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Thursday, 4 July 2019

Review The Best Nintendo Switch Accessories | Techno Mart

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The Nintendo Switch's flexibility is a large part of what makes it great. It's a handheld console. It's a living room console! It has a kickstand! But it doesn't come with everything you need, and a lot of the Switch accessories you can buy are junk. We’ve researched and tested dozens of Switch accessories across all kinds of categories—cases, controllers, microSD cards, stands, and more—to find the things that are actually worth spending your money on.

The research

  • Screen protector
  • microSD card
  • Controllers and Joy-Con grips
  • A charger for your Joy-Cons
  • Charging
  • Stands
  • Cases in all sizes
  • A good, cheap stylus
  • Ethernet adapter
  • Bluetooth audio adapter
  • What about third-party docks?
  • What to look forward to
  • The competition
  • Footnotes

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The Switch’s screen may look like glass, but it’s made of plastic and it scratches surprisingly easily, making a screen protector a smart investment. The super-affordable amFilm Tempered Glass Screen Protector for Nintendo Switch is the Switch version of our pick for the best iPhone 8/7/6 screen protector and our runner-up for best iPhone X/XS/XR screen protector. It covers the entire Switch screen, and it’s as scratch-resistant as any other screen protector we’ve tested. The glass is crystal clear and free of bubbles, and fingerprints wipe right off. Installation on the Switch is easy, and amFilm includes all the necessary cleaning tools to prep your screen. Perhaps best of all, you get two protectors in the box, so even if you get a speck of dust under the glass on your first attempt at installation, you get another shot.

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If you plan to download most of your Switch games, the 32 GB of storage inside the console will run out quickly; The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild devours 13.4 GB all by itself. We recommend buying the 128 GB Samsung Evo Select to give yourself more room. The microSD card is speedy and affordable—the only competing cards that outperformed the Evo Select in our testing cost significantly more—and at a typical price of around $40, or just 31¢ per gigabyte, the Evo Select is one of the most cost-effective cards you can buy.

That said, any name-brand microSD card with a speed class of at least U1 or better will be fast enough for the Switch. Because you’re not writing to the card much when you’re actually playing a game, you won’t notice the difference as much as you would with a smartphone or camera. If you see a 128 GB card for much less than $40 (or a 256 GB card for much less than $100), go ahead and buy it instead.
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The Joy-Con grip that comes with the Switch makes the two Joy-Cons into a decent controller, but if you’re planning to play a lot of Mario or Zelda, you owe it to yourself to buy Nintendo’s Switch Pro Controller. It’s a wireless controller similar to Microsoft’s Xbox One controller, and its joysticks, face buttons, shoulder buttons, and triggers are all more comfortable and satisfying than the ones on the Joy-Cons, especially for long play sessions. It also supports all the same motion controls and Amiibo scanning features as the Joy-Cons, for the games that need it. It costs between $60 and $70, which is a little expensive, but if you play lots of single-player games with the Switch in its dock, it’s definitely worth it.

Nintendo’s GameCube controller, originally released back in 2001, is still popular among fans of the Super Smash Bros. series—so much so that Nintendo sells a USB-to-GameCube adapter and new Smash-branded GameCube controllers. But if you don’t want to deal with all those wires—or if you want a GameCube-style controller with all the extra buttons you’ll need to play other Switch games—we like PowerA’s GameCube-style wireless controller.

It’s still missing a few things compared with the Pro Controller, including an internal rechargeable battery (it uses AA batteries), vibration support, and an NFC scanner for Amiibo. But it looks and feels almost identical to a regular GameCube controller, so much so that my friends who play Smash with a GameCube controller don’t really notice a difference. And it’s easy to navigate the Switch’s menus and take screenshots, just like you can with the Pro Controller or Joy-Cons.

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The Nintendo Switch's flexibility is a large part of what makes it great. It's a handheld console. It's a living room console! It has a kickstand! But it doesn't come with everything you need, and a lot of the Switch accessories you can buy are junk. We’ve researched and tested dozens of Switch accessories across all kinds of categories—cases, controllers, microSD cards, stands, and more—to find the things that are actually worth spending your money on.

