The Nintendo Switch is one of the most fun consoles I’ve ever owned. It transitions between on-the-go and a traditional console experience with ease, offers a huge selection of affordable games, and now, it even has Overwatch. (Yay.)
Alas, as with all hybrid gadgets, there are compromises. But the following accessories can transform your vanilla Nintendo Switch into the ultimate handheld.
The Switch’s Joy-Con controllers are fun, but they aren’t necessarily the most comfortable gamepads in the world. And the joysticks are simply too short for precise aiming.
If you want a competitive edge, invest in this pack of FPS thumb grips. They raise the height of your thumb caps which can help your aim. And if you want to complete the set, pick up the D-Pad cap button caps (which attach via 3M-style stickers) and GripCase, which will make handheld mode a lot more comfortable.
If you have larger hands, perhaps you should consider the HORI Daemon X Machina edition controllers. While they are exclusively for use in handheld mode, these bad boys will help you game longer. Just be warned, they are big and make it much less portable.
Battery life on the Switch (especially the original model) is mediocre at best. While the latest Switch and the Lite have improved on that, the battery won’t last for a full day. This myCharge battery pack promises to extend your gaming session by up to 10 hours.
While it’ll add a significant amount of heft to your system, you’ll be glad you have the spare 7000mAh on a long train ride.
Let’s be clear here: It’s absolutely ludicrous that the Nintendo Switch lacks Bluetooth. And while using a standard wired headset is serviceable, using a wireless headset is the best way to use a Switch.
This SteelSeries Arctis 1 wireless gaming headset is super easy to set up; you just need to plug in the included USB-C dongle and you’re golden. This particular headset is built well and sounds great.
But if you already have a Bluetooth headset you already own, love and want to use, pick up one of these adapters. The HomeSpot Bluetooth 5.0 adapter, much like the aforementioned SteelSeries headset, uses the Switch’s USB-C port, while the Twelve South Airfly plugs into its the 3.5mm headphone jack, but both will transmit your system’s audio to any pair of Bluetooth headphones.
One downside to these two wireless adapters is the voice quality. The HomeSpot adapter offers a built-in mic, but it’s just not as good as the SteelSeries.
Regardless of your approach is to buying games, you’re going to need a MicroSD card. The Switch offers a paltry 32GB of internal storage, and some of that is reserved for use by the handheld.
Even if you do prefer the traditional, physical copy route to buy your games, many require additional storage space for added content and assets. But more importantly, there are a ton of terrific games for the Switch that are only available as a digital download.
This SanDisk is the microSDXC card is the best you can buy. It’s fast, affordable and the 128GB model can hold a ton of games.