Out-of-the-box, the Nintendo Switch has everything you need to start playing: the console, a pair of Joy-Cons, a dock, and all the necessary cables you need. However, that will only give you the most basic of gaming experiences. If you really want to level-up, you need to get some Nintendo Switch accessories.
Since the Switch is over two years old at this point, there is a healthy ecosystem of accessories available. Some of them are simply fun, such as skins and other personalization products, while others are almost necessary to fully enjoy the console, such as the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller.
Below, we’ve got a list of the best Nintendo Switch accessories we could find. We’ve categorized everything so you can find what you need as easily as possible. Be sure to read through each section though, as there might be a Switch accessory available that you didn’t even know existed!
If you still don’t own a Nintendo Switch, you are missing out. Click here to grab a Switch or a Switch Lite. If you’ve already bought a Switch but need some game ideas, we’ve got you covered there, too.
Protection
Unlike most smartphones, the display of the Switch is covered with plastic, not glass. As such, it is very susceptible to scratches and scuffs, so a screen protector is one of the totally essential Nintendo Switch accessories. We recommend going with nothing less than tempered glass, such as the amFilm Tempered Glass Screen Protector set. For around $10, you get not one, but two screen protectors that are custom cut to perfectly fit your Switch’s display. Please note, though, that this will not fit a Nintendo Switch Lite — for that console, you’ll need this version of the product.
While a screen protector is one of the no-brainer Nintendo Switch accessories, you might want to take things a step further and protect your entire console with a case. Ah, but how do you do that without needing to remove the case every time you want to dock the Switch? Enter the Yoowa Clear Protective Case, which covers every inch of the console while keeping it dockable and all ports available. You can even remove the Joy-Cons without taking off their respective cases! As an added bonus, it comes with a screen protector — but we still recommend the protector above for maximum protection.
Enhancements
If you attach your Joy-Cons to your Switch, they’ll charge right up. But what if you have more than just that one pair of Joy-Cons or a Nintendo Switch Pro Controller? You’re going to need a more robust charging solution, which is what makes the Oivo 5-in-1 Charging Dock one of the best Nintendo Switch accessories available. It will charge two pairs of Joy-Cons as well as a Switch Pro Controller simultaneously, with LED lights letting you know when each one is topped-up.
As stated earlier, the Switch comes with a dock right in the box, but it isn’t the most well-designed of products. If you want a dock with more features and capabilities, we highly recommend the Ikedon Portable Dock. It will charge your Switch as you would expect, but it also allows you to see your Switch’s display while it’s docked. This means you can use the handy toggle switch on the Ikedon dock and go from playing the Switch on a TV to playing it in tabletop mode without needing to undock it. You can even change the viewing angle if you like, and it still has all the ports that come with the OEM dock. This really is one of the best Nintendo Switch accessories.
Finally, we have another enhancement accessory that isn’t necessary for everyone but is definitely worth your consideration: an Ethernet adapter. If you play a lot of online games on your Switch, you don’t want to be plagued with problems caused by spotty Wi-Fi. This little dongle will allow you to connect your Switch directly to your router, cutting the chances of connection issues drastically in the process. It’s a bit expensive but it’s licensed by Nintendo, which means a future firmware update won’t cause it to stop working.
Travel
The 2-in-1 nature of the Nintendo Switch is one of the main reasons it’s so popular. If you are going to grab your Switch and head out on the road, you’ll definitely want to put it into a carrying case of some sort, and for that, we highly recommend the official Nintendo Switch Carrying Case. This no-frills product is one of the best Nintendo Switch accessories. It stores the Switch (with Joy-Cons attached) and up to eight game cards, which fit snugly into the included plastic casings.
If you want a carrying case that can take not only the Switch, but the dock, cables, and extra controllers, we’ve got you covered there, too. The iVoler Storage Case will hold the Switch, the OEM dock, one pair of Joy-Cons, the OEM Joy-Con grip, a Pro Controller, 18 game cards, and all the usual cables. Your rig will stay safe inside this shock-absorbing, dust-proof, and waterproof case!
If you’re going on a road trip or have children, a car headrest mount could be one of the most important Nintendo Switch accessories you can get. We recommend the TFY Headrest Mount for two reasons: it’s incredibly easy to install and it supports many sizes of tablets in addition to the Switch. For less than $20, this is a no-brainer!
Finally, travel usually means playing your Switch without a television. Using your Switch with its built-in kickstand is, to put it lightly, inconvenient. You can’t charge it while using the built-in kickstand and it’s incredibly easy to knock the Switch over. That’s why the ultra-cheap Hori Playstand is one of the best Nintendo Switch accessories, as it solves both of these problems!
Controllers
Here at Android Authority, we have a whole article dedicated to finding the best controllers for your Switch within any kind of budget. If you’re looking for controllers, we highly recommend giving that a read. We’re only going to cover a few controllers here for the most general use cases.
