mardi 28 février 2017

The Complete Nintendo Switch Accessories Buyer's Guide


You've got your system secured. You've picked your games. Now, it's time to accessorize!

So you've got your plan set for the system itself. You've made your decisions about which games you're going to get, and probably got them pre-ordered (and maybe even paid off already). Only one last order of business as the Nintendo Switch launch approaches this Friday - sorting through all the optional accessories!

It's a daunting task, but we're here to help with this Complete Nintendo Switch Accessories Buyer's Guide.

Since the Nintendo Switch hasn't been released yet, we'd recommend sticking with either Official Nintendo or Officially Licensed 3rd party products. The Nintendo Seal of Approval means that the item has been evaluated and certified by Nintendo to be fully compatible with the console. This is especially important when the actual system is not yet available in the wild, and unlicensed parties may have to go solely by official specs to create their accessories. The exception to this rule are memory cards, since Micro SDXC is a universal format and there are no "Officially Licensed" memory cards available here in the States anyways.

Extra Storage

Right out of the box, the Nintendo Switch has 32GB of built-in memory. That'll cover almost everyone for Day 1's downloads, but if you're planning on becoming a frequent eShopper and see yourself buying lots of digital-only releases like Shovel Knight, FAST RMX and Sonic Mania in the near future, you'll want to look into upgrading your Switch's storage by investing in a Micro SDXC Card. The Switch only has one memory card slot, so your best bet would be to get enough space to last the Switch's lifetime.

Note that we haven't listed prices because they fluctuate so often. We know that Nintendo's official Micro SD Card (not sold in the US) is rated at UHS-1 Class 1, so any of the cards below should work fine. The cards marked as "Fastest" are UHS-1 Class 3 instead of Class 1, which means they have a minimum transfer speed of 30MB/s vs 10MB/s. At this point, we don't know whether or not the Switch can take advantage of the extra speed.

Nintendo Official Controllers

Next up, think about investing in a few extra Joy-Con controllers. By default, you'll have two with your Switch: one Joy-Con (L) and one Joy-Con (R), which will serve you for all single-player games and a few two-player games, as you slide both off the system and hand one to a friend (just like Karen). If you've got more than one friend, though, and want to play four-player games like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe or eight-player games like Super Bomberman R, you'll need more Joy to share. Lots of different color combos to choose from!

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The Nintendo Switch Pro Controller isn't absolutely essential, but no doubt many gamers will swear by it thanks to its more traditional form factor and the fact that, unlike the Joy-Cons, it's got Nintendo's classic cross-shaped D-Pad on it – that's a crucial component in many gamers' minds, especially when it comes to old-school games like Street Fighter II.

Nintendo Official and Licensed Controller Accessories

If you're buying extra Joy-Cons, you might as well by extra Straps to go along with them – they're the cheapest accessories in the whole Switch lineup, and they might very well save you from reliving the "accidentally throwing the controller through the TV" fails of the Wii era when you're playing motion-controlled games like 1-2-Switch and ARMS. The Switch comes with two black Straps in the box, but there are other colors available.

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This one's a little confusing, so I'll explain. The Switch comes bundled with the Joy-Con Grip which you slide the Joy-Con controllers into in order to make them approximate a "normal" controller shape for when you're playing your Switch on your TV. That packed-in Grip is just a piece of plastic, though. This optional "Charging Grip" is the same size and shape, but adds the extra benefit of charging your Joy-Cons.

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Similar to the included Grip, the Comfort Grip combines the two Joy-Cons into a single controller. The double-injected rubber offers a better handhold than the included Grip's very slippery plastic.

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This very practical accessory will charge up to four Joy-Cons simultaneously. The controllers simply slide into place, and it is entirely powered via USB.

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The protective armor serves the dual purpose of offering scratch and drop protection for the Joy-Cons and proving an easier handhold.

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Similar in design to the Armor Guards, the Gel Guards are made of silicone and are lighter and thinner than the Armor Guards. This means they offer less overall protection, but still provide adequate scratch resistance and a nice soft feel and sticky grip to the Joy-Cons.

Nintendo Official and Licensed Cases

This is the only case/screen protector option if you want to get something directly from Nintendo instead of a 3rd party.

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Nintendo Official and Licensed Charging Adapters

You'd think a common wall plug would be something you'd only need one of, but with the moveable nature of the Switch that won't be the case for everyone! Presumably you'll integrate the one included AC adapter into your home theater setup. If you want to, say, play the Switch in Handheld Mode for long stretches of time in your bed, or if you want to take it with you on long trips and want to plug it in at the airport, you might want to invest in a second one. Car chargers are also available if it's more convenient for you to charge on the go, literally.

Other Official and Licensed 3rd Party Accessories

The Switch has a built-in kickstand that's meant to be used to set the screen up on a flat surface for "Tabletop Mode" gaming, but the kickstand's a little thin and awkward. If you want something more robust, consider HORI's well-crafted PlayStand, which will securely hold your Switch in place. You can adjust the angle of the screen, too, which you can't do with the kickstand. This is also the only way you can charge the Switch while in "Tabletop Mode". The charging port is located on the bottom edge of the Switch, so using the built-in kickstand would obstruct any access to it.

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This is a simple USB 3.0 to 10/100/100 gigabit ethernet adapter that allows you to connect your Nintendo Switch to the internet. The Switch operates on WiFi, but we all know that a wired connection is much more reliable during online gaming. Since it plugs into the Switch dock, you'll generally only be using it at home. Based on the internals and specifications, it's very likely that standard USB 3.0 to gigabit LAN adapters will work fine, although we can't be 100% sure until we test it out firsthand.

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Since I personally use the Afterglow LVL 3 Gaming Headset for my Xbox One and love it, I am going with the same headset for the Switch. Most unlicensed 3.5mm wired gaming headsets should work, although again we can't be 100% sure until we test it out firsthand. Despite the fact that the Switch has Bluetooth, the official report is that wireless Bluetooth headsets will NOT be compatible.

Where are the Power Banks?

The Nintendo Switch charges off a USB Type-C port. Since USB Type-C is a universal standard and there are plenty of power banks that connect to USB Type-C, we thought that maybe you could use these power banks as a portable power source for your Switch. Unfortunately, we tested this theory out on our Nintendo Switch unit and the results were a little disappointing. Although the Switch does indeed charge, it does so at a very slow rate. So slow, in fact, that if you were to run the console while charging off a power bank, the battery will still eventually die. Once we figure out where the issue lies, we'll feel more comfortable recommending a 3rd party power bank. If you still want to buy a power bank for the Switch, pick one that delivers at least 2.1A per port and has a high battery capacity.

Lucas M. Thomas assembles Out This Week every week, and when he's not doing that, he's assembling magazine pages as the Editor-in-Chief of Nintendo Force Magazine. New subscriptions available now through Patreon! You can follow him on Twitter, @NintendoForce.

Eric Song is IGN's Commerce Manager and finds new deals for you 7 days a week in his Daily Deals article. You can follow him on the official IGN Deals Facebook and Twitter pages or his personal Twitter, @esong82.

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