Technologies
These Nintendo Switch Accessories Make Gaming Better at Home or Outside
From controllers to charging to protection, here are our recommendations to make your Nintendo Switch more fun.
The Nintendo Switch is already beloved for its excellent plug-and-play gaming experience. However, gaming with the Nintendo Switch gets even better once you’ve picked up some of the right accessories. This list takes you through some of the best Nintendo Switch accessories you can buy right now, from microSD cards and controllers to grips and docks.
Keep in mind that these products are all designed for the original Nintendo Switch console, which you can play on your TV or in handheld mode. While many of these might work with the Switch OLED and smaller Switch Lite, such as the controllers, several items on the list won’t because of the size differences in design and screen or lack of video output. (There may be other versions to buy that are compatible with the Switch Lite.)
Also see: Nintendo Switch OLED Restock: Where to Find a Console
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Nintendo’s Switch Pro Controller feels better to play with than any other third-party full-size Switch controller we’ve tried. The Switch Pro Controller is also between $60 and $70 to buy. The PowerA wireless controller comes closest to the feel and design of Nintendo’s Pro controller, and you can normally get it for $40 to $50, depending on the design, from Amazon, Best Buy and other sources. The PowerA wireless controller doesn’t have HD Rumble, IR or Amiibo NFC support like the Switch Pro controller does, but it does have motion controls. It’s also available in game-themed versions including Animal Crossing, Mario and Pokemon.
Its one added feature is two extra buttons on the bottom of the controller that can be mapped on the fly. Also, while the original version of the Enhanced Wireless Controller ran on AA-size batteries, the newest models have a built-in rechargeable battery for up to 30 hours of gameplay.
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Attach the tiny USB-C dongle to the Switch and you’re good to play with this lightweight, comfortable gaming headset. It uses the company’s lossless 2.4GHz wireless for ultralow-latency wireless connectivity. I never experienced any dropouts or lag while using them, but SteelSeries includes a cable if you want to use it if you don’t want to risk it. The noise-canceling mic is detachable and the earcups turn and lie flat for easier travel. These will work with the Switch Lite, as well.
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This splashproof hardshell case is just about all you need to protect your Switch if you want to play on the go. Slim, light and form-fitting, it barely adds any bulk. It might not look like a lot of protection but my kids and I have dropped them several times and the Switch survived unscathed. Aside from the added protection, there’s an organizer attached inside with storage for up to 10 game cards. And it’s available in a bunch of fun color combinations. Tomtoc also makes a version that works with the Mumba case and the Hori Split Pad Pro controller so you stay protected when traveling and playing. But you guessed it: This won’t fit the Switch Lite.
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It’s pricey at just under $100, but Hyper’s all-in-one hub for the Switch is worth it for its simplicity and design. Connect up your Switch, external display (the HDMI out supports up to 4K resolution at 60Hz) and a controller, plug in the HyperDrive for power and you’re done. One of its USB-C ports can be used for powering and charging the Switch and there’s an extra USB-C port for charging a wireless controller or your phone or tablet. It’s small, too, and the power cable detaches, so traveling with it is no problem at all.
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You can recharge your Switch with just about any power bank, but you’ll want something like this giant Anker battery to keep playing while you charge. The PowerCore Plus can deliver 45 watts of charging power through its USB-C port. It can also charge up other devices like your phone through its USB-A ports. The package also includes a 60-watt USB-C wall charger that can refill this massive bank in less than three and a half hours.
Josh Goldman/CNET
Binbok’s Joypad is a combination of Nintendo’s Joy-Cons and its wireless Pro Controller. There are left and right Joy-Con-like controllers that can slot onto the sides of the Switch, similar to Hori’s Switch Split Pad Pro. This gives you the comfort and larger controls of the Pro controller while you use the Switch handheld.
However, unlike Hori’s controller, the Binbok Joypad can be used off the Switch because each has a built-in battery and Bluetooth. Their design makes them awkward to hold as Joy-Cons but it can be done, and each has adjustable rumble and motion controls. They both have a mappable button on the inside of their grips as well as turbo buttons. The Home button can wake the Switch when you’re ready to game and you can even change the color of the LED light rings around the thumb sticks.
