The best Nintendo Switch controllers for 2024

The right controller can make your Nintendo Switch gaming experience feel like new again. If you’ve been relying on the included Joy-Cons ever since you bought a Switch, there’s a good chance you’re missing out on extra comfort and improved ergonomics. Don’t get us wrong: Joy-Cons are perfectly serviceable, but there are more customizable options out there and controllers that will suit certain games better. Whether you want a better grip when you’re battling armies of Bokoblins in Tears of the Kingdom, or you want affordable and comfortable spares for impromptu Mario Kart competitions with friends, you have plenty of options. We’ve tested a bunch of controllers over the years and these are the best Switch controllers you can get right now.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-nintendo-switch-controllers-160034389.html?src=rss

The best Nintendo Switch controllers for 2024

The right controller can make your Nintendo Switch gaming experience feel like new again. If you’ve been relying on the included Joy-Cons ever since you bought a Switch, there’s a good chance you’re missing out on extra comfort and improved ergonomics. Don’t get us wrong: Joy-Cons are perfectly serviceable, but there are more customizable options out there and controllers that will suit certain games better. Whether you want a better grip when you’re battling armies of Bokoblins in Tears of the Kingdom, or you want affordable and comfortable spares for impromptu Mario Kart competitions with friends, you have plenty of options. We’ve tested a bunch of controllers over the years and these are the best Switch controllers you can get right now.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-nintendo-switch-controllers-160034389.html?src=rss

eXtremeRate RISE DIY Back Paddles for PS5: Quadsense Controller

Critics and gamers lucky enough to get their hands on the PS5 often cite the console’s DualSense controller as a true next-gen controller, thanks to its precise haptics and force feedback triggers. However, the previous generation also saw a small but significant addition to gamepads – paddles. They come in various shapes and numbers, but the idea is the same – you get programmable back-mounted inputs that let you keep your fingers on the joysticks and shoulder buttons. Now you can apply that innovation to the DualSense, thanks to eXtremeRate’s RISE Remap DIY kit.

The RISE kit gives you two programmable paddles. By default, you can map everything but the L3, R3, and touchpad to those paddles. However, if you’re willing to do a bit of soldering, you can map even those three inputs to the paddles. The kit comes with everything you need to perform the upgrade, including a new back shell to hold everything in place.

This truly is a DIY affair, though, requiring you to basically teardown your DualSense controller. Im.A.Caveman has a good guide to installation on YouTube.

I spotted about a billion ways in which the procedure would go wrong in my hands. But I know you can do it! You can get the RISE Remap kit from GamingCobra for $40 (USD). It comes in various colors, from plain black or white to textured green and metallic yellow. It’s also on Amazon (affiliate link).

This Nintendo Switch 2 foldable concept makes it the ultimate Android gaming tablet

Nintendo Switch 2 Foldable Android Gaming Tablet

Think of it as the natural successor to the Nintendo Switch, and the clamshell-style Nintendo DS before it.

Sure, Nintendo’s probably going to announce the Switch Pro console very soon, but entertain the idea of a world where the Switch isn’t just a console, it’s an all-in-one tablet and gaming device. Designed by Alessandro Cesa and Nicola Pizzato, this conceptual Nintendo Switch 2 device makes a great case for how the company can fill a pretty big void in the gaming tablet market. The Nintendo Switch 2 comes with a dual-hinge folding mechanism (sort of like the Microsoft Duo) that creates a gap in between the two folding components… a gap wide enough to dock the Switch’s joy-cons. Moreover, the Switch 2 even sports a sprawling folding display that turns it into a full-size tablet when open. You could hold it as you would a Nintendo DS, or open it out and play games on a larger screen with the joy-cons in each hand, just like you would with a Nintendo Switch.

Nintendo Switch 2 Foldable Android Gaming Tablet

We all know that the Switch runs on a customized version of Android already, which makes it really easy for the Switch 2 to be more than just a gaming device. The large touchscreen display is perfect for everything from playing Animal Crossing to watching content on Netflix and YouTube. The joy-cons, which sit inside the tablet like bookmarks, can easily be removed when needed, and used as either game-controllers, or remote controls. The fact that they sit INSIDE the Switch would probably indicate that they charge wirelessly, using a reverse wireless charging technology built into the tablet.

Nintendo Switch 2 Foldable Android Gaming Tablet

Nintendo Switch 2 Foldable Android Gaming Tablet

The Switch 2 tablet and controllers take on a rather familiar design, with flat edges just like the iPad. The joy-cons sport battery indicators on the side, and have a unique design where the main buttons and the analog thumbsticks sit below the controller’s upper surface, protecting the screen from getting scratched or damaged when shut.

Nintendo Switch 2 Foldable Android Gaming Tablet

To expand its tablet functionality, the Switch 2 even comes with its own docked stylus, pitting it against the iPad Pro as a serious gaming and productivity device. The stylus docks in on the right side of the tablet, while the left comes with a slot for gaming cartridges, keeping the analog appeal of a gaming console very much alive!

Nintendo Switch 2 Foldable Android Gaming Tablet

Nintendo Switch 2 Foldable Android Gaming Tablet

Nintendo Switch 2 Foldable Android Gaming Tablet

That hinge is perhaps one of the most interesting details on the Switch 2. It folds the screen with a much broader curvature, so you’re not left with that godforsaken crease when you open it up. The folded version of the tablet also creates a perfect gap to dock the joy-cons. The Switch 2 also comes with a single-lens camera, a 3.5mm jack, and a USB-C port for charging it or hooking it to a variety of other devices. The designers even created a two-part case for the Switch 2 concept, with iPad-style foldable panels that allow it to dock at an angle as you play games or browse the internet on it!

Designers: Alessandro Cesa & Nicola Pizzato

Nintendo Switch 2 Foldable Android Gaming Tablet

Nintendo Switch 2 Foldable Android Gaming Tablet

Nintendo Switch 2 Foldable Android Gaming Tablet

Nintendo Switch 2 Foldable Android Gaming Tablet

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Android mobile-controllers allow you to make the most of your Microsoft Xbox Game Pass!

I feel your pain if you’re an iPhone user who loves gaming. Apple hasn’t been particularly kind to you, what with the removal of Fortnite from the game-store and the pre-emptive banning of services like Microsoft Xbox Game Pass and Google Stadia. However, if you’re really serious about gaming, just grab yourself a budget Android phone and one of Nacon’s MG-X Android Controllers and you’ll have perhaps one of the most powerful mobile gaming solutions in the palm of your hand!

Nacon offers two incredibly versatile gaming controllers for people with an Xbox Game Pass. The MG-X controller resembles a Nintendo Switch, with your smartphone sandwiched between two tablet-sized remotes, while the MG-X Pro gives you a more ergonomic piece of hardware, designed to look sort of like Sony’s Dual-Shock controllers with rounded grips, but with an Xbox button on the right-hand remote. Both of Nacon’s controllers are singular, with a stretchable design that grips your phone in between. They both ship with Bluetooth 4.2, which Nacon says will offer incredible lag-free input, along with a battery capacity of 20 hours on a full charge, and the ability to independently charge the controller while playing. They even come with the standard XYAB buttons, a D-Pad, two analog sticks, and shoulder-buttons that allow you to play more than 100 Xbox games on your Android smartphone. The controllers are set for an early-2021 debut, which means they’ll narrowly miss the launch of the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate next month… but I guess that window of time will really help Microsoft work out any possible kinks and bugs in their game-streaming service.

Designer: Nacon

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