
In the rush to cover all the Nintendo Direct news coming out last night, we only briefly touched on this. In addition to the Neon Yellow Joy-Con, which will be released alongside ARMS, and the possibility of buying a standalone Switch dock, Nintendo also sneaked in the unveiling of the Joy-Con AA battery pack into the presentation.
Of course the Joy-Con have great battery life, but one downside is you need to dock them on your Switch or a charging grip when the battery does eventually get low. With games like ARMS coming up which make heavy use of the Joy-Con, an option to extend life via AA batteries while still being able to play makes a lot of sense.
This new accessory will be available from 16th June, and the battery pack simply slides into the side rails of the Joy-Con controllers; the safety strap also fits on when it's connected. It looks to add quite a bit of bulk however, so how comfortable this will be to use in practice remains to be seen.
Pricing is yet to be revealed, but it's likely to be on the expensive side given the current prices for first party Switch accessories. Are you interested in picking one of these up later in the year?
Comments 84
The more bulk added the better on these fisher price excuses for control inputs. It'll likely only make them easier and more comfortable to use. They're arguably the only controller worse to use than the WiiU gamepad. Can throw in N64, depending on the game/control style needed.
kinda feel this is the last thing on the list that needed my battery power. Don't think mine have ever needed charging, or come close.
@Menchi187 Calm down dude, I think the Joy-Cons are pretty nice.
My joy con last like well over 60 hours how much more do i need lol
Don't they already last around 20 hours anyway?? I'd imagine that's more than enough for most people
I dont think I need this but I guess it will be useful for gaming marathons.
Battery Acid pouring all over your joy-cons? If there is a defect? (With past news there is a very high chance) I cannot believe how I'm actually going to buy this, as the life of these things a already high as it is
This is excellent news. I was just thinking before the Direct that the Switch could do with more accessories.
Can I just say in advance that I can't believe how much they're charging for these.
Joy-con left
Joy-con right
Joy-con grip
Joy-con charging grip
Pro controller
Various wrist straps
3rd party controllers
Switch stand
Screen protectors
Carry cases
AC Adapter Switch
Joy-con racing wheel
Powerbank battery packs
Micro SD cards
Joy-Con AA battery pack
and on
and on
It's rapidly turning into Wii with all these accessories and peripherals. Waiting for the Switch Balance Board to be announced.
@SLIGEACH_EIRE
Switch CD
Switch 32X
Switch Power Glove
Switch Rock'n'Roller
More accessories than games at this point =
@SLIGEACH_EIRE
Switch Golf Club
Switch Tennis Racket
Switch Sword
Switch Printer
Switch VR (sigh...this one probably will be true)
yeah I don't see the point in this myself, if it's a grip you want there are already grips for joy cons from other manufactures officially licensed and cheap that add more Handscape lol
also since its just a plastic casing I wound pay anymore that £15 for these I can supply my own battery's no need to be robbed for cheap aa or aaa battery considering I can get rechargeable ones from the £ land lol
I will be skipping these for sure
From the image it does look quite bulky, but it may not actually be that large. Especially if you have a quick look at your own Joy-Con. Based on it's size, its thickness may be about the same as the Wii U GamePad or a little thicker. No matter how thick it is, I don't think it will hinder it's comfortable use by much.
This is just my analysis, but not going to get anyway as I am Switch Portable all the way.
Best controller ever! Separately is the way forward!
Just need a dpad variant for 2 d games and it's perfect!!!
Pass...why do these even need to exist? The battery life on the controllers is fantastic!
If the price is right, like the joycon steering wheels then these will be a good purchase if they are in the region of the £30 AC adapter then not so good.
Finally, they create the charging option that will survive when the built-in battery dies years down the line... Why weren't AA batteries the default power option for these, like it was for the Wiimotes, anyways? Eneloops and whatnot have made leaps and bounds of progress in the mature NimH AA market, and there's even rechargable lithium ion AA's these days. The default JoyCon rechargeable batteries Nintendo provides are going to die way, way faster than the Upad battery- mine still works after 4 years, though it can't hold the charge it used to. Early adopters especially should make sure to clock how much time their JoyCon batteries last.
Yay more accessories! Yours for only $100/£100! lol
Joy Cons + Extra battery inside =
I can play ARMS more than 24 hours.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHXvMcLrLSY.
lol
Passing the savings on to yoooooooou ! lol
@DarkCojiro Yeah, in the past, I'm reminded that in exchange for it's price premium, the Sega Nomad came with both a NimH rechargeable battery pack, along with the AA battery pack shell. Didn't have to buy one separately. The last time there was a system that was the "King of Dodging Sticker Shock," by spacing out all the gadgets one would end up buying, was the original Xbox 360. (You had to buy the network adapter separately, and pay an exorbitant price for a proprietary storage drive, what a joke...) Well, NS is the new King.