The included holder joins the two controllers together to form a single Pro-like controller like Nintendo’s Joy-Con Comfort Grip. Unfortunately, this won’t allow you to charge both controllers at the same time; each of the controllers needs to be charged separately through their USB-C ports or while attached to the Switch when it’s charging (you can leave the controllers attached when docked). The holder is unusually wide, too, and with the controllers attached it’s actually larger than a Pro controller. There’s some flex where the controllers slot onto the holder giving it a tenuous feel. That flex, combined with its lightweight, makes the whole thing feel flimsy. Still, it’s not like Nintendo’s Joy-Cons are known for their reliability and overall this is an excellent option if you want to pay less and do more.
Josh Goldman/CNET
Want to use your Bluetooth headphones with your Switch, but worried about lag? Creative’s adapter gets around that with aptX Low Latency codec support. Just pop the adapter into the USB-C port on the Switch, press its button and connect to your headset. I tested with the Tribit QuietPlus ANC headphones, which is on our best noise-canceling headphones under $100 list and supports aptX LL. Insert the included analog microphone into the Switch’s headset jack and you’re ready for voice chat during multiplayer games that support it like Overwatch and Fortnite. (A quick firmware update is needed for it to work, though.)
If you also have a PS4 or PS5, the mic can be plugged into your controller for voice chat with that console. Plus, Creative includes a USB-C-to-USB-A adapter so you can connect your Bluetooth headphones to the PS4.
The adapter also supports regular aptX and aptX HD codecs as well as SBC (subband codec). You just press the adapter’s button to choose. And while you might buy this for your Switch (or PS4) you can just move the adapter to your phone or computer and instantly use your headphones with those without having to connect all over again. For $35, the little kit is a pretty good deal.
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Adding this Nintendo Switch case not only takes some of the creak out of playing a video game handheld, but gives you some much-needed extra controller grip for your game. It’ll also give you a little side, top, bottom and rear drop protection. This will not fit the Switch Lite, which is a little smaller than the regular Switch.
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If you want to dock your Switch as well as expand your laptop’s port options when you’re not gaming, the Dock Pro 60 is all you need. The slim, small, lightweight Nintendo Switch dock has two USB-C ports, one of which supports power input. Connect your Switch to the other USB-C port and use the dock’s HDMI port to connect to a TV or external (resolutions up to 4K UHD will work) and you’re ready to start gaming with friends and family on a bigger screen. There are also two USB-A ports if you want to use a wired controller or charge wireless ones.
Note, though, that this does require a USB-C 15V/2.6A power supply such as the YCCTeam adapter below or the one that comes with your Switch.
Bonus for Samsung Galaxy device users: The Dock Pro 60 supports Samsung DeX so you can use your phone or tablet with an external display and a desktop-style experience.
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Not all USB-C chargers will support charging the Switch as well as powering it while docked. This one does, and at a fraction of the cost of Nintendo’s. Plus, it has a 5-foot charging cable so you have some room to plug in the Switch and continue to play handheld while you charge.
Josh Goldman/CNET
The Little Wireless Controller — yes, that is its actual name — is slightly bigger than a Joy-Con but so much more comfortable to use. The buttons are firm and responsive and there’s no mushiness to the D-pad, either. The thumbsticks are taller than the Joy-Con’s, which gives you greater accuracy. The rear buttons, despite being directly on top of each other, are shaped perfectly to make sure you hit the correct one. There is no rumble or NFC support but it does have motion control. The rechargeable battery is rated for up to 40 hours of wireless use and is charged via a USB-C port in the back. It’s a super little travel companion.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Carelessly sliding the Switch in and out of its dock all the time can eventually result in some scratches to the display screen, and nobody wants a scratched screen. If you spend money on one piece of protection for your Switch to enhance your gaming experience, make it an inexpensive Nintendo Switch screen protector. The AmFilm tempered glass screen protector is easy to apply and doesn’t interfere with touchscreen performance. The bottom line is, if you have a Switch, you need a tempered glass screen protector, and this is a great tempered glass screen protector. Note that this screen protector won’t fit on a Switch Lite, which has a smaller screen.
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The Switch’s kickstand is fine in a pinch, but this is much better for tabletop play with your device. It adjusts to three positions, folds flat for travel and has a passthrough in front so you can charge while you use it with all of your video games. There is a cheaper AmazonBasics one, but the Hori is sturdier and more stable for not much more money.
