Nintendo just announced the Nintendo Switch OLED, a new version of its brilliant handheld console. But the best Switch accessories will, in almost all cases, work just fine with it, if you're toying with the idea of an upgrade. This is good news. Nintendo's Switch OLED is fractionally longer than the old version, but is otherwise the same size and uses the same rail-based Joy-Con rail system. Hurrah. We're doubly happy because the Nintendo Switch offers some of the most ambitious accessories of any home console. Sure, there are the practical bits like chargers, cases and gamepads. But where else would you find accessories that turn a console into an augmented reality car racing machine or a way to make home workouts more interesting? That famed Nintendo imagination is there for all to see in this selection of the best Nintendo Switch accessories. The Brook Power Bay is an cheaper alternative to the official Nintendo dock, but has even more features. There's Bluetooth support, for connection to up to two wireless headsets or speakers at once. Even better, there are two Gamecube controller ports on the front, as well as two USBs. There are three versions of the Brook Power Bay, each with slightly different features. The Ethernet version has, you guessed it, an Ethernet port for a more reliable internet signal. Crimson is the cheapest version but lacks Bluetooth headset support. And the standard Power Bay is probably our favourite, with Bluetooth wireless and those controller connectors. These docks aren't quite as sturdy as Nintendo's, but we like them a lot. Thinking back, it's kinda bizarre the Switch and Switch Lite don't have Bluetooth. Most of our phones won't take wired headphones. The Switch won't have wireless ones. The Genki Audio Lite fixes that, with a slim Bluetooth adapter that plugs into the bottom of the console. It just eats a tiny amount of power, and doesn't stick out much, unlike Genki's original version. You can only connect one speaker or pair of headphones, but that's fine for most uses. We’ve not been as keen on an augmented reality game as Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit since Pokemon Go arrived. This is a Mario Kart game you play in your own home with a real remote control car. The kart has a little camera, which live streams its view to your Nintendo Switch console. Just place the checkpoint arches around the room, then drive the car around to create your own track. The more space you have, the more elaborate a track you can make. When you race you’ll see other rivals on the Switch screen, much like a normal Mario Kart game. It’s a lot of fun, and the little kart connects to the console over Wi-Fi, for a fast and reliable connection. Mario Kart Live’s bad bits are all about practicalities. It works best on hard flooring or lino, and the car does not get on well with rugs or thick-pile carpet. The little thing doesn’t have the traction or ground clearance to cope. Still, if it suits your home Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit is a fab addition to your Switch arsenal, and would brighten up any Christmas or birthday. There are four speeds, the slower ones handy for younger gamers not quite ready for powersliding, and the battery lasts for around 90 minutes if you use the mid-pace “150cc” mode. Up to four can play together, but they’ll need their own car and the kit only includes one. You can think of Ring Fit Adventure as a spiritual successor to the Wii's Fit Board, the classic gamer's fitness accessory. But this time you get a role-playing game with fitness moves seamlessly weaved in, rather than gamified exercise classes. The extra hardware is why Ring Fit Adventure is relatively expensive. One half of the Joy-Con slots into a resistance ring you hold with both hands. The other half ties around your thigh in a holster. This combo can tell how much you move, the particular moves you make and how high above your head you raise the ring. Your motions then tie into your character's on-screen actions. Ring Fit Adventure is a great way to get back into exercise indoors, if the idea of YouTube classes does not appeal. It's not a great fit for the Switch Lite, though, as you'll want to play with the console docked to your TV. A controller bigger than the Nintendo Switch itself? The 8BitDo Arcade Stick may look a little silly next to the console when not in its dock mode. But this is all because 8BitDo is out to make a proper arcade-grade controller. You can use the 8BitDo Arcade Stick wired or wirelessly, if even a hint of input lag will get on your nerves. And the Switch has a bunch of games that benefit from a proper stick, including Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Street Fighter 30th Anniversary and Mortal Kombat 11. The 8BitDo Arcade Stick is also far more nerdy than the company's popular affordable gamepads. Open it up and you can swap out the buttons and joystick for Sanwa parts, and others. If you're not particularly taken with the bundled Joy-Con