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The Nintendo Joy-Con Wheel is a great choice if you prefer tilting the controller to steer in games like Mario Kart and you want something that’s easier to hold than the Joy-Con by itself. The set includes two plastic wheels, each of which can fit either the right or left Joy-Con. There are large buttons comfortably located on the back of the wheel that press the SL and SR buttons on the controller. The wheels are a little small, so if you have larger hands they might feel cramped (but not nearly as cramped as if you used just the Joy-Cons by themselves).
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If you find playing with the Joy-Cons in a horizontal position difficult or uncomfortable due to their small size, adding a grip can help. The FastSnail Joy-Con Grips are the best we've found for average to large hands. The SL and SR buttons are big and located so that they fall directly under your index fingers while holding the grip; they feel a bit flimsy but are far better than trying to press the small buttons on the Joy-Con or on the included Joy-Con straps. The other grips we tested were smaller than the FastSnail, didn't help with the tiny SL and SR buttons, and weren’t any easier or more comfortable to use than the controller on its own.
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Your Joy-Con controllers recharge whenever they’re attached to the Switch while it’s docked, but if you have extra controllers for family and friends, it can be a hassle to keep swapping Joy-Cons for charging. The PowerA Joy-Con Charging Dock connects to one of the Switch dock’s USB charging ports and charges two pairs of Joy-Con controllers while taking minimal space (3.8 by 2.3 inches). The Charging Dock feels solid, with a weighted base that has an integrated cable wrap to minimize clutter. The controllers slide smoothly on and off the dock’s rails, and four LEDs at the top indicate the charging status of each controller. We wish the base were a bit heavier, or the pad on the bottom a bit stickier, to keep the Charging Dock from moving around as much when connecting or disconnecting controllers, but it’s been one of our most useful accessories so far.
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If you want to leave the charger that came with your Switch under your TV when you travel, Nekteck’s 4-port USB-C charger is a safe, affordable alternative that can charge your phone and other accessories at the same time with its three USB-A ports. It also happens to be our favorite USB-C charger for laptops, and unlike some other USB-C laptop chargers we’ve used with the Switch, the Nekteck version doesn’t prompt any error messages when you use it with the Switch’s dock. 1
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If you want to use your Switch on a table or other hard surface but need more stability than the built-in kickstand provides, or you want to be able to charge it at the same time, you need a stand. After testing four stands, we think that the Hori Compact Playstand for Nintendo Switch is the best choice for most people. It is cheap, light, and simple to set up and use.

Although it’s made of plastic, it feels sturdy and is surprisingly strong compared with the other stands we tested. It securely holds the screen in place on the fold-out shelf with two small pegs that fit into the bottom of the Switch and a series of rubberized grips to prevent slipping. The shelf has a cutout so you can still charge the Switch while it’s in use, and there’s a hole in the base of the stand so you can thread the charging cord through the back.

