5 Must Have Switch 2 Accessories (and 5 to Avoid)

The Switch 2 is already off to a strong start, having sold a reported 1.35 million units in the US alone. Naturally, the widespread adoption of the Switch 2 has led to many of the most popular Switch 2 accessories being just as hard to find as the console itself, which has resulted in plenty of third-party peripheral makers stepping up to offer their own accessory options.

Buying a new console is never just the "one and done" purchase it used to be back in the 3rd and 4th console generations, especially when it comes to handhelds. The hybrid nature of the Switch 2 has resulted in it already having just as many accessories at launch as the original Switch had during its entire production run, but not all of them are created equal. There are some accessories you'll definitely want to pick up along with the console, but there are just as many that you're better off avoiding.

• Manufacturer — Nintendo
• Price — $69.99

There are plenty of premium controller options for the Switch 2 (especially when you factor in its Bluetooth functionality), but Nintendo's first-party offering is still the best of the bunch — if you can find it. Ahead of the actual launch of the Switch 2 on June 5, the Switch 2 Pro Controller became available both online and in-store, resulting in it selling out fairly quickly. The controller itself is a very high-quality peripheral that even outshines the already excellent original Switch's Pro Controller, and it's worth trying to track one down for MSRP as the dedicated unit for playing games when the Switch 2 is in docked mode.

• Manufacturer — Nintendo
• Price — $54.99

Less essential than the Switch 2 Pro Controller is the Switch 2 Camera, which makes use of the console's new "Game Chat" feature. The grainy, pixelated visual that the camera is able to capture doesn't really justify the $55 asking price, and most players aren't going to be using that feature to begin with — despite the Switch 2 coming with a dock and being capable of play on a bigger display, data shows that most users spend a chunk of their time in handheld mode. The first-party Nintendo version of the Camera surprisingly pales in comparison to the third-party officially licensed ones from Hori, so you'd be better off picking one of those up for just $5 more.

• Manufacturer — Various
• Price — $54+

Despite the Switch 2 having some greatly expanded internal storage over the original Switch, getting a MicroSD Express card is still going to be essential. The power of the Switch 2 allows it to run many AAA titles that skipped the original Switch, and the file sizes of these games are much bigger than some may realize. Before you know it, you'll likely but up against the limits of the Switch 2's internal storage, and having a MicroSD Express handy delays that. These cards are a good bit more expensive than a standard MicroSD, so plan accordingly when deciding on a manufacturer and storage configuration. For what it's worth, the officially licensed SanDisk 256GB card is reasonably priced at $72 and doubles your storage capability.

• Manufacturer — Various
• Price — $15-$30

For whatever reason, Nintendo continues to push the "tabletop play" mode of the Switch 2 even after realizing that most Switch players rarely ever use the feature. It follows, then, that most players are going to use either the console's included Switch 2 JoyCon grip or a Pro Controller when playing docked, and use the console with the JoyCons attached in handheld mode. Even when it comes to multiplayer, it seems like it's much more common to pick up a second pair of JoyCons rather than detaching them and flipping them for co-op or competitive play. Switch 2 JoyCon grips aren't necessarily a bad product, but there are way better accessories to spend your money on that you'll get more practical use from. Plus, the placement of the analog stick on the right JoyCon is abysmal when used this way.

• Manufacturer — 8bitdo
• Price — $19.99

You know what might be even better than a Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller? Getting to use an Xbox Elite Controller or Sony PS5 DualSense with your Switch 2. Thanks to the Switch 2's Bluetooth functionality, the console can talk to the controllers of other hardware manufacturers; it just needs a little help to do so. 8bitdo (which itself has an incredible Pro Controller alternative) has a very wallet-friendly adapter that, for just $20, plugs into your Switch 2's dock and allows you to use any Bluetooth controller with the console. This adapter is an absolute must-have, if for nothing else than making sure you always have a backup controller.

• Manufacturer — Various
• Price — $16-$30

Maybe less of an outright "avoid" and more of a "non-essential", any of the available third-party JoyCon charging docks are mostly redundant. The Switch 2 will charge any attached JoyCons while it's seated in the dock, and the JoyCons themselves have surprisingly long battery life. Basically, unless you have multiple pairs of JoyCons that run out of battery at the same time, a Switch 2 JoyCon charging dock is a bit redundant. Another thing to consider is that the voltage gates on these things can occasionally not be calibrated correctly, killing the battery life of your much more expensive controllers.

• Manufacturer — Dbrand
• Price — $59.99

There are a ton of options when it comes to Switch 2 cases. For our money, though, if you're going to get a case, you should make sure to spend a little extra to only ever have to get one. Other cases might be slightly cheaper, but it's hard to find a single fault in Dbrand's cases, with the Switch 2 Killswitch case being arguably the best possible option for keeping the console safe and comfortable while in handheld mode. The Killswitch is easy to get on and off (which is more than can be said for some other cases), durable, and feels great to hold, making it the most premium option while still being consumer-friendly with its pricing.

• Manufacturer — Various
• Price — $20-$60

What's far less essential than a standard ergonomic grip case is a massive, bulky travel case, and there are a surprising number of them out there. The Switch 2 is a good bit more expensive than the Switch ever was (even the OLED model), and it's likely that it's not going to get the same kind of outside-the-house play that its predecessor did, especially not among younger players. As such, a bulky travel case that can hold the console, the dock, cables, a Pro Controller, and several games isn't all that necessary. Not to mention, if it gets misplaced or stolen, you're out a lot of money.

• Manufacturer — Various
• Price — $8-$20

Speaking of being out of money, it would be a real shame to crack the screen on your brand-new Switch 2. The best way to prevent that is to get yourself a tempered glass screen protector, and there are plenty of cost-effective options on Amazon. I've personally always gone with amFilm's tempered glass screen protectors, and they've never let me down — from the original Switch and a Steam Deck to the PlayStation Portal and now the Switch 2. Best of all, the tempered glass is easy to clean with a lens wipe for eyeglasses, making it easy to keep it looking clean, pristine, and free of fingerprint smudges.

• Manufacturer — Various
• Price — $30-$70

As the old saying goes, "you get what you pay for". While picking up an accessory bundle that contains everything you might ever need — case, grips, game card case, screen protectors — might seem like a good idea, the truth is that the quality of each individual component in these accessory bundles pales in comparison to the versions that you would purchase separately. Good stuff ain't cheap, but cheap stuff ain't good. Save the money that you would spend buying a bundle (which may include accessories you'd never use) and put it instead toward one of the must-have accessories for your Switch 2, like a high-quality case or MicroSD Express.