Any of the best Nintendo Switch accessories can improve your experience with Nintendo's hybrid handheld console. There are plenty of great options to choose from, with options to suit every budget and gaming needs. That said, the number of options on the market can lead to quite an overwhelming shopping experience.
Luckily, we've tested hundreds of accessories not only for the Nintendo Switch, but also the Nintendo Switch Lite and Nintendo Switch OLED so know for sure which ones are worth your time and money. This guide has been designed as an overview of a range of accessories, but you should check out our dedicated breakdowns of the best SD cards for Switch or best Nintendo Switch headsets if you already have a specific type of item in mind. You could also consider any of the best Nintendo Switch controllers, as there is no shortage of excellent options there.
Now that the Nintendo Switch is over seven years old, with the tentatively named Nintendo Switch 2 looming every closer, now is a brilliant time to stock up on gear. Lots of items featured in this guide are available at reduced prices, especially around major sale periods. If you're shopping for a Nintendo Switch owner, then rest assured that any of these picks would also make an excellent gift.
The Quick List
Best overall
The Nitro Deck is a must-own accessory for portable players, offering a massive improvement to the experience of gaming on the go.
Best controller
With comfy grips, an included charging dock and industry-leading Hall effect sticks, the 8BitDo Ultimate is the best controller right now.
Best storage
SanDisk provides affordable and versatile microSD cards for Nintendo Switch, ranging from 64GB up to 1TB in size.
Best official
The official Nintendo Switch Pro Controller is a fantastic gamepad that boasts incredibly high battery life, and comfortable form factor.
Best upscaler
Invest in the mClassic if you're interested in helping your Switch games look as sharp as possible.
Best for online play
The Hori Switch LAN adapter is perfect for the base Switch model, letting you connect your console online via ethernet.
Load the next product ↴
Best for fitness
Ring Fit Adventure provides robust workouts of varying intensities all wrapped up in a fun and accessible game.
Best for families
Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit transforms your house into a real-life circuit, complete with toy karts and track elements.
Best Nintendo Switch accessories in 2024
Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.
The best overall Nintendo Switch accessory
CRKD's Nitro Deck is one of the most impressive Nintendo Switch accessories ever made. A comfortable, form-fitting handheld dock that's perfect for portable play, it offers industry-leading Hall effect analog sticks, exceptionally tactile buttons and triggers, and a set of four programmable back buttons useful for secondary inputs.
The Nitro Deck has been available to buy since September 18, 2023, via CRKD’s official store page. It’s purchasable in the US and UK, with the individual unit coming in white, black, or gray colorways for $59.99 / £59.99. A limited edition Nitro Deck is also available for $89.99 / £89.99, and you can choose from three distinct color variants: Retro Mint, Classic Grey (emulating the look of the original Game Boy), or a Retro Purple that riffs on the Nintendo GameCube’s aesthetic.
The best part about the Nitro Deck? It offers a higher degree of responsiveness thanks to a dedicated USB-C port for your Switch tablet. And while its size may err on the bulkier side for some, it still offers an impressively lightweight portable experience, weighing in at just 1.3lbs / 600g with the Switch attached.
- Read more: Nitro Deck review
The best Nintendo Switch controller
For as much as we love Nintendo's official offering, the recent 8BitDo Ultimate for Nintendo Switch may just pull ahead in terms of performance and features. That's because this gamepad features its own dedicated charging dock and juices up through USB-C, meaning you're ready to go much faster than with some alternatives.
Everything from the sticks to the face buttons and the D-pad are a noticeable upgrade over the official alternative in our experience. The price of the 8BitDo Ultimate for Nintendo Switch is another strong point. All told, it retails at $69.99 / £59.99, so you're not breaking the bank here either.
The battery life is also excellent. You can expect around 35 hours on a single charge which is more-than-respectable for several sit down play sessions throughout the week. In our testing, we were particularly impressed by the build quality and the high level of comfort afforded by the ergonomics. It feels good in the hands at first impression, and just as second-nature after many dozens of hours afterwards, too.
The best Nintendo Switch storage option
SanDisk has made what we consider to be the best MicroSD cards for Nintendo Switch currently available. You can pick up some of the most affordable and officially licensed microSDXC cards ranging from 64GB all the way up to 512GB, so you're able to greatly expand the amount of Nintendo Switch games you can download from the eShop.
The biggest advantage of the SanDisk microSDXC cards for Nintendo Switch is they are affordable. The 64GB model, the cheapest available, starts at only $20 / £20 but is frequently discounted down closer to the $10 / £10 mark. Savings are common, so you're able to more than double your available space for an incredibly aggressive rate. These aren't quite the fastest on the market, up to 100 MB/s, but that's plenty fast enough for solid performance.
The best official Nintendo Switch accessory
We think it's fair to say that the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller is going to be a substantial upgrade over the stock Joy-Cons and grip that the console comes with. That's because it not only features a far more conventional ergonomic design but also comes with a mighty 40-hour battery, too. That means you won't have to stress too badly about juicing up before jumping into some of the premiere games available on the console.
It's the button placement, triggers, and bumpers that we particularly like about the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller as it shares more DNA with the likes of the Xbox Wireless Controller than prior Nintendo efforts. That means if you're coming other from one of the two other major platforms you'll be right at home.
There's little that's potentially exciting about this model but it positions itself as a quality gamepad above all else. If you have been in the market for a controller that's suited to bigger hands then you'll be in good hands here (pun intended).
- Read more: Nintendo Switch Pro Controller review
Best Nintendo Switch upscaler
Even the very best Nintendo Switch games have pretty poor image quality when blown up on bigger TV screens. This is something that Marseille's mClassic aims to remedy. And it does so with exceptional results.
