The best Nintendo Switch accessories

It's hard to choose what are the best Nintendo Switch accessories when there's so many options to choose from. There's a multitude of accessories available, from extra Joy-Cons, carry cases and headphones all the way to buildable kits like the Labo. Many accessories even come themed after popular franchises, so you can rep your favourite games whilst playing. 

On the market for a Switch console? Check out our regularly updated guide of where to buy the Nintendo Switch online to find the best prices around. We also have a handy Nintendo Switch review for you to check out to find out why we love this console. Most of the accessories listed below are compatible with the best Nintendo Switch games – some are in fact necessary. For now, let's check out our top picks of the best accessories available right now. 

Ian Dean

Ian has over 20 years experience working in video game journalism, having edited Official PlayStation Magazine and also launched and re-launched a number of video game magazines. Naturally, he's an avid gamer and has all the current and past consoles. He's currently still playing Zelda: Breath of the Wild (for the second time) on Nintendo Switch. 

Best Nintendo Switch accessories available now

The Nintendo Switch Joy-Con controllers are the best Nintendo Switch accessory of all. They come already bundled with the device, but it's handy to have an extra pair if you want to play with friends on games such as Super Smash Bros. and Mario Kart 8. 

Initially launched in either grey or neon red and blue, the controllers now come in an increasing variety of colours and special editions so you can take your pick. The most popular pairings are Neon Blue/Neon Yellow and Green/Purple, and you can even get yourself themed pairs based on popular Nintendo franchises like Zelda and Splatoon.

The Joy-Con can be used together attached to the Nintendo Switch or separately, which is why you can also buy Joy-Con individually and mix and match colours. It does work out cheaper to buy Joy-Con controllers in twos, though.

The chunky Nintendo Switch Pro Controller is the Nintendo Switch accessory for gamers who prefer to play with a traditional style controller. The standard Joy-Con controllers don't suit all hand sizes, and while perfect when playing as a handheld, of you want to play Switch games on the TV the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller is the best choice.

Although the Joy-Con controllers have a grip and can be untied to form a single device, they don't have traditional D-pads like you get with the Switch Pro Controller. It's ergonomically solid and offers motion control, HD rumble and Amiibo support, making it a great alternative. There are several special editions of the controller to match your favourite games.

Ring Fit Adventure not only delivers the same fitness style of play that made the Wii so popular but it adds the extra element of role-play into the mix. The game casts you as a runner fighting massive monsters, and you have to use physical movements like running, planks, push-ups and yoga poses to gain more power to defeat them. 

You slot one half of the Joy-Con into the resistance ring and you strap the other half to your thigh in a holster. Together, they measure how you move and connect your actions to your character’s on the screen.

Better still, outside of the game this Nintendo Switch accessory comes with the Ring Fit excise game. You can set routines from yoga to resistance training and get a work out in your living room. Just as the old Wii would do, Ring Fit records and plans your progress.

Ring Fit Adventure is great novel indoor fun, and a lot more entertaining than straight exercise classes. But for those who want a straight workout, you can do that too. (Note that to be able to see the action while you play, you’ll want to dock your Switch to your TV, so this isn’t really an option for the Switch Lite.)

This excellent messenger bag is a top pick for anyone wanting a travel case that can fit the entire Nintendo Switch system (yes, that includes the dock) whilst still looking stylish. The adjustable shoulder strap means it's great for on-the-go gamers and you can easily fit all your extra accessories into the extra compartments. The bag is officially licensed for Nintendo and comes with a two year warranty, so you can ensure your Switch and relevant extras are safe.

The only major downside is that the case only includes six slots for your game cartridges. If you're in need of more space to keep your games safe, we have a number of great alternatives in our guide to the best Nintendo Switch travel cases that detail some other spacious options.

The series of Rock Candy Switch wired controllers feature a bunch of Nintendo's most-loved franchises, including Animal Crossing and characters from the Super Mario games. My favourite is the bright red Mario Punch design, though I also love the Lime Luigi variant.

