I had to really think back to the Nintendo Switch launch 8 years ago to think about the grip in the box versus the one that you could buy separately, and with the Nintendo Switch 2, there’s even more of a difference between the one you get in the box versus the one that’s available separately.
The one in the box is still improved on the original in the sense that the ergonomics have been improved and the Joy-Con controllers magnetically snap into the shell, but the one that you can purchase separately is better again.
This time around the Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Con charging grip still comes with that incredible looking transparent shell, and it obviously still has the ability to charge your Joy-Con controllers whilst connected through the USB-C port (although no included battery like this PowerA one), but to my surprise when I got hands-on, the new charging grip also has customiseable back buttons just like the new Pro controller.
The GL and GR back buttons will apparently be able to be customised on a per game basis, and whilst these are smaller than the ones included on the Pro controller, it does seem like this will be a much cheaper way to get them ($49 versus $120), so if you’re wanting back buttons to see how Nintendo integrates this experience, it will likely be worth upgrading to the charing grip.
@shannongrixti The Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Con charging grip has customisable back buttons this time around #NintendoSwitch2 #NintendoSwitch #Switch2 #NintendoSwitch2JoyConChargingGrip #Nintendo #Gaming #Tech
I do wish that this was included in the box, and I also wish that it had a battery to actually charge the Joy-Cons up without being connected, but it’s still very good to see Nintendo actually improving these designs, as adding back buttons isn’t something I thought we’d ever see from them.
The Nintendo Switch launches on June 5th and the Charging Grip alongside a host of other accessories will also launch on the same day.