Sarah Tew/CNET
This little adapter pops into the USB-C port so you can use your Bluetooth headphones while you play your Switch, including Apple AirPods. A built-in mic on the bottom of the adapter adds lag-free in-game chat, and you can connect up to two headsets simultaneously for a better gaming experience when you’re playing Smash or any other game on your Switch online in multiplayer games. An equally small USB-C to USB-A adapter can be used to plug into the Switch dock so you can use your headphones when docked, too. The Creative adapter’s design mentioned earlier in this list is better for multipurpose use, but if you’re just looking for use with the Switch, this is a great pick.
Sarah Tew/CNET
The CitySlicker is a discreet way to travel with your Switch and accessories. The case looks more like a high-end travel bag than gaming gear, but it is made specifically for the Switch with five game card storage slots in front, a microfiber-faced interior pocket that swipes your screen clean when you insert and remove your Switch, and a zippered pocket on back to hold a power bank, cleaning cloth or earbuds. The two inside pockets are big enough to hold an extra set of joy-cons and cables. The case is available in three sizes for the Switch Lite, Switch and Switch Max, which is large enough to hold the Switch while it’s in the Skull & Co. GripCase or any similarly sized protective case. It’ll even fit the Defway dock listed above.
Our friends at GameSpot also have a roundup of the best Nintendo Switch controllers.
Technologies
TMR vs. Hall Effect Controllers: Battle of the Magnetic Sensing Tech
The magic of magnets tucked into your joysticks can put an end to drift. But which technology is superior?
Competitive gamers look for every advantage they can get, and that drive has spawned some of the zaniest gaming peripherals under the sun. There are plenty of hardware components that actually offer meaningful edges when implemented properly. Hall effect and TMR (tunnel magnetoresistance or tunneling magnetoresistance) sensors are two such technologies. Hall effect sensors have found their way into a wide variety of devices, including keyboards and gaming controllers, including some of our favorites like the GameSir Super Nova.
More recently, TMR sensors have started to appear in these devices as well. Is it a better technology for gaming? With multiple options vying for your lunch money, it’s worth understanding the differences to decide which is more worthy of living inside your next game controller or keyboard.
How Hall effect joysticks work
We’ve previously broken down the difference between Hall effect tech and traditional potentiometers in controller joysticks, but here’s a quick rundown on how Hall effect sensors work. A Hall effect joystick moves a magnet over a sensor circuit, and the magnetic field affects the circuit’s voltage. The sensor in the circuit measures these voltage shifts and maps them to controller inputs. Element14 has a lovely visual explanation of this effect here.
The advantage this tech has over potentiometer-based joysticks used in controllers for decades is that the magnet and sensor don’t need to make physical contact. There’s no rubbing action to slowly wear away and degrade the sensor. So, in theory, Hall effect joysticks should remain accurate for the long haul.
How TMR joysticks work
While TMR works differently, it’s a similar concept to Hall effect devices. When you move a TMR joystick, it moves a magnet in the vicinity of the sensor. So far, it’s the same, right? Except with TMR, this shifting magnetic field changes the resistance in the sensor instead of the voltage.
There’s a useful demonstration of a sensor in action here. Just like Hall effect joysticks, TMR joysticks don’t rely on physical contact to register inputs and therefore won’t suffer the wear and drift that affects potentiometer-based joysticks.
Which is better, Hall effect or TMR?
There’s no hard and fast answer to which technology is better. After all, the actual implementation of the technology and the hardware it’s built into can be just as important, if not more so. Both technologies can provide accurate sensing, and neither requires physical contact with the sensing chip, so both can be used for precise controls that won’t encounter stick drift. That said, there are some potential advantages to TMR.
According to Coto Technology, who, in fairness, make TMR sensors, they can be more sensitive, allowing for either greater precision or the use of smaller magnets. Since the Hall effect is subtler, it relies on amplification and ultimately requires extra power. While power requirements vary from sensor to sensor, GameSir claims its TMR joysticks use about one-tenth the power of mainstream Hall effect joysticks. Cherry is another brand highlighting the lower power consumption of TMR sensors, albeit in the brand’s keyboard switches.
The greater precision is an opportunity for TMR joysticks to come out ahead, but that will depend more on the controller itself than the technology. Strange response curves, a big dead zone (which shouldn’t be needed), or low polling rates could prevent a perfectly good TMR sensor from beating a comparable Hall effect sensor in a better optimized controller.
