with plan — the plan to get your malnourished hands on a Nintendo Switch on the first day of its release, so you can practice night and day to become the world’s best milkmaid on 1–2 switch.
Wait, Nintendo Switch Accessories Cost How Much?
Your obsession … uhh … plan is going perfectly, almost too perfectly. That is until you read about the Nintendo Switch accessories and its retail prices.
$79.99 — Nintendo Switch Joy-Con
$29.99 — Nintendo Switch Joy-Con Charging Grip
$69.99 — Nintendo Switch Pro Controller
$89.99 — Nintendo Switch Dock
$14.99 — Nintendo Switch Joy-Con Wheel. Wait, what the heck is a Joy-Con Wheel?
I bet the look on your face went from 😐 to 😟 to 😨 to 😱 to 😭 didn’t it?
I also bet that you thought to yourself — eating 44 days of lentils and rice has helped you save just enough to buy the Nintendo Switch itself. How many more days of lentil and rice do you have to endure to save enough money for all the accessories?
In your moments of grief and despair, you thought maybe you should take your money, go buy a Playstation 4, and chuck out all the lentils and rice.
Or maybe you should take your money, go buy an actual cow, practice milking on an actual cow, chuck out all the lentils and rice, and join Farmer’s Only. No one is lonely at Farmer’s Only™.
Let Me Help You
Here’s my suggestion — don’t buy a Playstation 4 or a cow. But do throw out all the lentils and rice (and maybe join Farmer’s Only). We will help you figure out a plan to approach the Nintendo Switch accessories, and the world will be ok again.
Also don’t feel ashamed by asking for help. Plus you are not really asking help for yourself; you are asking for a friend … Right?
So let’s talk about the Nintendo Switch accessory in details.
Nintendo Switch Joy-Con — $79.99 (12 extra days of lentils and rice)
The Joy-Cons are pretty expensive at $79.99 per pair, which means 12 extra days of lentils and rice. Why suffer more of that lentils and rice if you don’t have to?
Therefore I would only recommend buying extra sets of Joy-Cons if:
- You have friends, and you like to play multiplayer games with your friends
- You plan to entertain future dates with the 1–2 Switch milkmaid game
Otherwise, I would not recommend buying extra set of Joy-Cons unless you want to keep up the appearance that you do have friends. That’s cool too. I don’t judge, at least not openly.
Nintendo Switch Charging Grip — $29.99 (5 extra days of Lentils and Rice)
So what is a Nintendo Switch Grip? I am pretty confused myself.
Apparently a Nintendo Switch Grip is an accessory that holds the Joy-Con controllers together in a form factor that resembles a standard gamepad like the picture below.
And there are two types of grips. The basic Grip that comes with the purchase of a Nintendo Switch and the Charging Grip that you can buy separately.
Here’s the difference between the two. In addition to holding the Joy-Con controllers together, the Charging Grip can charge the Joy-Con while its plugged into the Charging Grip itself. Neat huh?
At $29.99, the Nintendo Switch Charging Grip is one of the least expensive Nintendo Switch accessory. But you shouldn’t buy it because it is cheap. It does add 5 extra days of lentils and rice to your diet. Remember how much you hate lentils and rice?
Therefore I would recommend buying a charging grip if:
- You have the memory of a gold fish and consistently forget to charge your electronics, i.e. your phone is always running in low battery mode. Therefore, the Charging Grip will ensure that your Joy-Con will never run out of battery when you are milking that imaginary cow with your future date (trying to impress your date with video games? That’s a bold move cotton)
- You plan to buy an extra pair of Joy-Con. You can then use both sets of Joy-Con’s as traditional gamepads with the basic Grip that comes with the bundle and the Charging Grip that you bought separately.
Nintendo Switch Pro Controller (11 extra days of lentils and rice)
Nintendo Switch Pro Controller is a pretty hefty investment at $70.00 or 11 extra days of lentils and rice (do you recognize a pattern of expensive Nintendo Switch accessories yet)?
In any case, here are my thoughts on the Pro Controller:
- The Pro Controller is designed like the traditional controllers that you would find in Playstation or Xbox. Therefore you may find the Pro Controller easier to use if you prefer traditional controllers form factors over the Joy-Cons or the Grip.