@SLIGEACH_EIRE
PS4 Controller
PS4 Camera
PSMove
PSVR
PS4 Controller extended battery
PS4 Custom Faceplate
PS4 Media Remote
2.5" HDD
Well I picked up switch & lego undercover from argos for £299 but the official accessories are expensive. But these just look so bulky
not sure what the heck this is for, the joycon didn't need any battery upgrade and they are seemingly always charged for me.
This has been Nintendo: Shutting Up the Haters!
Join us next time when they release a Switch dock in collaboration with Nerf that not only eliminates the miniscule chance of getting screen scratches and warping, but magically removes dead pixels!
@skywake The PS4 comes with a controller, one buys more for local multiplayer of desired. (Which is standard for all consoles, so...?) The extended rechargeable packs for them are a problem, no immediate AA battery option like the PS3. The rest of those are optional. So the NS comes out more expensive in the end...
They're optional. What's there to complain about?
I'm sure they did this also to make the joycons easier to grip but honestly my joycons never get below 85 percent charge, if that. ...Who are they making this for? People that don't know how to charge their controllers? The batteries last for quite some time on these and the pro controller. I guess they are sensitive from the gamepad backlash. Nonetheless, more options are always good.
@Stubi
Amen.
I would never willingly buy something that requires AA batteries.
@PlywoodStick One reason is that AAs would be thicker than the tablet/controllers themselves. So it would add quite a bit of heft. Another, and I doubt I'm alone here, is that many would just prefer to have the built in battery. I don't know about anyone else, but I just never think about charging my joy-con. The battery life is great.
Which brings me to my second point... I guess I just don't see the point. There's no way I need more charge for my joy-con. If I had to guess, these were made to make gripping them easier, and they decided to throw in batteries to use the extra space.
Is it really bulky though? In all my experiences with the joy cons they are rather small, and I don't have large hands.
Also the buttons and analog sticks feel cheap on them.
I still can't believe that the charging grip for the joycon lack an internal battery and cost $30. I expect them to make a hefty profit on these as well at just about any price given they're mostly just plastic and require external AA batteries to do any actual charging.
I'm perfectly content with the design of the Switch and the sacrifices they made for the size and cost they're selling it at. That said, they clearly know what they're doing by pumping out accessories for this thing.
@PlywoodStick
I'm not sure what point you're trying to make there. The PS4 accessories I listed to mock people listing the Switch's accessories are as optional as the Switch ones. The ones that aren't get included in the box.
I really don't get why people whine about optional accessories. They're optional. If you think they're stupid don't buy them. Simple. Nobody complains about the media remote or faceplates on the PS4.
@SLIGEACH_EIRE wii balance board sold 32 million....... switch Fit plus it's coming!
Not intrested in this junk
So this is interesting. I really like playing hands by my side, but some of the common actions in Breath of the Wild (quick switching items) are quite uncomfortable to pull off this way because the controller doesn't have enough girth to it. So, this could help with that... but battery life is just not an issue. We have 4 joy con and we just casually alternate which pair is hanging off the switch in the dock. I don't know what the controller low battery warning even looks like. Maybe with Arms they'll go down super fast?
I already kept the charging grip (almost returned it) for the extra USB-C cable mostly...
Would also have been interesting if you could keep these on while attached to the Switch, but...
I guess I just might look into some grips, or just nothing.
@skywake How will I get my angst internet club points if I don't complain about stuff that I don't have to buy?
@Menchi187 Completely subjective. Joy-Con controllers are a work of genius for what they try to do. I am surprised you cannot see that.
@Cosats Completely subjective, joy-con controllers are a work of genius in the sense of what they actually do. Feign distancing themselves from Wii name/wiimotes but only fool those unable to think for themselves. I am surprised you cannot see that.
@Bender1001: I was thinking the same thing! I guess if you have 4 joy cons and only 1 switch, and forget to charge them alternately (like aaronsullivan mentioned), these could come in handy. But at some point it may make sense to buy a second switch, especially if we get some good details about switch tethering.
Still waiting to hear if tethering requires multiple copies of the game card.....
I really don't see the point of these. To each their own, I guess.