The power savings will likely be the advantage most of us really feel. While it won’t matter for wired controllers, power savings can go a long way for wireless ones. Take the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro, for instance, a Hall effect controller offering 20 hours of battery life from a 4.5-watt-hour battery with support for a 1,000Hz polling rate on a wireless connection. Razer also offers the Wolverine V3 Pro 8K PC, a near-identical controller with the same battery offering TMR sensors. They claim the TMR version can go for 36 hours on a charge, though that’s presumably before cranking it up to an 8,000Hz polling rate — something Razer possibly left off the Hall effect model because of power usage.
The disadvantage of the TMR sensor would be its cost, but it appears that it’s negligible when factored into the entire price of a controller. Both versions of the aforementioned Razer controller are $199. Both 8BitDo and GameSir have managed to stick them into reasonably priced controllers like the 8BitDo Ultimate 2, GameSir G7 Pro and GameSir Cyclone 2.
So which wins?
It seems TMR joysticks have all the advantages of Hall effect joysticks and then some, bringing better power efficiency that can help in wireless applications. The one big downside might be price, but from what we’ve seen right now, that doesn’t seem to be much of an issue. You can even find both technologies in controllers that cost less than some potentiometer models, like the Xbox Elite Series 2 controller.
Caveats to consider
For all the hype, neither Hall effect nor TMR joysticks are perfect. One of their key selling points is that they won’t experience stick drift, but there are still elements of the joystick that can wear down. The ring around the joystick can lose its smoothness. The stick material can wear down (ever tried to use a controller with the rubber worn off its joystick? It’s not pleasant). The linkages that hold the joystick upright and the springs that keep it stiff can loosen, degrade and fill with dust. All of these can impact the continued use of the joystick, even if the Hall effect or TMR sensor itself is in perfect operating order.
So you might not get stick drift from a bad sensor, but you could get stick drift from a stick that simply doesn’t return to its original resting position. That’s when having a controller that’s serviceable or has swappable parts, like the PDP Victrix Pro BFG, could matter just as much as having one with Hall effect or TMR joysticks.
Technologies
Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Feb. 18, #513
Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Feb. 18, No. 513.
Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.
Today’s Connections: Sports Edition has a fun yellow category that might just start you singing. If you’re struggling with today’s puzzle but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.
Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t appear in the NYT Games app, but it does in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.
Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta
Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups
Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.
Yellow group hint: I don’t care if I never get back.
Green group hint: Get that gold medal.
Blue group hint: Hoops superstar.
Purple group hint: Not front, but…
Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups
Yellow group: Heard in «Take Me Out to the Ball Game.»
Green group: Olympic snowboarding events.
Blue group: Vince Carter, informally.
Purple group: ____ back.
Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words
What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?
The yellow words in today’s Connections
The theme is heard in «Take Me Out to the Ball Game.» The four answers are Cracker Jack, home team, old ball game and peanuts.
The green words in today’s Connections
The theme is Olympic snowboarding events. The four answers are big air, giant slalom, halfpipe and slopestyle.
The blue words in today’s Connections
The theme is Vince Carter, informally. The four answers are Air Canada, Half-Man, Half-Amazing, VC and Vinsanity.
The purple words in today’s Connections
The theme is ____ back. The four answers are diamond, drop, quarter and razor.
Technologies
Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Wednesday, Feb. 18
Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Feb. 18.
Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.
Today’s Mini Crossword is a fun one, and it’s not terribly tough. It helps if you know a certain Olympian. Read on for all the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.
If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.
Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword
Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.
Mini across clues and answers
1A clue: ___ Glenn, Olympic figure skater who’s a three-time U.S. national champion
Answer: AMBER
6A clue: Popcorn size that might come in a bucket
Answer: LARGE
7A clue: Lies and the Lying ___ Who Tell Them» (Al Franken book)
Answer: LIARS
8A clue: Close-up map
Answer: INSET
9A clue: Prepares a home for a new baby
Answer: NESTS
Mini down clues and answers
1D clue: Bold poker declaration
Answer: ALLIN
2D clue: Only U.S. state with a one-syllable name
Answer: MAINE
3D clue: Orchestra section with trumpets and horns
Answer: BRASS
4D clue: «Great» or «Snowy» wading bird
Answer: EGRET
5D clue: Some sheet music squiggles
Answer: RESTS
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