Whether you just picked up a swish new Switch OLED, or you’ve had an older Switch for absolutely ages, there’s always something that you can add to your console – a great accessory can be a major upgrade.
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We’ve tested countless accessories for the Switch down the years, and it’s not the easiest thing to rank them, since they span different types of products, from cases to controllers and more. Here we’ve brought all that expertise to bear in order to rank the very best Switch accessories out there for you right now.
Best Nintendo Switch accessories: Our top picks
Nintendo Switch Pro Controller
1. Best Nintendo Switch accessory overall
Essential upgrade
This controller is the simplest and biggest upgrade you can give your Switch in one swoop – it’s got incredible battery life and feels great in the hand, perfect for upgrading your play experience.
- Official and well-designed
- Excellent battery life
- Expensive for an additional purchase
The Switch Pro Controller is easy to recommend, and we’d go as far as suggesting this is actually our favourite first-party controller in hand.
The reason it’s one of the most essential pickups for Switch owners is because it provides such an upgrade over the regular Joy-Cons. There’s a longer life, better comfort and a more natural button layout. For those who want to expand how many players they can cater for or those who simply want to enjoy gaming sessions for longer, this is always our first recommendation to Switch owners.
Waterfield Nintendo Switch Magnetic Case
2. Best Nintendo Switch accessory for storage
Simply beautiful
A case that outshines every other option on the market, this is such a nice way to bring your Switch with you on the go.
- Incredible crafted
- Can charge while stored
- Room for extras
This absolutely gorgeous travel case comes from the artisans at Waterfield Designs, and is available in a few finishes including a classy waxed canvas option.
It’s rugged and has room for your games and charging cables as well, but the real genius part is that it closes not with a zip, but with a powerful magnetic seal. This means you can snake a charger through to charge it while it’s still in the case, minimising any risks. We’ve never come across a nicer case, and since the Switch is over half a decade old, that’s saying something.
amFilm Tempered Glass Screen Protector
3. Best Nintendo Switch accessory for protection
Eliminate scratches
$9 $14 Save $5
You simply need a good screen protector on your Switch – missing this off is almost reckless, for our money! This is a great option from amFilm and it’s really affordable, too.
- Great value
- Easy to apply
Many people love glass screen protectors, and, having tried a few of them on our Switch consoles over the last few years, AmFilm is our go-to pick.
In truth, there’s not really much to separate the quality of the options we’ve tried, but we’ve always found these easy to apply. They’ve also survived well under the pressure of many bumps and grazes.
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They’re essential for all Switch owners who like to take their console out and about, and AmFilm now also has options to fit the bigger Switch OLED screen.
PowerA Fusion Pro Wireless Controller
4. Best Nintendo Switch accessory for pros
A pro-level controller
$72 $100 Save $28
If you want an even more impressive controller for your Switch, this option from PowerA has extra buttons and customisable features, although this also means that it’s more expensive than Nintendo’s Pro Controller.
- Amazing customisation
- Well-made
- Great in the hand
If you’re getting serious about Smash Bros or any other competitive game on the Switch, some extra buttons could make a huge difference.
Pocket-lint
There aren’t many truly pro-level controllers for the Switch, but this is a brilliant addition that feels great in your hands and elevates your game significantly. There are swappable elements including its faceplate, and it’s the perfect tool for getting levelled up on your choice of game.
Waterfield Game Holder for Nintendo Switch
5. Best Nintendo Switch accessory for game storage
Elegant leather
A simply lovely little organiser that will stop you losing your game cards, and impress people while it does so.
- Really premium
- Genuinely useful
- Loads of colours
Waterfield is back with a smaller, but equally well-crafted little storage solution for your Switch games – a neat little wallet in three sizes that can hold four, 10 or 20 game cards, so you can take them with you.
With a wide range of leather options to choose from and a gorgeous, simple design, this is the classiest way to bring your library with you on the go, which is the very point of the Switch, after all.
128GB Samsung Evo Select
6. Best Nintendo Switch accessory for console storage
Solve storage woes
$12 $20 Save $8
Getting more space on your Switch for storing games digitally can be a huge upgrade, saving you from deleting and redownloading titles. This affordable microSD card is a fantastic solution.