controllers and want something a little more traditional, consider picking up the Nintendo Switch Pro controller as your next Nintendo Switch accessory. Though the Joy-Con controllers do have a grip which unties them to form a single device, they don't come with traditional D-pads, and they don't look quite as ergonomically sound as these Pro controller upgrades do. With their motion controls, HD rumble and Amiibo support, these are a solid alternative to the original Nintendo Switch Joy-Con controllers that come in the box with a Switch. Xenoblade Chronicles, Super Smash Bros Ultimate and Splatoon 2-themed options are also available if you're willing to spend a little more to get one. We're also bringing you all the best Nintendo Switch Pro Controller sales right here on TechRadar, and offering up some cheap alternatives as well. The Nintendo Switch Pro controllers are great for single players, but you might want to pick up some extra Joy-Cons controllers to get gaming with a few friends... which brings us to our next Nintendo Switch accessory. Unless you want to make the purchase of Joy-Con controllers a prerequisite for entry to your home, you're going to be found short if the opportunity arises for a multiplayer gaming sessions the next time a few friends pop round. Switch Joy-Con color selections are growing all the time too. Alongside the neon red and blue, and gray versions, which were available at launch, it's now possible to pick up a variety of colors including neon orange and purple, Splatoon-themed neon pink and green and neon yellow. Joy-Con controllers can be purchased separately or in a pair, as your needs and budget allow. It's worth noting that you save a little on each individual controller by paying for a pair outright, however. Plus, you'll find plenty of Nintendo Switch Joy-Con sales if you're shopping at the right time. SHareconn's take on a Switch carry case is the most likely to suit most people's needs. A mainly black case with red or blue detailing, this hard-shell case is a pretty popular online seller, due to its spacious Joy-Con and accesory storage, slips for ten game cartridges, and a snug inner lining to keep all your kit safe as it should be. It's got all you need to keep your Switch and peripherals protected on your travels, or tidied away from you living room. It comes with a tempered glass protector bundled in too: a step up from most plastic screen protectors out there, and it means you're actually covering up the Switch's screen with a tougher-grade material – it's even fingerprint resistant. If there simply isn't enough space for you, the slightly larger SHareconn storage box has room for 18 cartridges, the charging dock, charging cable, and Pro controller – with a perfect indent for the Switch to sit in without any fiddly elastic straps. If you'd rather not buy a Pro controller for your Nintendo Switch but would like your additional Joy-Con controllers to be more comfortable to use when detached separately, then a grip kit Switch accessory is always an option. This kit from Surge, containing two controller grips and two thumb grips, will make your slim Joy-Con controllers slightly bulkier, and more akin to a traditional controller shape, which should reduce any discomfort that would arise in a longer play session. If you're a fan of physical media over downloads, this is the Nintendo Switch accessory for you: a game card case for taking your Switch on the go. Even if you're just storing games at home, it's a better way of keeping your cartridges in order than piling up each of the individual game boxes. Nintendo offers its own cases in black or clear. This compact one from HORI holds 24 Switch game cards and two microSD cards, which should keep you going for a good long while. True LAN parties are actually possible on the Nintendo Switch, but only if you pick up an Ethernet adapter as your next Switch accessory – the console doesn't actually have a standard Ethernet port itself. You can connect up to 10 docked Nintendo Switch consoles for an intense gaming tournament with your friends, and not have to worry about dodgy wireless connections. As you might have noticed, the Joy-Con grip that comes boxed with your Nintendo Switch won't charge your Joy-Con controllers. Considering the Joy-Con controllers have around 20 hours of battery life in them, though, it shouldn't prove to be too much of a problem. However, we all have those times post-play where we just throw our Switch controller on the sofa and walk away. If you just know you're likely to play with the grip frequently and forget to reattach the controllers to your docked console, this could be your next Nintendo Switch accessory. Considering you buy protective accessories for your phone, your tablet, and for your laptop, we'd say it's also worth buying them for your Nintendo Switch to keep it secure and safe when it's undocked and on the move. You can get this nifty Switch Starter Kit by PDP, officially licensed by Nintendo, which includes a