We tested some metal stands for the Switch, but most of the metal stands we saw advertised as “Switch stands” are just phone or tablet stands that use a folding double hinge to hold up the device. Since these stands are not specifically made for the Switch, they can partially block the exhaust ports on the back, making the Switch run a little hotter than usual. I also felt uncomfortable storing them together in a bag or in the same case since the metal edges of the stand are sharp enough to scratch up the Switch.
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The Tomtoc Slim Case is the best way to take your Switch console on the road. This case features the most robust construction of any case we tested, it’s got durable and easy-to-use zippers, and it fits the Switch like a glove. The game flap houses up to eight cartridges and lays over the screen to protect it during transit. The unique molded shape also ensures you’ll always know which side of the case is “up” when you open it. It doesn't have room for the charger or any extra accessories, though.
The Rlsoco Nintendo Switch Deluxe Carrying Case can hold the Nintendo Switch dock, the console (without Joy-Cons attached), the grip with two Joy-Cons, a Switch Pro Controller, the AC adapter, several Joy-Con straps, the HDMI cable, and 28 cartridges in its nifty section divider. It manages to do this in a package that’s just 11.7 by 8.9 by 5.8 inches, with tight internal cavities for each of the larger components, making for a design that keeps each piece secure even if the case is shaken or turned upside down. Smaller components can be stored in mesh pockets or the included mini case (designed for the AC adapter and Joy-Con straps). The case’s combination of a hard external shell and included detachable strap means it can be used either over the shoulder for everyday transport or packed safely for more extended travel. Plus, the Rlsoco case doesn’t have any visible Nintendo Switch branding that could make its owner a target for theft (or ridicule). Of the 14 large Switch cases we found and four we tested, it's the best for most people.
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Most of the time when you need to use the Switch’s touchscreen, your fingers are good enough; Nintendo doesn’t include a stylus with the Switch as it does with the 3DS or the Wii U, and most games are designed not to need one. But for some games that benefit from more precise input, such as Super Mario Maker 2, the Adonit Mark is a worthwhile purchase. It works as well with the Switch as it does with iPads and other tablets, it usually costs less than $10, and you should be able to use it with almost any device that has a capacitive touchscreen (including older iPads that can’t use an Apple Pencil, Android tablets, and even smartphones).
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Most people don’t need a wired Ethernet adapter for their Switch. For downloading games and system updates, online play in more casual games like Super Mario Party or Pokemon: Let’s Go, and sharing screenshots and videos, the console’s built-in Wi-Fi works just as well and is more convenient besides. But for faster and more competitive online games like Splatoon 2 or Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, a wired Ethernet adapter can reduce lag, increase speeds, and improve the stability of your connection.

Nintendo’s officially licensed Gigabit Ethernet adapter is available for around $30, but you shouldn’t buy it. Instead, get the Ugreen USB 3.0 to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter for around half the price—it’s based on the exact same chipset, so the console recognizes it right away.2 It achieved the same speeds as the official adapter in our testing, and its cable is long enough to allow the door on the back of Nintendo’s Switch dock to close, unlike some others we tested. It also works fine with Windows 10, though you’ll need to install a driver to use it with a Mac. TrendNet’s USB 3.0 to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter also works great, has a long-enough cable, and is a few dollars cheaper, but the Ugreen version’s black casing matches the Switch’s dock and cables better.

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Sometimes you want to game without disturbing other people with the noise. If you’re playing portably, it’s easy enough to plug in a set of wired headphones, but what if the Switch is docked to the TV and you’re 10 feet away on the couch? Thanks to a software update last fall that added support for USB audio, you can use Bluetooth headphones via a USB Bluetooth audio adapter. We tested Avantree’s USB Bluetooth Audio Adapter based on its claims of Switch compatibility, its consistently high user reviews, and its reasonable price. (We’re testing USB RF headphones for a future update to this guide.)

After plugging the adapter into the USB-A port on the back of the Switch’s dock and pairing your headphones, audio is automatically muted on the console and sent through the adapter. We used the adapter with three different sets of Bluetooth headphones (at different times), and it sent the Switch’s audio to our headphones with no noticeable audio lag. (We occasionally heard a pop or click with one set of headphones, but audio was otherwise fine.) Unlike a smartphone or computer, the Switch has no on-screen Bluetooth-pairing process, so you may find yourself pressing the pairing buttons on the adapter and your headphones a few times before they decide to link up. But the biggest drawback to a Bluetooth adapter is that you have to unplug the adapter to restore audio to your TV or entertainment system. (Avantree includes a 1-meter USB extension cable that at least makes this plugging and unplugging more convenient. We also found this cable useful for avoiding Bluetooth interference in a crowded AV cabinet by letting us move the adapter in front of the other components.)
In March 2018, we removed our section on a spare dock because a Switch software update, version 5.0.0, appeared to break compatibility with USB-C chargers and docks not made by Nintendo. Some users report that these accessories cause the Switch to crash, others say that they brick the Switch entirely. Nintendo hasn’t said whether a fix is coming, but it told us in a statement that using the official Switch dock is the only way to totally avoid these kinds of problems. We've never had an issue with the Insignia dock we previously recommended, and haven't seen reports of it bricking consoles, but that doesn't mean it will continue to be compatible in the future.


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