The Nintendo Switch charging port is located at the bottom of the console making it not-so-fun to play on the tabletop mode with a kickstand. So, to make life easier for the players, the Japanese company has finally come up with a solution – an adjustable Nintendo Switch charging stand.
Elevated stands from Hori and Twelve South are already selling on the market, but now Nintendo has decided to push their own accessory in the market. Nintendo is offering players a new adjustable charging stand for $20. Available from July, the Nintendo Switch charging stand would enable longer tabletop sessions, according to Nintendo.
“The adjustable charging stand allows the Nintendo Switch system to be charging while in Tabletop mode, enabling longer play sessions,” the game maker said.
The adjustable Nintendo Switch charging stand includes a charging dock with its own kickstand that can be adjusted to various angles. While Switch’s AC adaptor can be plugged into the stand for power, there is no HDMI output mode available. According to the company, the Switch’s tabletop mode would enable the use of joy-cons separately from the Switch without the need of an external TV or screen.
The new Nintendo Switch charging stand fixes one of the major issues related to the design of the Switch’s tabletop mode by moving the charging port to the side instead of the bottom. A charging port at the bottom makes it difficult to charge the Switch while using it in that mode. Also, the new accessory is more flexible and stable than the thin kickstand.
However, for just a peripheral stand, Nintendo may be charging the Switch owners an unreasonably high price. Owners may not have much of a choice but to go for the new Nintendo Switch charging stand, considering Nintendo’s hatred for third-party accessories.
The Japanese console maker has never been a fan of third-party accessories for its products, and has reportedly gone to great lengths to discourage all those available in the market. Nintendo reportedly made tweaks with the latest Switch 5.0 update to make sure that the third-party accessories are rendered useless. After the update in March, many users complained that their third-party accessories, mainly charging stands and docks, have marred their gaming experience. One of the miffed users even filed a lawsuit against the accessory maker Nyko.
Nintendo has long been requesting customers to avoid using unlicensed Switch accessories. “Nintendo [recommends] that Switch owners only buy officially licensed Switch products. Unlicensed products and accessories do not undergo Nintendo’s testing and evaluation process,” the firm said earlier this year. The company also warned that these accessories might not be compatible with all their systems and games.
However, considering the delay that the company makes in coming up with official accessories, the players have no option but to settle for third-party accessories. There are plenty of accessories available for the Switch that makes the gaming experience even better. One such accessory is the Mumba Nintendo Switch case, which is made to protect the console at all costs. The case is a shock and scratch-resistant polycarbonate cover. One of the best things about the case is that it makes the console very accessible by allowing players to keep using the Switch while still in the cover.
Then, there is the Splatoon 2 Pro Controller. This multicolor controller has one side pink while the other is green making it the cutest looking Switch accessory yet. There are more useful accessories such as Joy-Con controller Armour Guards, Joy-Con Wheel Pair, Joy-Con Pair, and much more.
The announcement for Nintendo’s new adjustable charging stand comes ahead of the E3 2018, where the company plans to announce more Super Smash Bros. for the Switch. Unlike last year, where Super Mario Odyssey took center stage, this year it will be Smash. The game, which should be out later this year, would help push the sales up further. According to Nintendo, the console has sold 17.79 million units and was planning to sell 20 million more during the last fiscal year.
Separately, the company has invited eight of the best players in the world to face off in the Super Smash Bros. competition at the E3. The names of the competing players have already been made public by Nintendo, and the list includes: MkLeo, ZeRo, Armada, Abadango, Plup, Mr.R, Lucky and Mango. According to Nintendo, the players would get to play the Super Smash Bros. game Switch version for the first time at the event.
The E3 will start on June 12 and run till June 14 at the same place where it has been hosted for the last few years – the Los Angeles Convention Center. The show would see conferences from the usual participants such as Sony, Microsoft, Ubisoft, EA and more.