- Good value
- Store loads more games
- Basically a mandatory purchase
If you own a Switch, you need a microSD card for storage. And while that’s a frustrating reality – even for Switch OLED owners with 64GB onboard storage to start with – the solution is at least relatively cheap.
This Samsung option provides enough storage for even the most hardened Switch user, has superfast random-read speeds and isn’t too expensive. It’s been seamless to use the entire time we’ve used the Switch, though there are, of course, many different SD cards to consider.
PowerA Nano Enhanced Wireless Controller
6. Best Nintendo Switch accessory for kids
For smaller hands
This is a perfect controller for kids or those with smaller hands, since it’s way less big than a standard pad.
- Ideal for smaller hands
- Sturdy
If you want a great controller for your Switch that’s a little more affordable, but, more to the point, is designed to be a good deal smaller, this is the answer.
Pocket-lint
It’s a well-made pad with a couple of custom buttons and is really compact. That makes it great for travel, but also perfect for kids or anyone with smaller hands.
PowerA Slim Case
7. Best Nintendo Switch accessory for bulk
Solid line of defense
This is another top case option – the best if you want a case that is simply as slim as possible to fit into your bag as easily as it can.
- Slim but solid
- Useful stand inside case
- Space for games storage
- Not quite as robust as harder options
As the Waterfield option further up will have made clear, we think a travel case is among the top priorities for many Switch owners, and since the original model and the Switch OLED are pretty much identical in shape and dimensions, there’s quite a wide pool to consider.
Pocket-lint
We like this PowerA option that fits both versions, keeps things slim and still offers a decent level of protection. For those who just need a light first line of defense from travel bumps, this is attractive and effective.
The bottom line: What’s the best Nintendo Switch accessory?
So, if you only have space for one accessory in your life, we think it should be the Pro Controller – it’s a fantastic bit of kit that makes docked play way, way more pleasurable than it is with just the included Joy-Cons.
Nintendo Switch Pro Controller
Editor’s Choice
That said, the good thing about accessories is that there’s room for a whole heap of them, and cases or screen protectors are also pretty close to mandatory purchases for us, so there are definitely a handful of items that you should consider picking up all at once in the list above.
How we chose the best Nintendo Switch accessories
There’s no substitute for going hands-on with a product, so it shouldn’t surprise you that we’ve used everything featured on this list, sometimes for years at a time. We’ve used the controllers in question over dozens of hours of gameplay, and the two cases for loads of travel, so everything that features here can be relied upon to stand the test of time.
What you should know about Nintendo Switch accessories
There are so many Switch accessory categories to dive into, it can be a little overwhelming to figure out which you actually should consider buying. That’s why we’ve created this section of FAQs.
What currently bothers you about your Switch?
The Switch is versatile and fun for all the family, sure, but it’s not without its issues. We’d suggest that pretty much all peripherals can bring something new and different to the table, but we’d imagine you only have a limited budget – and that means picking your battles.
If you travel a lot with your Switch, a screen protector and battery pack of some sort are great places to start. If it spends a lot of time in a bag, getting a case might also be a good investment. If you’re more into couch play, a more advanced controller might be the best way for you to spend your money.
Either way, we recommend starting with a gripe and working backwards.
Do you actually travel much with the Switch?
This is one question members of the Pocket-lint team have struggled with – and it can often lead to some less-than-ideal buying decisions.
Since the area is so populated with travel accessories, and undocking the device is one of the most tangible benefits, it can lure you into thinking that you’ll be whipping your console out every time you step out of the house.
This is all well and good if you do so consistently – perhaps on the commute to work – but we’d suggest thinking carefully about exactly what problem you’re trying to fix before picking up a travel case for the sake of it.
Consider how you want to use the controller
Due to the Joy-Con’s form factor, as well as the Switch itself, there are so many different ways to play. However, this also means that some games are better enjoyed docked with a traditional controller, some are better in handheld mode with the Joy-Con attached, and others when they’re detached.
The issue with this is that the console only comes with Joy-Con, and that means those who don’t have a traditional-style controller do sometimes miss out on comfort and peak performance. That’s why a controller is our top accessory to consider; it opens up a whole new world of ways to play.
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