The Nintendo Switch is getting an official Joy-Con charging stand seven years after the console launched
And Switch 2 could be the reason why…
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Nintendo is set to launch anofficial Joy-Con charging stand. The accessory was first announced for Japanese audiences. But the Nintendo UK Twitter account has since confirmed it’ll be launching in the region, hinting that it’ll come globally, too.
Spotted byNintendo Life, the charging stand is available to pre-order now at theofficial Japanese My Nintendo Store, and it’s listed at 3,300 yen - or roughly $21 / £16. It’s scheduled to launch on October 17 in Japan and the UK. Nintendo of America has yet to confirm the product will release in the US. Similarly, pre-order pages have not appeared in regions other than Japan as of yet.
The purpose of the charging stand is to be able to charge up your Joy-Con controllers without them needing to be attached to the Nintendo Switch handheld. Now, any USB-C connection will do the trick. What’s more, the central charging unit can also be detached from the stand; potentially useful if you want to carry on playing while the controllers are charging.
“You can easily charge the Joy-Con at any time without having to attach it to the Nintendo Switch console,” reads the translated store page description. “This is recommended for those who have multiple Joy-Cons, such as when you want to charge the number of Joy-Cons for everyone to play games such as theMarioPartyseries orNintendo Switch Sportstogether, or when you want to charge Joy-Cons that you are not using while playing in portable mode. It can also charge the Family Computer Controller for Nintendo Switch.”
It does seem a little baffling that Nintendo would wait more than seven years to release an official charging stand. Especially so when third-party charging stands from the likes of PowerA exist and came out close to the console’s 2017 launch window.
But this may support rumors surrounding the upcoming (and tentatively named)Nintendo Switch 2. Specifically, the rumor that it’ll haverevamped Joy-Con controllersthat magnetically attach to the console, rather than the rail system we have on the current Switch. As such, this charging stand could allow older Joy-Con controllers to remain usable with the Switch’s successor if they can’t be attached to the console itself.
Time will tell, of course. But it’s certainly very interesting as to why Nintendo chose now, of all times, to release such an accessory.
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Rhys is TRG’s Hardware Editor, and has been part of the TechRadar team for more than two years. Particularly passionate about high-quality third-party controllers and headsets, as well as the latest and greatest in fight sticks and VR, Rhys strives to provide easy-to-read, informative coverage on gaming hardware of all kinds. As for the games themselves, Rhys is especially keen on fighting and racing games, as well as soulslikes and RPGs.
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