Nintnedo has revealed the first variant Joy-Con controllers for the Switch 2 and they’re not as colorful as some might have hoped. Still mostly all graphite black, the new Joy-Con sport subtle lines of lily purple and mint green and arrive next month for $100.
The new options ship on February 12, the same day as Mario Tennis Fever, though they don’t seem to have any obvious thematic overlap with the Switch 2 sports game or its colors. Like the existing orange and blue Joy-Con, the colors are limited to the inset around the thumbsticks and the sides where they connect magnetically to the console. For anyone playing in handheld mode, most of what’s “new” about these variants won’t even be visible most of the time.
As you enjoy #MarioTennisFever, you’ll also have the opportunity to give your #NintendoSwitch2 a new look!
The first new colored Joy-Con 2 controllers—Light Purple and Light Green—also arrive Feb 12.
Pre-purchase now: https://t.co/xoK6jsePMp pic.twitter.com/JoE8r4oOQl
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) January 8, 2026
Is it a big surprise that Nintendo is, at least for now, sticking with the more sophisticated, less whimsical sensibility of the existing Switch 2 Joy-Con? Not entirely. But it’s definitely a bit deflating for anyone who’s been waiting for something cool to come along before upgrading to a second pair of controllers. You’d get as much difference out of sticking different colored nubs on the thumbsticks (which you should do anyway because the base ones are no good).
The first year of the Switch 1 saw multiple new, full-color variants ship alongside games like Arms and Splatoon 2. They were bright, exciting, and fun. One of my favorite things from that console era is having a drawer now full of different colored Joy-Con that looks like someone dumped out a box of oversized crayons. Maybe we’ll get to those eventually. For now, fans will have to settle for “Joy-Con™ 2 (L)/(R) Light Purple / Light Green.”