Switch 2 Accessories Worth Buying, and What to Skip

A Switch 2 needs fewer add-ons than the store shelves suggest, because the box already holds a pair of Joy-Con 2 controllers, a grip, two straps, the dock, the AC adapter and an HDMI cable. These are the accessories worth paying for, by the job each one does, at Nintendo Store prices on November 2, 2026:

• More storage: a microSD Express card, such as Nintendo’s licensed Samsung microSD Express Card (256GB) at $59.99. An ordinary microSD card won’t hold games.
• A better controller: the Switch 2 Pro Controller at $89.99, or the wired HORIPAD Turbo at $39.99.
• A second player: another Joy-Con 2 pair at $99.99.
• Protection: the PowerA Protection Case at $24.99 and HORI’s Screen Protective Filter at $9.99.
• Charging: the Joy-Con 2 Charging Grip at $39.99.
• Video chat: the Switch 2 Camera at $54.99.

Prices on Amazon and at other stores can differ; the Amazon links below go to listings sold by Amazon.com, checked the same day.

Switch 2 accessories at a glance

What’s already in the box

Nintendo lists these in the Switch 2 box: the console, Joy-Con 2 (L) in Light Blue and Joy-Con 2 (R) in Light Red, the Switch 2 AC Adapter, a USB-C charging cable, the Switch 2 dock, a Joy-Con 2 Grip, two Joy-Con 2 straps and an Ultra High Speed HDMI cable. So a first-time owner already has a pair of controllers, a way to play on the TV and a charger. Nintendo says Joy-Con 2 charge when attached to the console or to the Joy-Con 2 Charging Grip, which it sells separately and says is “not included with the Nintendo Switch 2 system.”

Storage: a microSD Express card

The console has 256 GB of storage, and “a portion of the storage is reserved for use by the system.” Its card slot takes microSD Express cards only, up to 2 TB. Nintendo’s support page says “Nintendo Switch 2 is only compatible with microSD Express cards,” and three details on it matter before you buy one:

• The card from an old Switch won’t carry games over. Putting a microSD card used in a Nintendo Switch into a Switch 2 “will not allow you to save or load digital games or save data,” though it can still load the screenshots and videos captured on it.
• First use needs the internet. “A system update via the internet is required the first time you use a microSD Express card.”
• It also works in an original Switch, but there it runs at ordinary microSD speed.

Nintendo’s page illustrates this with “a microSD Express card with the microSD EX symbol highlighted,” so that symbol is the one to look for on the card.

Nintendo’s own store sells the Samsung microSD Express Card (256GB) for $59.99. On Amazon, Samsung’s 256 GB Switch 2 card, the SanDisk 256GB microSD Express Card and the SanDisk 512GB microSD Express Card for Nintendo Switch 2 were all sold by Amazon.com on November 2, 2026; check the price there.

Samsung microSD Express Card (256GB) at the Nintendo Store · Check price on Amazon

Controllers: Pro Controller, Joy-Con 2 or a wired pad

Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller, $89.99. Nintendo lists HD Rumble 2, motion controls, built-in amiibo support, a C Button that opens GameChat, GL and GR buttons “that you can map to any button you choose,” and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. It comes with a USB-C charging cable and is “only for use with the Nintendo Switch 2 system.” GameChat itself needs an internet connection, a Nintendo Account and a Nintendo Switch Online membership, sold separately.

Pro Controller at the Nintendo Store · Check price on Amazon

Joy-Con 2 pair, $99.99. A second set lets two people play with a pair each, and Nintendo describes the set as “perfect for local multiplayer with a friend in compatible games.” It includes two straps. Nintendo’s store had it in Light Blue / Light Red and in Blue / Light Yellow, a color scheme Nintendo says is inspired by Deep Cut from Splatoon, both at $99.99 on November 2, 2026. Each Joy-Con 2 lasts about 20 hours per charge, by Nintendo’s estimate.

Light Blue / Light Red: Check price on Amazon · Blue / Light Yellow: Check price on Amazon

HORIPAD Turbo, $39.99. This officially licensed controller from HORI is wired, has a C Button and programmable rear buttons, and works with the Switch 2 and the original Switch. It costs less than half the Pro Controller. The trade-offs are the cable and the features HORI’s description doesn’t list: the Pro Controller’s HD Rumble 2, motion controls, amiibo support and headphone jack. As a wired pad it needs a USB port: the Switch 2 dock has two on its side, and HORI’s Dual USB PlayStand adds two for tabletop mode.