screen protector, earbuds, Joy-Con Armor Guards, thumb caps, cleaning cloth, and applicator. We'd definitely recommend picking up this kit as your next Nintendo Switch accessory for the screen protector alone – bearing in mind we've seen reports of players scratching the tablet screen when docking the console for home play, they're worth investing in. Nothing like the Nintendo stamp of approval to put you at ease. Sandisk is a massive memory card manufacturer – though usually with regards to cameras – and these tie-in options have a read speed of up to 100mb for fast loading. A minimum 30-year warranty, too. They even come with a friendly mushroom (for the 128GB model) a Triforce design (for the 64GB model) or an Animal Crossing leaf (for the beefy 512GB model). You won't see the design much when it's in the console, but you'll know it's there. Think you'll play the Nintendo Switch in tabletop mode a lot? Then you'll want to look into purchasing the HORI playstand as a Switch accessory. Although the Switch has a flip-out leg on its rear that will support it, it doesn't really leave any clearance for plugging a charging cable into the USB-C port on the console's base. On the other hand, the HORI playstand is built to allow this, lifting the console off the surface you're playing on, as well as offering adjustable angles for more comfortable gaming. Legend of Zelda and Mario editions are also available from Nintendo. Here's a Nintendo Switch accessory for those planning to use their console on the go a lot: a nice sturdy sturdy external battery pack is just the job for getting more gaming time in while you're away from home. The Switch's portable battery life isn’t unreasonable, but it isn't stellar either, and since you can’t guarantee you're always going to be near a plug socket to top up its charge, a back up power source is handy (just make sure you always have a USB-C cable about your person to connect it too). You've likely heard of Anker, and this is one of the company's best portable chargers. It comes with a huge 20,100mAh battery inside, meaning this will be able to charge up your Nintendo Switch multiple times before it needs a recharge. If you take your Nintendo Switch Mario Karting seriously, you might be interested in a Joy-Con steering wheel adaptor. This wireless wheel Switch accessory uses the motion sensors in the Joy-Con to allow you to feel like you're driving a real cart. There's a learning curve to using these accessories, and they're on the small side, but they do add a new dimension to racing games. It's especially convenient that they come in a pair so you don't have to send your friends off to buy their own. Mario and Luigi editions are also available. This isn't the best gaming headset in the world, but it's pretty appealing when it comes to cheap gaming headsets. The HyperX Cloud Alpha is great for those who aren't hugely picky when it comes to their Nintendo Switch headsets and simply want something affordable that works. Though it lacks both surround sound and style, the HyperX Cloud Alpha is the best headset in its price bracket. Its 2.1 stereo sound is top-notch, with its dual-chamber drivers producing less distortion and better low-end sounds. Part software, part hardware, Nintendo Labo is one of the coolest accessories that you have to get for your Nintendo Switch console. If building cardboard peripherals which work with real games and can be reprogrammed in whatever way you like sounds like a neat idea, then you definitely want to take a look at this. Nintendo Labo is great for any kids and adults that have an interest in building, creating and tinkering around with tech, and Nintendo has been regularly releasing fresh updates to it as well. This is easily the sharpest-looking Nintendo Switch carry case we've seen. Officially licensed by Nintendo, this Pikachu-themed accessory comes in the form of a gold, metal case featuring everyone's favorite Pokémon. The metal sheen and gold coloring is enough to sell this in our minds. You might not get the shock absorption of some of the other cases in this list, and you won't fit much in aside from the console itself and five game cartridges, but on looks alone Hori's case warrants a place. The lightning bolt design on the inner lining is pretty neat too. If you're in the habit of allowing your Nintendo Switch's Joy-Cons run out of battery or you like to have a couple of sets charged at all times in case a friend drops by, then it's worth thinking about investing in a charging stand. Not only is it somewhere to keep your spare controllers when they're not in use, it pretty much guarantees you'll always have a pair that are charged and ready. These controller docks can be purchased for standard Joy-Cons or the Nintendo Switch Pro controller from Nintendo's official store or trusted third-parties.
source https://www.techradar.com/news/best-nintendo-switch-accessories/
Saturday, July 17, 2021
Best Nintendo Switch accessories 2021: make the most of your hybrid console
