Nintendo has revealed its first set of new Joy-Con controllers for the Nintendo Switch 2 and I’ll be honest, I’m a bit disappointed.
To be clear, I’m not disappointed (or surprised) by the $100 price tag, as the original Switch Joy-Cons are still $90, the standard Switch 2 Joy-Cons are $100, and all gaming hardware is pretty expensive right now. No, it’s not the cost that bothers me, but rather how little these new Joy-Cons differentiate themselves from the pair that already exist.
Similar to the original Switch’s Joy-Cons, it appears that the various colorways for the Switch 2 versions will feature two different colors; in the case of these newly announced Joy-Cons, those colors are a bright, pastel purple and a vibrant aqua that the company refers to as “Light Green.” Despite not fully agreeing with Nintendo on what constitutes light green, I actually really like these new colors. It took a long time for me to care for any of the original Switch’s Joy-Con colorways enough to purchase them, as the vast majority are extremely saturated and don’t feature color combinations that I feel pair well together. I was so starved for options, in fact, that I purchased the Animal Crossing: New Horizons Switch largely because I thought it featured the best Joy-Con colors available. In that sense, these new Joy-Cons definitely feel like an improvement.
However, the problem with these new Joy-Cons is that, for the most part, you won’t actually see these colors. When using your Switch 2 in handheld mode or with the Joy-Con grip, the strips of color on the inner portion of the controllers are entirely hidden. So while these colors might be pretty, it’s a bit disappointing that they are essentially relegated to two small rings around the thumbsticks.
So sure, if you are just looking to pick up a second pair of Joy-Cons simply to have a second pair of Joy-Cons you might as well grab these; there’s at least a small difference between them and the standard red and blue controllers that come with the console. That said, it’s just a bummer that they lack the same level of whimsy, creativity, and variation as the original Switch’s Joy-Cons.
The good news is you can (kinda) remedy this issue so long as you’re willing to spend an extra $20. Shortly after the Joy-Cons were revealed, gaming accessories company Dbrand announced it had already created a Joy-Con skin that perfectly matches the new colorway. It’s not an official fix, sure, but to quote the brand, it “does what Nintendon’t.”