These unique controllers work best with the standard Nintendo Switch and the newer Switch OLED model. The clear hard shell plastic enables you to see inside the controller at the circuitry and mechanics, and each features a bespoke illustration.

While they look original and the colours are vibrant, the controllers themselves are fairly basic - well-made, ergonomically designed and reliable - but standard nevertheless. Each does that with a detachable eight-foot cable, so that's a bonus. You're really buying the Rock Candy Switch wired controllers for the style, and that's no bad thing.

The Hori Pikachu POP Nintendo Switch headset is the best Nintendo Switch accessory you can want, if you live Pokémon and need a quality headset. This branded design comes in either white/yellow (picture) or a black/yellow design and both look good.

Behind the officially licensed branding is a good quality headphone that has been designed for gaming, and for Nintendo Switch specifically. While it features the kind of thing you want from gaming headset, including comfortable, soundproofed ear cups, a detachable mic and mute and volume controls on the headset, it also features a splitter for the Nintendo Switch Online App. 

The sound is crisp and clear and these are comfortable headphones that also look swish, if you love Pokémon. But it's the option to mix game audio and your voice chat via the Switch app that proves a much-needed feature. If, however, you need something a little more, well, non-Pikachu, take a look at our guide to the Nintendo Switch headsets.

The Nintendo Switch Joy-Con Controller Strap is the thing you need if you want to get the most from any of Nintendo's fitness games, including Nintendo Switch Sports and Ring Fit. While you do get them packaged with Ring Fit it's well worth having a couple of spares, particularly if you have a friend over to some competitive rounds of Nintendo Switch Sports football.

The one we've picked is the official Nintendo strap but you can get slightly cheaper ones that are unofficial. I would say, as a rule, official Nintendo products or those granted licenses by Nintendo, tend to last longer.

The Sandisk microSDXC for Nintendo Switch card is the best Nintendo Switch accessory for anyone who needs to save their games and data – which is everyone. Once you start to build up a collection of Nintendo Switch games, you'll want memory cards to store them on. Sandisk is one of the most recognised makers around, and this range has Nintendo's official stamp of approval. 

With a range of sizes, from 64GB right up to 512GB, they provide read speeds of up to 100mb for fast loading and a minimum 30-year warranty. These SD cards even come with Switch-oriented designs, with a mushroom on the 128GB version and an Animal Crossing leaf on the 512GB.

The BigBig Won Rainbow controller is a bright and brash gamepad that brings a little PC pro gaming spectacle to the Nintendo Switch. It's a fun and fully customisable controller built from the Xbox controller mould, ensuring it's ideal for anyone who finds the Joy-Con Controller too small.

It works out of the box on Switch when used in TV mode with the stand, if you want to use it in handheld mode you'll need an adapter as it comes with a USB-A to micro-USB cable. In our BigBig Won Rainbow controller review we found this is a solid and quality gamepad though some may find it frustrating if they want to use it on other consoles – you'll need a BigBig Won adapter.

It's priced nicely just below the official Nintendo Pro Controller and is much cheaper than the unofficial but excellent PowerA branded controllers. If you're after a good larger controller for Nintendo Switch that won't break the bank, the BigBig Won Rainbow controller is a good option.

The Nintendo Switch Labo: Vehicle Kit is a great entry into Nintendo's cardboard built-it series of accessories. What was released as an experiment has slowly developed into a fun series for Switch owners.

There's a Lego-ness to the Labo kits, which enable you to build accessories for your handheld and turn it into other things. The series includes making the Switch into an arcade cabinet but this kit lets you build vehicle-themed 'housings', including a car steering wheel complete with foot pedal and gear stick.

Keep in mind this and other Labo kits are made from cardboard so they may not last forever, but you'll have a great time building these projects and playing around with them.