The device hooks up to your Switch and display via HDMI and a USB cable. When enabled via the on-device switch, the mClassic improves image quality by upscaling to 1440p on displays that support it. This creates a sharper image overall. What's more, the mClassic provides anti-aliasing, which cleans up image quality even more by smoothing out those jagged edges on character models and background objects. Improvements to depth-of-field are also applied, creating softer horizons that mesh nicely with the sharper foreground.
While a fairly pricey bit of kit (and the extra cables needed can be fairly inelegant), the mClassic is absolutely worth the cost if you're sick of otherwise gorgeous Switch games looking rather muddy on a bigger TV screen.
The best Switch accessory for online play
Have you ever been playing an online game only to experience stuttering and lag? Maybe you've been called a Wi-Fi warrior once or twice in your life, too. Well, you can achieve true uninterrupted internet speeds with the Hori Switch LAN adapter which would mean no more relying on a potentially spotty wireless connection.
Keep in mind that you will need to purchase a router-compatible cable separately, but this expense shouldn't run too deep. Speaking of, the Hori Switch LAN adapter doesn't break the bank to make the jump to rock-solid competitive gameplay either. It currently retails at $29.99 / £26.99, which could make all the difference at a rate that's hard to argue against.
The best Switch accessory for fitness
You can think of Ring Fit Adventure as a spiritual successor to the Wii's Fit Board, the classic gamer's fitness accessory. But this time, you get a role-playing game with fitness moves seamlessly weaved in rather than gamified exercise classes.
The extra hardware is why Ring Fit Adventure is relatively expensive. One half of the Joy-Con slots into a resistance ring you hold with both hands. The other half ties around your thigh in a holster. This combo can tell how much you move, your particular moves, and how high above your head you raise the ring. Your motions then tie into your character's on-screen actions.
We found in our experience that the game offered more of a workout and substantial challenge than the likes of the tried-and-true Wii Fit from yesteryear. Taken individually, the peripheral and the gameplay itself may not be exceptional, but it's when both elements come together that the title comes into its own. Ultimately, though, you're only going to get what you put into a game like this meaning its overall appeal could waiver as the weeks and months go on.
Regardless, Ring Fit Adventure is a great way to get back into exercise indoors if the idea of YouTube classes does not appeal. Just keep in mind that it's not a great fit for the Switch Lite, though, as you'll ideally want to play with the console docked to your TV.
- Read more: Nintendo Ring Fit Adventure review
The best Switch accessory for families
We’ve not been as keen on an augmented reality game as Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit since Pokémon Go launched. This is a Mario Kart game you play in your home with a remote control car. The kart has a little camera, which live streams its view to your Nintendo Switch console.
Place the checkpoint arches around the room, then drive the car to create your track. The more space you have, the more elaborate a track you can make. You’ll see other rivals on the Switch screen when you race, much like in a regular Mario Kart game. It’s a lot of fun, and the little kart connects to the console over Wi-Fi for a fast and reliable connection.
Mario Kart Live’s bad bits all come down to practicalities. It works best on hard flooring or lino, as the car does not get on well with rugs or thick-pile carpet. The little thing doesn’t have the traction or ground clearance to cope. Still, if it suits your home Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit is a great addition to your Switch arsenal and would brighten up any Christmas or birthday.
Best Nintendo Switch Accessories - FAQs
Is Black Friday a good time to buy Nintendo Switch accessories?
Yes! Black Friday is easily one of the best times to buy Nintendo Switch accessories, as many top options receive heavy discounts. The likes of the Nitro Deck and compatible SD cards almost always get great Black Friday discounts, which is good news if you want to pick one up for the holidays and still save some cash.
What accessories do I need for Nintendo Switch?
To get the most out of your Nintendo Switch, we highly recommend the Nitro Deck for portable players. We rate it as the best Nintendo Switch accessory around. For extra storage, also consider purchasing a SanDisk microSDXC card. And if you're in the market for a better controller then the Joy-Cons, the 8BitDo Ultimate and Nintendo Switch Pro Controller are choice picks here.
Do I need an SD Card for my Nintendo Switch?
Although having a microSD card for your Nintendo Switch isn't essential, it's beneficial to any gamer who may have an excessive game library. The standard Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch Lite only offer 32GB of free storage out of the box, and while the Nintendo Switch OLED doubles this to 64GB, once you start downloading games, this rapidly fills up. A microSD Card will help bulk out your storage to something more reasonable.
Does the Nintendo Switch come with any accessories?
When you purchase a Nintendo Switch, the only accessories you'll receive within the box are a standard Joy-Con Grip and accompanying rails. Any other accessories will need to be purchased separately, but given the scale of products available currently, you can find something to suit your needs perfectly, such as a carry case or any controllers to suit your gameplay better than the standard Joy-Con.
How to choose Nintendo Switch accessories
Picking which Nintendo Switch accessory or Nintendo Switch accessories for you should be quite a simple process. Ultimately, the goal of buying any accessory is to improve your playing experience. With this in mind, it's a good idea to start by considering the areas in which you think your Nintendo Switch is currently lacking. If you love to play in handheld mode, but don't like the cramped Joy-Con controls, for example, then something like the Nitro Deck will be an excellent pick.
Likewise, if you own many digital games and you frequently find yourself running out of console storage space, you should definitely consider picking up the any of the best SD cards for Switch, such as the SanDisk model in this guide. If you're shopping to try and improve your fitness, then Ring Fit Adventure should be on your radar. We believe that any of the items on this list would be a good choice for a wide range of players.