Check price on Amazon

Already own an original Pro Controller? Nintendo lists it as compatible: it pairs wirelessly with a Switch 2 and charges from the Switch 2 dock over a USB cable. Original Joy-Con pair wirelessly too, but they can’t attach to the Switch 2, and charging them takes an original Switch or an accessory such as the Joy-Con Charging Grip or Joy-Con Charging Stand (Two-Way).

The Nintendo GameCube Controller, $69.99, is the one controller with a catch for gift-givers. Nintendo says “to purchase this controller, you must have a paid Nintendo Switch Online membership,” limits it to four per account, and sells it on its own store. The GameCube games it is made for need Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack, and the controller only works with the Switch 2.

Charging and power

The Switch 2’s battery lasts about 2 to 6.5 hours depending on the game, and a full charge takes about 3 hours in sleep mode, according to Nintendo. The console has two USB-C ports: the bottom one charges it and connects to the dock, and the top one takes accessories or a charger.

Joy-Con 2 Charging Grip, $39.99. It turns the two Joy-Con 2 into one classic-style controller that charges over the included USB-C cable, and it adds GL and GR buttons. Nintendo says Joy-Con 2 charge when attached to the console or to this grip.

Check price on Amazon

Power banks and wall chargers. ChargerLAB tested nearly 100 third-party chargers with the Switch 2 in handheld mode, using the original USB-C cable, and reported “no incompatibility issues,” with most charging at around 16 watts; power banks charged it at much the same rate. So in handheld mode, a USB-C power bank you already own should top it up. For the dock, use the Switch 2 AC Adapter: Nintendo says the original Switch adapter can’t run a Switch 2 in TV mode. One Switch 2-specific option is Belkin’s Grip Charging Case, which Amazon’s listing describes as a grip with a 10,000 mAh power bank “recharging your Switch 2 up to 1.5 times.”

Belkin Grip Charging Case: Check price on Amazon

A spare AC adapter, $34.99. Nintendo sells its Switch 2 AC Adapter as a replacement; it plugs into the console or the dock and also works with original Switch systems.

Check price on Amazon

Cases and screen protectors

PowerA Protection Case, $24.99. A zip case with a sturdy outer shell, a soft lining, slots for 9 game cards and 2 microSD Express cards, a mesh pocket and a play stand that doubles as a padded screen cover. PowerA backs it with a 2-year limited warranty.

Check price on Amazon

Nintendo’s own cases. The Nintendo Switch 2 All-In-One Carrying Case ($84.99) holds the console, the dock, the Joy-Con 2, cables and up to six game cards, so it suits someone who takes the whole setup to another TV. The Nintendo Switch 2 Carrying Case & Screen Protector ($39.99) comes with a screen protector and cleaning cloth. The Nintendo Store showed both as out of stock on November 2, 2026.

HORI Screen Protective Filter for Nintendo Switch 2, $9.99. An officially licensed film made in Japan, cut to fit the Switch 2 screen. On Amazon, the HORI Ultimate Anti-Glare Screen Filter was sold by Amazon.com; its listing says it “greatly reduces glare.”

Screen Protective Filter at the Nintendo Store · HORI anti-glare filter: Check price on Amazon

Camera, headphones and a second TV

Nintendo Switch 2 Camera, $54.99. It plugs into the USB-C port on top of the console for video chat in GameChat and for camera features in games, and it has a built-in privacy shutter. Nintendo also says “a compatible USB camera” works for GameChat video. GameChat needs an internet connection, a Nintendo Account and a Nintendo Switch Online membership, sold separately. HORI’s licensed Piranha Plant Camera costs $59.99 at the Nintendo Store. On Amazon on November 2, 2026, the camera listing’s buy box was a third-party reseller with one left in stock, so buy it from Nintendo.

Switch 2 Camera at the Nintendo Store · Piranha Plant Camera: Check price on Amazon

Headphones. The console has a 3.5 mm 4-contact (CTIA) headphone jack, and so does the Pro Controller. Nintendo notes it “cannot guarantee functionality with all products.” A wired headset with a single 4-contact (CTIA) plug matches the jack Nintendo specifies.

Nintendo Switch 2 Dock Set, $124.99. For a second TV in the house: the set includes a dock, an AC adapter, a USB-C charging cable and an Ultra High Speed HDMI cable.

Dock Set at the Nintendo Store

HORI Dual USB PlayStand, $39.99. A stand for tabletop mode with two USB-A ports for wired controllers and a USB-C port for charging while playing; the AC adapter is not included.

