Why You Can Trust CNET Four must-have Nintendo Switch accessories
The new Nintendo Switch has finally arrived, but you're going to need some accessories to get the most out of it. Let us help.
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You finally have your shiny new Nintendo Switch, but before you start exploring the land of Hyrule in "Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild" you might want to consider some accessories to make the experience even more fun.
At launch, there are just a handful of interesting add-ons for the Switch with the promise of more to come over the next few months. We've gathered together four of our favorite Switch accessories and a few honorable mentions that you should consider.
If you really want to enjoy playing Zelda, you have to get the Pro Controller.
Nintendo Switch Pro Controller
As amazing as those Joy-Cons are, some may find their biscotti size a bit unruly to handle -- we did. Enter the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller. It retails at $70, or £60, which converts to AU$92. The Pro Controller offers a beefier grip akin to an Xbox or PlayStation controller.
Get an extra power adapter: one for home and one for on the go.
Extra power adapter
When the Switch is docked, it not only connects to your TV, but it also get recharged -- we averaged about 3 hours' gameplay on a single charge. We recommend picking up an extra power adapter (with USB-C connector) for $30, or £25, which converts to AU$40. This way you can keep one at home plugged into the dock and take the other one with you on the go.
You can expand the Switch's storage up to 2TB with a microSD card.
MicroSD card
The Switch comes with 32GB of built-in storage, but it can be expanded up to 2TB more via a microSD card. While you might not need extra storage right now, as more games are released you'll definitely need more space. The Switch supports high-speed cards like microSDHC and microSDXC. Samsung makes a 32GB microSDHC card that is as fast as it is cheap: $13, £11, AU$17.
Your valuable new Switch deserves some protection when not in use.
Nintendo Switch Accessory Set (carrying case)
Protect your Switch when it's not in your hand. Nintendo offers the Switch Accessory Set to keep your new handheld scratch-free. It retails for $20 or £17, which converts to AU$28, and it comes with a screen protector and a black carrying case which can hold the Switch, two Joy-Cons straps and five game cards.
The charging grip allows you to recharge the Joy-Cons as you play.
Honorable mentions
- Joy‑Con Charging Grip($30, £25, AU$40) - Unlike the supplied Joy-Con grip that comes with the Switch, this one can recharge the Joy-Cons while you play. But isn't the best-- it needs to be plugged in to charge. For some this will be a better option than nothing.
- Joy‑Con Wheel($15, £13, AU$20) - While a steering wheel is not needed for Zelda, on April 28, "Mario Kart 8 Deluxe" will be released. What better way to control your Honeycoupe or Dolphin Dasher than with a steering wheel?
- External battery charger - One of the smarter features of the Switch is that it has a USB-C port (albeit a poorly placed one) for recharging. The good news is that you can use a portable battery pack to recharge it on the go. But it's not that simple. Not all external batteries work great with the Switch. We're testing different packs on the Switch and will share our results soon.