The Mayflash GameCube Controller Adapter for Switch is the best Switch accessory if you're an old-school Nintendo fan itching to play the Switch with your GameCube controller.

With its multi-joystick set up, super-responsive D-Pad, and double row of shoulder buttons, the GameCube controller remains one of the most loved controllers of all time, providing more inputs than a lot of other controllers that came before or after. It's actually one of the best controllers for playing Super Smash Bros. and so this adapter comes highly recommended.

Fortunately, you can use the GameCube controller with the Switch simply by using a GameCube controller adapter. There are several on the market, but this option from Mayflash is inexpensive and does the job. It supports built-in vibration feedback with no delays with two USB cables making the experience more stable. It works with the Wii U too.

Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit is a game you play in your own home with a real remote control car. This Nintendo Switch accessory turns your living room, or anywhere else into a racetrack, which can only be great fun. 

You place the checkpoint arches around the room, then drive the car around to create your own track. The kart has a camera, which live streams its view to your Nintendo Switch console via Wi-Fi. When you race you’ll see other rivals on the Switch screen, like a normal Mario Kart game. Neat! 

Up to four people can race at once (they’ll each need to buy a car though; the pack only includes one) and there are four-speed levels, with the battery lasting around 90 minutes on the middle speeds. 

Of course, there are some practical issues with a setup like this. You need a reasonably hard floor or lino – the kart will struggle with rugs and thick-pile carpet – and the more space you have, the better. There's a Mario set and a Luigi set, so take your pick.

The Joy-Con Wheel Pair is the best Nintendo Switch accessory for Mario Kart fans. This wireless Joy-Con steering wheel adaptor lets you drive using a wheel rather than the usual controller. It uses the Joy-Con's motion sensors to give the feeling of really driving a cart. It can take a while to get the hang of, just like driving for real, and the wheels are a little small, but they do enhance the experience of racing games on the Switch. 

Best of all, unlike the Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit above, the Joy-Con Wheels come in pairs, so you don't have to send your friends off to buy their own if you want a multiplayer race. There's sometimes quite low availability of the official Nintendo Joy-Con Wheels, and they more often come bundled in with the Switch and Mario Kart 8. Various other brands make their own alternatives. 

If you've got a Nintendo Switch Lite, we recommend this splashproof case from Tomtoc as one of the best Switch accessories you can buy. Slim and light, this Tomtioc case perfectly fits the form of the device, even looking like a Nintendo Switch Lite. 

There's enough padding to offer protection from knocks and scratches, and the raise areas help to reduce direct pressure on the buttons and joysticks. It's available in a load of fun colour combinations, matching the colourful style of the Switch itself. And there's an adjustable and removable hand strap to make it flexible and comfortable to carry.

The Anker PowerCore 20,100 power bank is a must for anyone who's taking their Nintendo Switch on a long journey. If you're away from a wall socket, you don't want to be constantly worrying about it running out of juice. A solid, reliable portable charger can save your stress, and here's our top choice. 

Anker's one of the most reliable names for portable chargers and this is one of its best, housing a massive 20,100mAh battery. That's enough to charge your Nintendo Switch several times before it needs a recharge itself. For more options, see our best power banks buying guide.

AmFilm is designed to keep your Nintendo Switch screen's clean and scratch resistant, and as such is one of our favourite Nintendo Switch accessories. Whenever you slip your Nintendo Switch in and out of its dock, it can pick up scratches on the display screen. So it makes sense to invest in a screen protector, and the AmFilm tempered glass screen protector offers excellent value. 

It's relatively easy to apply (although you do need to take care to avoid bubbles), and it doesn't affect the Switch's touchscreen performance. The price above is for the Switch screen protector, but AmFilm also offers a Nintendo Switch Lite screen protector.

Read more:

• The best Nintendo Switch Lite games
• Nintendo Switch vs Switch OLED: which should you buy?
• The best upcoming Switch games