- However, at $70, the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller is about the same price as a set of Joy-Con. If you like to play party games or multiplayer with other people, it may be better to invest that $70 towards an extra set of Joy-Con
- The Pro Controller may not work well for games that require motion sensors or the front facing camera of the Joy-Con, such as the 1–2 switch cow milking game
- Most initial impressions, such as this Engadet Article, mention that Joy-Con with the Grip is surprisingly comfortable. This may make less of a reason for you to invest into the Pro Controller
Personally I find the benefits of the Joy-Con to outweigh the benefits of the Pro Controller. Therefore I would not recommend the Pro Controller unless your hands are attuned to the traditional Xbox or Playstation styled controllers.
Plus you can take that $70 and treat your date to nicer night out. Pro tip — A value meals at McDonald’s does not make a good first impression. I may or may not be speaking from experience.
One last note. The Pro Controllers are selling like hot cakes. If you plan to buy a Pro Controller, you should preorder one whenever you come across a chance to do so.
Nintendo Switch Dock — $90.00 (14 extra days of lentils and rice)
It is the most expensive accessory at $90. Since we are still counting, that’s an extra 14 days of lentils and rice for you.
So what does the Dock do exactly? Well, the Nintendo Switch Dock doesn’t do much of anything outside of keeping the internal USB-C and HDMI cables tidy and connecting your Nintendo Switch to your TV through HDMI.
So do you need it?
- No — if you plan to use your Switch as a portable gaming console like the Nintendo 3DS or Playstation Vita and have no plans of connecting your Switch to a TV
- Yes — if you plan to connect your Switch to multiple TVs throughout your house
Also, 3rd party accessory makers like Hori or Power-A may make cheaper versions of the Dock at a later date (more on third party accessories at the end of the blog post). Therefore, you may benefit from holding off on buying a dock even if you want to buy one.
Nintendo Switch Joy-Con Wheel — $14.99 (3 extra days of lentils and rice)
This is easy. No, you won’t need it.
It’s a red flag you date throws a hissy fit about playing Mario Kart 8 with the Joy-Con like a pleb. Your date may be more trouble than he or she is worth.
I would recommend that you politely excuse yourself, sneak out the bathroom window, and exist stage left.
Let’s Strategerize and Math Our The Options
You can spend $200 to buy an extra set of Joy-Con, an extra Dock, and the Charging Grip. Or you can spend $299 to buy another Nintendo Switch bundle and get all the above accessories.
Let’s do some calculations.
- Option 1 — Nintendo Switch Accessories
= 1 Joy-Con + 1 Charging Grip + 1 Dock
= ~$200 - Options 2 — Nintendo Switch Bundle
= 1 Joy-Con + 1 Basic Grip + 1 Dock + 1 Switch Console + 2 wrist straps
= $299
Option 2 will cost you $100 more. But you’ll get all the accessories plus an extra Switch Console and 2 more wrist straps (note that you will miss out on the Charging Grip though). This seems like a better bang for the buck to me personally.
Plus smarter shoppers are attractive ;)
I Feel You and My Wallet Feels You Too
Yes, Nintendo Switch accessories are expensive. You will probably $500 to $600 poorer after buying a Switch, all the accessories that you need, and a couple Switch games. But there is hope so don’t force yourself to eat more lentils and rice, please.
Third party accessory makers, like Hori and Power A, are making Switch accessories that may be cheaper and better value than the first party accessories from Nintendo. For example, Power A is coming out with a charging dock that can charge up to four Joy-Con’s at once. Hori is coming out with custom version of the Pro Controller that comes with the classic Turbo Button.
If this news doesn’t console you (pun intended), take a look at the Canadian Nintendo Switch launch prices.
Do you feel better now? Me too.
If you enjoyed this guide, you will love Aida’s Deals. Its a FREE service that will email you about video games, computers, and electronics deals. Aida’s Deals might just help you save hundreds off your Nintendo Switch and accessories :)
Or you may want to join our Nintendo Switch Fan Club. It is a Facebook Group where we share our ❤️ and the latest news about Nintendo Switch.
Originally published at www.hiaida.com.
