Nintendo has announced its own standalone charger for the Switch’s Joy-Con controllers arriving on October 17th. It’s an accessory that many Switch gamers would have welcomed seven years ago when the handheld launched, and while third parties have long offered alternatives, Nintendo’s arrives with some extra flexibility.
Nintendo finally made its own Joy-Con controller charging station
When available on October 17th, the stand can charge a pair of Joy-Con controllers or Nintendo’s retro wireless NES gamepads.
When available on October 17th, the stand can charge a pair of Joy-Con controllers or Nintendo’s retro wireless NES gamepads.
is a senior reporter who’s been covering and reviewing the latest gadgets and tech since 2006, but has loved all things electronic since he was a kid.
Unlike most wireless controllers that can be charged with a USB-C cable, the Nintendo Joy-Con, as well as the company’s retro wireless NES and Famicom gamepads, can only charge when attached to the Switch. A separate charger makes it easier to keep more than two Joy-Con controllers powered up, so it’s an odd move for the company to release an accessory like this as the original Switch’s lifecycle winds down and its successor is expected to be revealed early next year.
Nintendo’s Joy-Con Charging Stand (Two-Way) accessory can accommodate two controllers at a time, drawing power from the Switch dock’s USB-C port or another power adapter. The charger’s vertical support can also be removed, improving its portability.
Nintendo hasn’t revealed pricing for the accessory yet, but it has confirmed through the Nintendo of America X account that the charging stand will be available in North America, following earlier announcements for Europe and Japan.
The new accessory will be part of what is probably Nintendo’s last big holiday push for the aging console, joining the “Hyrule Edition” Nintendo Switch Lite and The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, which both release on September 26th, as well as new Mario & Luigi and Mario Party titles.
Update, July 18th: Confirmed availability for North America.
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