@Menchi187 I've played with thicker add-on, and just like many people (especially those making throw-away disparagement's with no actual understanding), being thick isn't necessarily a good thing lol.
@aaronsullivan If these don't allow for the Joycon to be attached to the Switch or Grip when on then I think that means these are for people who dock their Switch and never play in handheld mode. If you only have 1 pair of Joycon and always play in docked mode how are you going to charge them? The Grip that comes in the bundle doesn't. So I think people are misreading the purpose here, this isn't to give them longer battery life, it's to turn them into Wiimotes if you've turned your Switch into a Wii.
@BensonUii "What if this adds to the battery life of the tablet when in handheld mode"
That was my first thought as well, and then I had the same "oops". Would have been really nice if they made these to allow attachments to the Switch, not only for the extra battery life but I personally don't like the Joycon, and I think this extra girth would make holding the Switch more comfortable for me.
Adding battery life to the 20H Joycons seems an entirely pointless activity, BUT this accessory might be perfect at fixing every lingering flaw in using detached Joycons Wiimote & Nunchuk style, which I do often, interchanging that with my Pro. Giving it a bulkier grip to cradle in the palm might well make a perfect Nunchuk like grip out of it! I went from almost laughing to being ready to pre-order this thing when I realized that.
@rjejr It's a replacement strap clip that has batteries. It doesn't change how you use the Joycon any more than the stock included strap clips do.
@skywake @Grandpa_Pixel @Menchi187 @SLIGEACH_EIRE
I can't believe that all of you forgot the most important add-on...
Switch R.O.B.
I have a set of Grey, a set of Red and a Pro.
I will be getting the Yellow set as well.
I see no reason to get the battery pack!
I'd imagine that the idea was firstly for extra grip if people need it. They probably just figured they could add batteries to it too while they were adding the extra bulk anyway. Two birds with one stone.
@skywake Not even remotely comparable, and no one uses the move anyway. Not to mention, the PS4 already has a reasonable amount of memory right out of the box, unlike the Switch's sad, ridiculous and embarrassing 32GB (less due to system usage). No need for a hard drive anytime soon. And you can get more storage for cheaper with hard drives than with cards. The Switch is a money pit and a greedy cash grab.
This is a solution looking for a problem... and a wallet.
@NEStalgia "It doesn't change how you use the Joycon"
It doesn't force you to change, but it gives someone the option of never having to attach them to a Switch or charging Grip if they don't want to. For people who only want to sit on the couch and play using the Joycon, this gives them that option to strap on the battery compartments and change batteries when they need to, they never need to attach the Joycon to the Switch.
These dont' change how people use the Joycon, they are for people who have already changed how they use the Joycon, as standalone controllers, not part of a tablet/handheld tandem.
@Tsusasi
You need the PSMove about as much as you need these AA battery packs. And how can storage expansions be a cash grab by Nintendo when Nintendo doesn't make micro-SD cards?
@skywake I don't know if you missed it, because they announce it on this site... but Nintendo has partnered for officially licensed Switch branded micro SD cards. So there's that. And at the other end of it is saving on system costs in order to make more money on their system... instead of giving gamers the storage that they will need.
@skywake And Nintendo can spin their marketing of the battery packs in such a manner that casual gamers and families (especially those exposed/used to wiimotes on the Wii and Wii U) will end up picking them up thinking that it's going to be needed at some point.
@SLIGEACH_EIRE dunno why you're worried seeing as you don't own it though
These seem overkill but maybe they'll make holding them to play ARMS more comfortable for some people with bigger hands? Can't see many people splashing out though.
This could be their way of killing two birds with one stone. Maybe there's been a demand for improved Joy-Con gripping, so they figured adding some extra batteries wouldnt hurt while they're at it.
Conversely, this definitely makes sense from a tournament/convention perspective, where people might be playing a single system/game through the whole event. It's not the end of the world, but definitely inconvenient to have to wait for controllers to recharge.
And I expect these will be miles cheaper than buying a whole other set of JoyCons.
@rjejr You may be right. At this point I doubt there are many people that are more used to changing AA batteries than throwing devices on the charger, so I'm not sure what audience that really seems better to since the Switch itself is a charging cradle for Joycon. Well, maybe people converting from XBox
I suppose it could be going for the Wii demographic, but that would lean back on "what are they thinking sinking half their eggs in the Wii basket again??" And even most regular Wii users were using rechargeable battery kits and cradles rather than replacing AA batteries. They were kind of standard accessories anyone that was buying more than Wii Sports bought. Only my 360 had the stupid AA battery rotation going on.
