In June, Nintendo announced its own charging station for the Switch’s Joy-Con controllers. After opening pre-orders exclusively on the Japanese My Nintendo Store, the first-party accessory is now available at the US Nintendo Store and select retailers, like Best Buy and GameStop. The charging station arrives just in time for the holidays, making it a perfect gift for Nintendo fans or anyone seeking a convenient way to charge their Joy-Con controllers.
It still seems a bit strange that Nintendo would wait seven years after the launch of the Switch to release such an essential accessory, especially considering there is no shortage of Joy-Con controller charging stations on the market. This could be a strategic move by Nintendo ahead of the rumored Switch 2 launch, or they are just late to the party. Nevertheless, the Joy-Con Charging Stand is a welcome accessory and one that I would like to add to my Switch collection.
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Before the charging station, the only ways to charge your Joy-Con controllers were to connect them to the Switch, use the now-discontinued Joy-Con Grip, or third-party charging stations. Now, as Nintendo (via Nintendo Life) states, “You can easily charge the Joy-Con at any time without having to attach it to the Nintendo Switch console.” This is especially useful for those with multiple Joy-Con controllers, as they’ll always have a controller ready for the next gaming session.
The Joy-Con Charging Stand has a compact and refined design that blends well with the Switch and controllers. It looks much more like the Joy-Con Grip, but Nintendo has included a stand instead of grips. Users can detach the central charging unit to easily take it on the go or use the controllers while charging, essentially turning the Joy-Cons into a USB-C controller. With USB-C charging, you can use a Nintendo dock or any USB power adapter to charge your controllers.
Where to Buy the Official Joy-Con Charging Stand
The Nintendo Switch Joy-Con Charging Stand is now available at the My Nintendo Store (US) for $30. While not yet available on Amazon, users can get the charging station from other retailers, including Best Buy, GameStop, and Target. In the box, it comes with the charging stand, USB-C cable, and some manuals. However, no power adapter is included. If you’re looking for more Nintendo gift ideas for the holidays, you could pick up the Nintendo Switch: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Bundle for $300, or the OLED version for $350.
Nintendo Switch Joy-Con Charging Stand
The Nintendo Switch Joy-Con Charging Stand offers a great way to charge your Joy-Con controllers at the same time without connecting them to the Switch. A detachable design allows users to keep enjoying the game while charging the controllers.
While this is the first Joy-Con charging station directly from Nintendo, it isn’t the only one available on the market. The PowerA Joy-Con Charging Dock has been available for quite some time and allows users to charge not two, but four controllers at the same time. It doesn’t offer the detachable feature like the first-party version and the cable is fixed, but it can charge more controllers, and it comes a bit cheaper at only $20. There are other good alternatives too, including the HORI Nintendo Switch Joy-Con Charge Stand, which can also power four controllers for the same price as the official one.
Still, we expect the official Joy-Con Charging Stand to become one of the most popular Nintendo Switch accessories, especially if the rumors of the next Switch using magnetic controllers are true. This would mean users will be able to charge their current Joy-Cons and use them with the new Switch via Bluetooth. Users who also have the retro wireless NES gamepads will find this new first-party accessory extra handy.
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