First off, the absolute best controller for the Switch is the official Nintendo Switch Pro Controller. Not only is this the best Switch controller, but it might even be one of the best console controllers ever, handily going up against the Xbox One Wireless Controller and the Sony PlayStation DualShock 4. It’s expensive, yes, but it is worth it.
If you want something a little different, we recommend checking out the Hori Split Pad Pro, shown in the image above. The controller is basically a Switch Pro Controller cut in half so it can easily attach to the console where you would normally put the Joy-Cons. This gives you a better feel and experience on its own, but the two additional programmable rear buttons give you an extra edge over those using even the Switch Pro Controller.
Finally, the best controller for the Switch might be the controllers you already own. With the 8Bitdo Wireless Controller Adapter, you can use pretty much any Bluetooth-enabled controller with the Switch, including the aforementioned Xbox One and DualShock 4 controllers. In the case of the DualShock 4, you’ll even have full gyro and rumble features. This is truly one of the most versatile Nintendo Switch accessories you can get!
Audio and chat
If there’s one major gripe about the Nintendo Switch, it’s Nintendo’s utterly confusing approach to online play and chat. We’d love to just tell you about the best Nintendo Switch accessories related to audio and chat services, but we need to explain things a bit first. There are three things you need to know when buying a headset or headphones for the Switch:
- To use online chat features with a Nintendo-branded game (Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Splatoon 2, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, etc.), you must use the Nintendo Switch Online smartphone app. This is the ONLY way to do it, no exceptions.
- For some non-Nintendo games — such as Fortnite and Overwatch — you don’t need to use the Switch Online app. However, there’s no built-in microphone on the Switch, so you need to use a plug-in headset.
- There is no Bluetooth audio built into the Switch, so wired is the only way to go out-of-the-box for audio and microphones.
With these prerequisites in mind, we have two Nintendo Switch accessories to recommend when it comes to audio and chat. The first is the Turtle Beach Recon 70 Gaming Headset, which is compatible with the Switch. Simply plug the headset into the console and flip the microphone down and you’ll be ready to chat it up in Fortnite and Overwatch. If you want an extension for the headset’s cable, you’ll need to buy this one, as any other type of extender will cause the microphone not to work.
If you don’t care about chat features but do want to use Bluetooth headphones to simply hear in-game audio, there’s a solution to that. Check out the GuliKit Route Air Bluetooth Adapter which is a super discrete dongle for either the Switch or the Switch Lite. This will give you Bluetooth 5.0 audio — including use of the aptX codec — right from your Switch. Granted, you won’t get mic support with this, but if you’ve already got a great set of Bluetooth headphones, why bother going wired just to use the Switch? As an added bonus, the GuliKit Route Air supports two devices, so you and a friend can hear the audio with no cables needed!
Data storage
Everyone knows that the more data you can fit on a memory card, the better. However, just because a microSD card has 256GB of space, doesn’t mean it’s the best memory card. You also need to take into consideration the speed of the card as well as its dependability. With that in mind, we only recommend SanDisk cards for use in the Switch (or most other devices). The Switch can handle up to 2TB of extra space at U1 speeds via a microSD card, so feel free to get any of the cards at the link below that you can afford. Remember, the best Nintendo Switch accessories won’t mean anything if you don’t have enough room on your memory card for all your games!
On-the-go power
When it comes to portable chargers, there are two things to keep in mind: capacity and speed. The Switch can handle 15W of charging speed, so getting any charger below 15W will result in slow charging, which wouldn’t be good! Additionally, you want a charger with tons of capacity so you can charge and recharge your Switch without needing to recharge your powerbank. With these things in mind, the RAVPower 20,000mAh Portable Charger is one of the best Nintendo Switch accessories as it has plenty of capacity and plenty of speed.
If you want to save a little cash or want a charger that isn’t quite as bulky as the 20,000mAh unit mentioned previously, check out the RAVPower 10,000mAh Portable Charger. It will power up your Switch at its top speed and is good for two full charges and some extra before needing to recharge the bank. When it comes to Nintendo Switch accessories, you can’t go wrong with either of these!
Personalization
If you play your Switch a lot (and we know you do), it likely feels like a special part of your life. As such, you should make it your own by customizing it so it looks different from all the other Switches out there. The best way to do this is with Custom Shells, which allow you to replace the actual casing of the device itself with interesting and unique designs. The only problem with this is that it will take some tricky things such as using tiny screwdrivers to unscrew parts of the console and then reattach them. It’s not super difficult but it could be daunting for someone who’s not used to it. But hey, look how sweet that Super Nintendo shell looks! Totally worth it!
If the shell route seems too tricky for you, there are always Custom Skins instead. These are simply custom cut stickers that you place on your Switch to give it a new look. Skins are pretty cheap and easy to apply, which allows you to change your Switch’s look whenever you please. Just be careful: if you buy really cheap, poorly-made skins, they will not only look bad but also could cause problems for your Switch’s shell. Just make sure you buy skins from well-reviewed sources and you’ll be good!
Those are the best Nintendo Switch accessories we know about! Stay tuned as we will be adding (and removing) items from this list as new products launch in the future.
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