Also, it was a mistake for it to use AA batteries. If they'd gone with a smaller battery nobody could accuse the Switch of lacking AAA's. (bada bing.)
@NEStalgia "Well, maybe people converting from XBox"
Well, that was going to be my reply so...
I'm guessing this IS for Wii converts - 100mil Wii, 13.5mil Wii U - means there are a lot of people still looking to move on to MK8 from MKWii (what was it, like 35mil copies of MKWii and 8mil copies of MK8, that's another 27mil MKWii players who still need to play MK8 for the first time) and do you know what a lot of those people have, 3 or 4 or 5 Wiimotes using standard or rechargeable AA batteries. Yes, many went the rechargeable backpack route but plenty still use AAs, so they'll appreciate these using AA and not AAA. Well if they plan on only docking not the Switch, not using it as a portable. But that's who I think these are for, Wii upgraders.
Of course, Nintneod may have had a compeltley different intention and I may be well off the mark, maybe ARMS chews up batteries like no tomorrow w/ all of that motion control, so this is for them. Or maybe it's just an excuse to put a back on the Joycon b/c it's uncomfortable making a fist and fighting like in ARMS, but rather than just slap an empty box for a nicer hold they're calling it a battery compartment.
Did I tell you I held Joycon for the first time last weekend? They suck. Really, I'll never play w/ them. I can't imagine using them as is in AMRS punching like that, I bet the battery compartment makes it feel more like wearing a boxing glove, which I have done.
Of course the real reason for the battery compartment is they'll probably sell them in different colors like New 3DS faceplates.
@rjejr I think Koizumi still thinks the Wii people are coming back. He's nucking futs of course, that's never happening, but his influence on hardware could lead to that along with "all those new IPs that will focus on Joycon use" that maybe what all of E3 is about (much to the collective NL dread), though I think part of that is Japan. Japan is so faddish that the Wii fad COULD happen again. But it won't be worldwide and I'm not sure they're keen enough to realize that.
I still am not sure in the age of smartphones users would rather plunk AA batteries into a device as they run dry just to charge the internal Li-Ion battery rather than just stick the controller on the charging cradle. Back in the Wii era, people were used to AA batteries for things. Today everyon'e's used to Li-Ion and forgets what AA is.
Well, again, other than XBox fans They're the most retro gamers of all
Eh, I still think the Joycons are great held by themselves (not in the grip), BUT I'm enthused about how this might make the ergonomics better still and fix the last few niggles I had remaining with the comfort.
Different colors? C'mon it's not like they'd do something crazy like release a new color joycon for a console that's not even available to buy readily, and then sell different colored strap CLIPS by themselves. That's crazy talk.
i've never depleted my joycon's batteries
Pretty sure this is pointless. It's actually better to just get the Charging Grip if you're that concerned with Joy-Con battery, but I've never run out of battery in the Joy-Con in either handheld, tabletop or docked modes. The Joy-Con battery outlasts the Switch's internal battery so chances are if you're going portable, you're going to need to charge the Switch before the controllers. And then you can just charge everything at the same time by connecting the Joy-Con to the Switch (or the Charge Grip). This just adds to much bulk to the Joy-Con I think. Don't see these being popular at all. But I want those Neon Yellow Joy-Con that were announced!!!
It's so ugly, I love it
Eh, I thought the Joy-Con last for ages without needing charge?
The Switch itself on the other hand . . .
Don't need to waste all this money on these, just get a Joy-Con Charging Dock that can charge 4 Joy-cons for $29.99. I bet this will cost more than that. I really don't think these need more battery life...
A blue potato with buttons.
But but but....where's the AAA battery version? Sob whine wet the bed...
@NEStalgia They should release the NES Mini controller in a different color so people can sell them on eBay too.
I agree w/ you on battery thing, which is why I think they measured the box on the back of the Joycon first for comfort, then decided - "Hey look, we can fit a couple of AA batteries in there."
Like a lot of things Nintneod seems to do these days, maybe Kimishima just said "Make this" and nobody bothered to ask him why. It does look very throwback retro when you look at it. Why buy an add on battery pack that needs AA batteries? For a controller w/ a fairly long 20 hour battery life? Why not make it a rechargeable pack like all of the Wiimotes had? All logical questions, but Nitneod doesn't do logical.
@Tsusasi
Oh the humanity. Nintendo decided not to include a 2.5" mechanical HDD in their slim portable device. They then decided not to force people to buy a heap of extra storage in their console if they choose to go with cartridges. And then, heaven forbid, they sell third party micro-SD cards on their website with a Nintendo sticker on it.