Check price on Amazon

Old Switch accessories: what carries over

Nintendo’s compatibility page lists what carries over from the original Switch and what doesn’t:

• Nintendo Switch Dock: not compatible.
• Adjustable Charging Stand for Nintendo Switch: not compatible.
• Original Nintendo Switch AC adapter: it charges a Switch 2 plugged in directly, but because of its differing power output it can’t run the Switch 2 in TV mode.
• The HDMI cable from an original Switch: not compatible; use the cable that comes with the Switch 2.
• Ordinary microSD cards: only for viewing screenshots and videos captured on an original Switch.
• Original Joy-Con add-ons (skip them unless you still use original Joy-Con: Joy-Con Grip, Joy-Con Charging Grip, Joy-Con Strap, Joy-Con Wheel, Joy-Con Charging Stand (Two-Way), Joy-Con AA Battery Pack Pair). They can’t be used with Joy-Con 2. Nintendo says they’re only compatible with original Joy-Con, which can be used wirelessly with a Switch 2.
• Leg Strap and Ring-Con: they work on a Switch 2 only with original Joy-Con, for Nintendo Switch Sports and Ring Fit Adventure respectively.
• Still fine: original Joy-Con and the original Pro Controller (both wirelessly), the NES, Super NES, Nintendo 64 and SEGA Genesis controllers (wirelessly, in compatible games), and the Nintendo GameCube Controller Adapter (in TV mode, through a USB port on the Switch 2 dock).

Watch for this when shopping on Amazon: a search for a Switch 2 dock set on November 2, 2026 returned third-party docks and the original Nintendo Switch Dock Set, which does not work with a Switch 2. The Joy-Con 2 Wheel ($24.99 at the Nintendo Store) is the Switch 2 version, made “only for use with Joy-Con 2 controllers in compatible games.”

What to give a Switch 2 owner

Every item below is made for the Switch 2. Prices are the Nintendo Store’s on November 2, 2026.

A memory card is a practical gift for anyone whose console is filling up: the Switch 2 has 256 GB, with part of it reserved for the system. The first time it goes in, the console needs a one-time system update over the internet. Check before buying a Pro Controller: an owner who already has the original Pro Controller can keep using it. Skip the Nintendo GameCube Controller as a surprise unless you have a paid Nintendo Switch Online membership yourself, since Nintendo requires one to buy it.

For the console itself, the game console guide compares the Switch 2 with the PS5, Xbox and handheld PCs, including the bundles.

Frequently asked questions

Do old Switch controllers work with the Switch 2?

Mostly. Nintendo lists the original Pro Controller and original Joy-Con as compatible: both pair wirelessly. Original Joy-Con can’t attach to the Switch 2 or charge on it, and the NES, Super NES, Nintendo 64 and SEGA Genesis controllers work with compatible games.

What SD card does the Switch 2 need?

A microSD Express card, up to 2 TB. An ordinary microSD card from an original Switch can only be used to view its screenshots and videos, and the first time you use an Express card the console needs a system update over the internet.

Can you use an old Switch dock or charger?

The original dock does not work with the Switch 2. The original AC adapter can charge the console when plugged in directly but can’t run it in TV mode, and the original HDMI cable isn’t compatible either.

Do you need to buy a controller with a Switch 2?

Not to start. The box includes two Joy-Con 2 controllers and a grip that joins them into one controller. A Pro Controller ($89.99) or a second Joy-Con 2 pair ($99.99) is for comfort on the TV or for a second player.

Can a regular USB-C power bank charge a Switch 2?

In handheld mode, yes. ChargerLAB’s tests of nearly 100 third-party chargers, plus power banks, found they charged the Switch 2 in handheld mode at around 16 watts with no compatibility problems. Nintendo rates the battery at about 2 to 6.5 hours of play. For TV mode, use the Switch 2 AC Adapter with the dock.

Sources (7)

• nintendo.com Nintendo Store: Switch 2 accessories and prices (November 2, 2026)
• nintendo.com Nintendo Store: Nintendo Switch 2 System
• nintendo.com Switch 2 tech specs
• en-americas-support.nintendo.com Nintendo Support: Compatibility of Nintendo Switch with Nintendo Switch 2
• en-americas-support.nintendo.com Nintendo Support: microSD and microSD Express card compatibility
• chargerlab.com Compatibility test of Nintendo Switch 2 (handheld mode)
• amazon.com Switch 2 accessory listings (November 2, 2026)