It’s shaping up to be a good year for the Nintendo Switch, with games like New Pokémon Snap, The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles and Famicom Detective Club giving us plenty of reasons to keep playing the now four-year-old console. The new OLED version might add a bit of extra pep to your game graphics but a better Switch experience doesn’t have to be expensive. You can upgrade your setup with the right accessories and we’ve got a few recommendations for different uses.
For Switches That Stay at Home
The first thing you’ll want to pick up for your Switch or Switch Lite is a microSD card. Samsung’s EVO Select line is recommended for its speed and reliability but it’s the price that you’re likely to find most appealing, with a 250GB card running only $36 and the more spacious 512GB costing $70. After all, there are many great games to download and your system has limited storage space. It’s also the only way you’ll get screen captures off your console if you haven’t connected it to Facebook or Twitter.
If your Switch gets a lot of use, chances are you may have picked up some extra Joy-Cons and a Pro Controller. However, charging multiple pairs of Joy-Cons on one Switch is a real pain, so a charging dock can be a great buy. PowerA’s Pro Controller charging dock has room for one pair of Joy-Cons and a Pro Controller, keeping them tidy and powered up. If you don’t need a place to put your Pro Controller, the regular charging dock can accommodate two sets of Joy-Cons. You can also use them for other controllers that slide onto your Switch’s rails like the official NES-style controllers or Hori’s Split Pad Pro.
The VR starter kit is a good purchase if you’re interested in trying out the virtual reality modes in games like Super Mario Odyssey and Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. It comes with the basic headset and the blaster which was easily the most fun of all the various Labo VR projects. It usually costs around $40 but Best Buy often puts it on sale for half that amount, so be sure to keep an eye out.
For Switches That Travel Often
You’re going to need a case, that’s certain. It doesn’t need to be fancy, just enough to protect your Switch from getting bumped around in your bag. The AmazonBasics model is cheap, has ten slots to hold additional Switch cards and a mesh pocket to store an extra charging cord or set of Joy-Cons. If you’re planning to take your entire setup, dock and all, Amazon also makes a larger storage case that can fit all the cords and controller accessories. If you need something smaller for your Switch Lite, the official case from Nintendo is incredibly slim and even comes with a screen protector. But it’s not made for carrying a lot of games. For that, we recommend TomToc’s line of Switch Lite cases which are waterproof and come in a wide variety of colors to match your handheld for under $20.
Target sells a charming collection of bags emblazoned with leaf or character patterns if Animal Crossing is more your aesthetic. The backpacks have a special pocket just for your Nintendo Switch, while the clutch purses are perfectly sized for the consoles while being super stylish to boot.
Whether you hate the speakers on your Switch or don’t want to bother those around you, you’re going to need a pair of headphones to listen to your games. Ideally, you want something that doesn’t cost too much and can survive a beating in your bag, so if you don’t mind wires we’re still big fans of Turtle Beach’s Recon 70 which offers great sound in an affordable, lightweight form factor. However, if you can’t stand cords and don’t mind dropping a bit of extra cash, check out the SteelSeries Arctis 1 or Razer’s Barracuda X headsets. They both come with a USB-C receiver you can plug directly into your console for a solid wireless connection and the sound quality of either is among the best you’ll find in any gaming headset, especially for under $150.
One thing you definitely have to worry about if you game on the go often is battery life and in those cases, you’ll want to carry around an extra power bank. For your Switch, you need to focus on two features: the ability to use a USB-C cord to connect and a slim profile so it’ll fit inside your Switch case. The RavPower 26,800mAh power bank perfectly fits both criteria, is relatively affordable at $61 and can even charge your device as you play.
Let us know in the comments your favorite Nintendo Switch accessories.