They're diabolical!
@skywake You obviously haven't a clue or your response would have been less snarky and more realistic and factual. You don't get it. At all.
@rjejr Good to know I'm not the only one who doesn't like the joycons. I tried playing zelda at a friend's house for about an hour, and gave up. Feel so weird compared to a wiiu pro or switch pro controller. Just not natural at all.
@RedMageLanakyn I didn't actually get to play with the Joycon, but I spent about 15 minutes holding them alone, in the Grip, and a Wiimote. The right stick seems too close, in the way, of the buttons, and sideways they are too far to the right. The Grip helped, but I'd prefer if the Grip were V shaped so my thumbs would swing down towards the center.
I'm sure I could get used to them, but I'd rather not. Pro it is.
I'm probably getting this but not for gameplay, though. I've configured my right Joy-con to work with one of my art apps, Clip Studio Paint EX, and I think this will make it easier for me to reach the SL/SR buttons. The standard strap works ok, but it's still a little awkward hitting the SR button.
@rjejr @RedMageLanakyn I learned from the Switch preview event that I can't play Splatoon with the Joy-cons/handheld mode. The right stick keeps getting in the way of my thumb hitting the face buttons. Really, it made me wish that we went back to the WiiU's thumbsticks above the buttons layout. Pro Controller, the best accessory I got for this thing!
@masterLEON @rjejr I also had trouble getting used to the right analog stick as well. In zelda it was pretty hard for me to adjust after 100+ hours on the wiiu pro controller, even after an hour I still didn't enjoy it. The biggest problem was when I tried out shovel knight, and the dpad "buttons" on the left kept making me move backwards mid jump. That game definitely requires an actual dpad for me. One thing about the pro switch controller I noticed was that it does come with a really nice, high quality USB-C cable, so i guess that factors in to the cost as well. When I get one, I'll definitely be putting the joycons away when docked, pro all the way.
@RedMageLanakyn the pro switch controller
I've read a lot of people nagging about the Pro price but it's $69 on Amazon. The PS4 controller is $65, the Xbox has controllers ranging up to $149 plus the design it yourself models. So I'm not too worried about it, seems like they put some tech in their too, NFC reader, motion and rumble. The 5' cable, which I assume also works on the Switch so I won't need to undo the one from the dock or buy a new one, runs about $10. We currently dont' have 1 single USB-C cable in the house.
So yes, $69 isn't cheap by any means, but it's what controllers cost, you want to game, you have to pay the price. And it's still better than $79 for a pair of Joycon. Will be interesting to see how it works w/ ARMS, no motion, but normal controls are supposed to work w/ the game.
@rjejr Oddly enough the Xbox one controller has really won me over as my favorite this gen. I ended up getting the Elite controller on a great deal and it's my go-to PC and xbox controller. Feels great in hand, and the D-pad has a very nice click to it.
@RedMageLanakyn "Xbox one controller"
Does the expensive Elite controller still require AA batteries? I bought an Xboxen for the first time in my life a few weeks ago and it was odd to put AA batteries in a controller like that as Sony controllers have either been wired or rechargeable as far back as I can remember. Wiimotes had batteries, but the Gamepad didn't. So even though the Switch Pro is expensive, at least they have a built in battery which I think lasts longer than the PS4. The 4 hour life on that thing is a bad joke. I actually bought a 2nd PS4 Dualshock on sale for $40 just b/c I got tired of having to charge it. Now I can play w/ 1 while I charge the other. And occasionally my kids will play Dragonball Zenoverse 2 2-player.
@rjejr They do take batteries, but I've been using rechargeables and easily get 20 hours out of them. I tend to play PS4 with the controller plugged in, so that way I don't even have to worry about the crap battery
I think the switch pro will last 20+, probably longer if you turn off rumble. I still love my wiiu pro, I charged it ONCE during my 100+ hours on zelda!
Split Joycons, naked (no attachments) are the single best controller ever invented. I wish I could use these for the rest of my life on every single console.
But I'm willing to give these a whirl. I'll just buy one of these and test them out and if I like them I'll buy more for my other Joycons. I actually love how thin and light the Joycons are as is, and hate the included side grip included, but again I'll give this a shot and see how it works in Arms. I'm guessing they're pretty ergonomic all and were designed specifically for the motion gaming of Arms
@Menchi187
Lol, all the controllers you mentioned are great.
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