(Because Joy-Con Drift is Still a Thing đ)
Ah, the Nintendo SwitchâNintendoâs little hybrid miracle that somehow still refuses to die, despite being older than some TikTok influencersâ careers. Whether you’re still rocking the OG model, flexing that OLED screen, or clinging to the Switch Lite like a lifeline, one thing is certain: you need the right accessories to make this thing actually usable in 2025.
Because letâs be realâNintendoâs base setup is about as âcompleteâ as a Bethesda game at launch. Yeah, it works, but youâre going to need a few tweaks, upgrades, and possibly a replacement controller when Joy-Con drift inevitably comes for you. So letâs get into the must-have accessories thatâll save your sanity (and your Switch) this year.
A REAL Controller (Because Joy-Cons Were a Mistake)
If youâve ever held a Joy-Con and thought, âWow, this was clearly designed for the hands of a toddler,â you are not alone. Nintendo really said, ergonomics? Never heard of her.
Enter the Nintendo Switch Pro Controllerâthe controller you should have had from day one. Itâs got a proper D-pad, actual grips, and battery life that doesnât make you contemplate life choices mid-boss fight. If you play docked even half the time, this is non-negotiable.
đ Alternative: If you donât want to cough up the cash for the official Pro Controller, 8BitDo makes some excellent third-party controllers that work just as well (and sometimes even better).
A MicroSD Card (Because Storage is a Joke)
Letâs do some math. The Nintendo Switch has 32GB of internal storage (64GB if youâre fancy with an OLED). The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom alone eats up 16GB. See the problem?
If you donât feel like playing the game of âwhich save file must be sacrificed today,â do yourself a favor and grab a high-capacity microSD card. Iâm talking at least 256GB, though 512GB or even 1TB is ideal if you hoard digital games like a dragon sitting on a mountain of gold.
đ Recommendation: SanDisk microSDXC Cards are the gold standardâfast, reliable, and wonât randomly die on you.
A Charging Dock (Because Joy-Cons Die Faster Than Your Will to Live on a Monday Morning)
Hereâs something fun: if you play with multiple Joy-Cons or controllers, youâll quickly realize that Nintendo does not care about your charging needs. You get one dock and a prayer.
A charging dock for Joy-Cons and Pro Controllers solves this issue. Just plop them in, and boomâtheyâre ready when you need them. No more switching out dead controllers like youâre speedrunning equipment failure.
đ Recommendation: Look for PowerA or Hori charging docksâthey wonât break the bank and actually do what Nintendo shouldâve built into the console from the start.
A Decent Carrying Case (Because Your Switch Deserves More Than a Plastic Grocery Bag)
If youâre carrying your Switch around nakedâIâm sorry, but we canât be friends. That screen is one accidental drop away from becoming a modern art project.
A sturdy carrying case is an absolute necessity, unless you enjoy watching your investment get scratched up like an old DVD from the Blockbuster era. Look for one with padded protection, game card storage, and space for cablesâyou know, the basics.
đ Recommendation: Tomtoc and Orzly make solid cases that wonât make your Switch look like it just survived a war zone.
A Screen Protector (Because Your Fingers are Greasy and the Screen is Fragile)
Remember how I just said the Switch screen is one bad drop away from disaster? Yeah, that applies even if you never drop itâbecause scratches just happen.
Invest in a tempered glass screen protector, because the alternative is crying over an OLED screen that now has the battle scars of your mistakes.
đ Recommendation: amFilm makes some of the best tempered glass screen protectorsâcheap, effective, and easy to install without turning your screen into a bubble-ridden disaster.
A Better Stand (Because the Built-in One is a Sad Joke)
Look, I get it. Nintendo tried to give us a kickstand. The keyword here is tried. If you have the original Switch, you know that flimsy excuse for a stand is about as reliable as a Wi-Fi connection in a basement.
A dedicated Switch stand is a game-changer if you actually want to play in tabletop mode without fearing for your consoleâs life. Adjustable angles? Stable base? Not snapping off if a butterfly sneezes near it? Yes, please.
đ Recommendation: Hori makes a solid third-party stand that doesnât make you question Nintendoâs design choices.
A Dock Replacement (Because Traveling With the Official Dock is a Nightmare)
Nintendoâs official dock is massive, fragile, and expensiveâwhich is a terrible combination if you travel or just want an extra dock in another room.
A portable dock replacement is the way to go. Theyâre smaller, more durable, and wonât scratch up your screen like Nintendoâs official one sometimes does (yes, thatâs a thing).
đ Recommendation: Ponkor makes a decent dock that wonât brick your Switch (unlike some sketchy ones floating around).
Final Thoughts: Nintendo Wonât Fix Their Own Problems, But We Can
The Switch is a fantastic console, donât get me wrong. But Nintendo sure loves making players jump through hoops to fix obvious flaws. Joy-Con drift, storage is abysmal, and half the accessories you actually need are sold separately. Typical.
But heyâat least we have some options. With these must-have accessories, you can actually enjoy your Switch.
Now if youâll excuse me, I need to go find my Pro Controller before I rage-quit another game thanks to Joy-Con drift.
Anyways, thanks for reading. If you want to read more about Nintendo Switch Accessories feel free to click this link. If I write anymore stuff like this, it’ll be there.
Stay snarky,
~ Rita đ¤