Nintendo has announced a brand-new official charging solution for the Switch’s Joy-Con controllers, only seven-plus years after the console first launched.
This new 2-way charging station isn’t too dissimilar from other products out there by third party vendors, aside from being an official Nintendo product, and allows for those of us with multiple Joy-Con sets around the place to conveniently charge a second pair without a second console/dock. It looks and functions pretty much exactly like the Charging Grip that Nintendo already sells, albeit without the grip functionality and in a form factor more suited to standing on a shelf or cabinet.
Conveniently, it can also be used to charge the official NES wireless controllers, which is great for anyone using them to play classics via Nintendo Switch Online or who just picked up Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition (you can read my review of that right here).
We first spotted the existence of this device thanks to reporting from Vooks, but now it’s been officially confirmed for a global release on October 17th. It’ll cost $39 in Australia and is available to pre-order now at JB Hi-Fi (more retailers to follow).
Charge your #NintendoSwitch Joy-Con controllers and Nintendo Entertainment System controllers with the Joy-Con Charging Stand (Two-Way) accessory, available 17th October. pic.twitter.com/HQpX0uH8P2
— Nintendo AU NZ (@NintendoAUNZ) July 18, 2024
It’s a move that some speculators out there suggest could be an indication that Nintendo is getting ahead and offering a charging solution so that folks can use their existing Joy-Con controllers with the “Switch 2,” which is believed to be ditching the Joy-Con rails of the current console.
And for my money, a lot of what Nintendo’s done this year, even as far as their game output and the performance decisions there, does make it feel as though there was once a timeline where both the Switch and its successor co-existed in 2024. But also, this is Nintendo, and I don’t think that I’ve once confidently anticipated or understood any of its decisions.
At any rate, the Switch is not barrelling ahead as Nintendo’s longest-serving gaming console of all time, so it’s great to see it still getting support from all angles.
