Nintendo Switch and Switch Lite Accessory Holiday Gift Guide 2020

In this video, we take a look at 5 great gifts ideal for anyone who will be getting, or already has, a Nintendo Switch or Switch Lite for the holidays.

The holidays are a challenging time for gift giving for many, especially if they are not familiar with the field of interest someone might have. Video game systems are no exception, as if you are not interested in the hobby yourself you may be wondering if you are getting a good gift for someone or not. The Nintendo Switch and Switch Lite are both amazingly popular gaming systems, and for great reasons. You may have decided to give your kids a Switch or Switch Lite for the Holidays, but what else should you get them? Never fear, as we've picked our top 5 favorite gift recommendations for Switch and Switch Lite owners!

Nintendo Online Subscription
If there is any interest in online gameplay with the Switch, the Nintendo Online Service is pretty much a must-own. For $3.99/mo, $7.99/3-mo or $19.99/12-mo, it's a pretty inexpensive add-on. If you have more than one Switch in the house, going for the family membership for only $34.99/12-mo is a great way to go as well.

Even if you're not interested in online gameplay, like me, the Switch Online service offers enough benefits for me to recommend. You get access to the NES and Super NES online catalog, filled with great games from the golden age of gaming. You also get free games to play like Tetris 99 and Mario 35th (for a limited time). You can also back up your save data to the cloud if anything were to happen to your Switch and you need to replace it.

Travel Cases
Whether you have the Switch or Switch Lite, if you travel you should protect your system while on the go. Just tossing it in a bag, purse, or backpack could lead the screen to get scratched or damaged, the Joy Cons to be broken, or other terrible issues. Travel cases will hold your system securely, protecting it from bumps and bangs as you transport it. Many also include storage for games, accessories such as headphones, and other items to make transporting your system a lot less of a hassle. Just don't toss your system off a bridge with your keys, you may never find them again.

Real Controllers
I am not a huge fan of the Joy Cons nor the Joy Con grip myself. I feel they are too small, they don't have the precision I am looking for, and overall, they're not a great experience. Upgrading to Nintendo's Pro Controller is a game changer compared to the Joy Cons. It's very well balanced, the analog sticks feel great, all the buttons feel wonderful and it just works. It's also compatible with Nintendo Amiibo figures.

In addition to the Nintendo Pro Controller, there's also the Pro Controllers from KMD. Available in transparent Black or Red, these controllers are budget friendly (Under $30), perform wonderfully, and are overall some of my favorite 3rd Party controllers. One omission is the lack of Amiibo support, but that's not a major issue to me. Another option for playing NES and SNES games would be the Hyperkin Scout or Cadet Bluetooth Controllers. They feel great in the hand, have excellent battery life, and are a lot less expensive than Nintendo's Switch Online Controller options. Plus, they include dongles to work with the original NES & SNES!

Controller Charging Stands
One of the issues with the Nintendo Pro Controller is that you need to plug it in to charge it. There's an easy way to get around that and that is by using 3rd Party Charging Blocks. What's nice about the Nyko Charging Block is that once you connect the little adapter that you see here you never have to plug or unplug anything from your Pro Controller to charge it. It also gives you a very nice way to store your Pro Controller when you are not playing and helps reduce clutter.

Beyond charging Pro Controllers, charging Joy Cons can be like wrangling cats sometimes. The KMD Joy Con Charger is amazingly convenient, it looks great, and it can charge & store 4 Joy Cons at once. I love mine, and it is always in-use with Joy Cons Charged and ready to go!

Extra Dock
Having an extra dock for the Switch definitely comes in handy if you want to be able to play in a living room and a bedroom or a living room and a rec room or living room and some other room. There are many options out there, from the OEM Nintendo Dock which can be somewhat expensive, to 3rd party docks that add additional features and benefits. The biggest adice I could offer regarding what dock to use is, regardless of your purchase, use the OEM Nintendo AC Adapter to avoid any potential issues.

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The footage used in this review are used under the Fair Use laws, referenced below:

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/107