Nintendo Switch Buyer's Guide: Accessories You Should Get

There's no lack of accessories launching alongside the Nintendo Switch today, but it can be difficult to distinguish what's essential from what's merely supplemental. Given the Switch's portability and interesting control scheme in the Joy Cons, you'll certainly want to consider some of the accessories you'll undoubtedly be offered when you purchase a Switch. With that in mind, here are a few Switch accessories that are, in my opinion, essential.

Don't misunderstand – the Joy Con controllers are great and they feel right at home flanking the Switch itself. However, when you're playing games on your TV, things become a little strange. Attaching them to the grip that's included with your console makes for a very square controller, and while I'm sure some people will do just fine with the Joy Con grip, it's going to be less than ideal for a lot of players.

The Pro Controller, on the other hand, feels great and will probably be much more comfortable for extended gaming sessions. At $70, though, it's absurdly expensive. If you can get by using the Joy Con grip on a regular basis, skip the pro controller, but if you can swing the extra cost, this is definitely worth a buy.

If you're going to take advantage of the Switch's portability, you're going to need a way to protect it when you're out and about. Luckily, there are a number of carrying cases available and there doesn't seem to be a "best" one. For many, the main deciding factor will really come down to price.

HORI's official Nintendo Switch case might be a little expensive compared to other cases, but here at least you know that Nintendo has signed off on it. If you want a case that's a little more visually pleasing, there's always this Breath of the Wild carrying case from Nintendo, though that's unfortunately sold out on Amazon at the time of this writing.

There's the rub, ultimately – the carrying case you buy may depend on which ones are in stock. The good thing is that they all accomplish the same thing, so if keeping your Switch protected is a priority, it doesn't really matter which one you go with.

The need for a screen protector shouldn't be understated, especially for those who plan to use the touchscreen frequently or take their Switch on the go. A plastic screen protector will do enough to protect your screen from scratches, and there are plenty of those to choose from at the moment. Considering HORI's officially licensed screen protector comes in at $9.99, you probably don't want to buy one much more expensive than that.

On the other hand, if you want to do a little more to protect your display from damage, you might want to go for a tempered glass screen protector like this one from amFilm. Tempered glass can – in some cases – protect your display from shatter damage, and I tend to prefer them because I think they feel better than plastic ones.

Again, screen protectors are a lot like carrying cases – there isn't one that's clearly the best, and what's important is that you get something to protect your Switch.

The Switch already comes with an AC adapter of its own, but the dock needs it to function. Therefore, if you don't want to unplug the AC adapter from the dock every time you use your Switch as a portable console, you're going to need an extra one.

Nintendo's official AC adapter is a little expensive as far as chargers go, coming in at $29.99. That's to be expected (Nintendo accessories have never really been inexpensive), but the good news is that the Switch will work with nearly any USB-C charger you can get your hands on. Obviously, you might not want to charge your Switch with a $5 gas station charger, but if your phone uses USB-C, the charger you use for it should work just fine for the Switch.

At this early stage, this list isn't entirely comprehensive. For now, you can consider this a list of day-one considerations, and I'll likely add more to the list as I try out more accessories myself. With that in mind, be sure to head down to the comments section and let us know what kind of accessories you consider essential for the Switch!

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