Despite coming in with a slightly wider body and a larger seven-inch display, the Nintendo Switch OLED, which came out sometime last year, has remained compatible with majority of Switch accessories that have been released in previous years. That means, upgrading to the newer, more powerful OLED version doesn’t require a completely new set of supplementary devices. However, there are some accessories designed for older Switches that just won’t work with the OLED model, namely grips, cases, and, of course, screen protectors. Everything else, for the most part, will work just fine.
This bears keeping in mind when shopping accessories for your new Switch OLED. Older accessories could be cheaper, after all, while remaining functionally compatible with your newer device. However, newer accessories designed specifically with the OLED in mind could prove a better fit, so you’ll need to consider both pros and cons when deciding on the exact brand and model of accessory to get.
These are currently our favorite accessories for the Nintendo Switch OLED.
iVoler Tempered Glass Screen Protector for Nintendo Switch OLED
The first order of business for any one with a new Switch OLED is to put a protective cover on that seven-inch screen to keep it from getting any nicks and scratches. The tempered glass measures 0.3mm in thickness, providing adequate protection while allowing full touchscreen access, all while promising 99.99 percent transparency, full scratch-resistance, and oleophobic function. It comes in packs of four because they know you’re going to mess up applying the cover the first couple of times (we all do), although they also included an installation frame to ease putting on the screen protector just a little bit.
Hori Game Card Case 24
If you prefer game cards over digital downloads as a way of keeping the old-school console spirit alive, then you’ll need a way to carry those game cards when you’re on the go. This protective case comes with storage slots for up to 24 game cards, so you can bring a decent library along, whether for a day out in the city or an out-of-town trip.
Amazon Basics Playstand
One design element they didn’t change with the Switch OLED is the placement of the charging slot, which remains at the bottom, making it impossible to charge the device while using the integrated kickstand to stand it upright on a desk. This accessory gives you an elevated stand to hold the Switch upright on a desk while it’s plugged to a charging cable, with no-slip rubber feet that keep it in place the whole time. It’s collapsible, too, allowing you to pack it into a flat bundle for easily stashing into a bag pocket.
JETech Protective Case
If you’re wary of getting your any part of your Switch OLED scratched, your best bet is to slip on a protective case. While there are colored cases out there, we prefer a transparent case like this one, so your Switch can retain its original aesthetics while getting a proper protective skin. It’s dockable, so you don’t have to remove the case when you want to play on the TV, which is ideal, since it’s a bit of a pain to remove, as you’ll have to pull out the Joy Cons and remove their cases separately.
Fastsnail Grips
These Joy Con cases let you give each individual gamepad a more comfortable grip that resembles the shape of current-gen controllers for the Xbox and Playstation. The firm plastic grips should slot comfortably in your hands, while the rubber matte grip ensures a secure, no-slip grip. The included analog caps make it easier to use the gamepad’s thumb stick controls, while extension bumpers for the notoriously tiny SL and SR buttons make them a breeze to tap. Suffice to say, if you’ve ever complained about finding the Joy Cons utterly uncomfortable to use sideways, this is the best way to change things up.
Game Traveler Deluxe Travel Case
This molded case gives you a zippered container for taking your Switch on the go, with a padded interior to protect your gaming handheld and a durable shell available in either ballistic nylon or PU leather. It has a recessed section inside designed to fit the Switch flush, with even deeper recesses allowing you to stash up to eight game cards. The case fits all models, too, including the Switch OLED, the original Switch, and the Switch Lite. Features include a soft satin inner lining, a padded screen protector, zippered interior pocket for accessories, and a rubberized comfort handle.
Turtle Beach Battle Buds
If you regularly use your Switch OLED for playing on-the-go, you’ll need proper portable earbuds to both enjoy the game sound and do proper in-game comms. These wired earbuds offer that with 10mm drivers that are tuned for crisp highs and thundering lows, as well as a high-sensitivity boom mic with a flexible arm (you can twist it directly over your mouth) that you can plug in if you want crystal-clear comms for your favorite multiplayer title. It comes with swappable ear tips, so you can find the perfect fit for your ears, while an inline controller lets you adjust volume and mute the mic with ease.
PowerA Controller Charging Base
If you decided to pick up a Switch Pro Controller, along with a couple of extra Joy Cons for playing with friends, then that’s going to be a lot of charging cables strewn around your place. Clean things up a little with this charging base, which has a designated slot for a Pro Controller and a pair of Joy Cons, allowing you to charge three gamepads simultaneously while running just a single cable.
Nimble Champ Portable Charger
This power bank can produce the 18W power delivery that the Switch requires, allowing you to charge your gaming handheld while you play. It houses a 10,000 mAh battery, so it can charge the Switch OLED two times over, with a bit of extra juice to spare, which should be enough to let you play for most of the day. If you want even more power, there’s also a more expensive 20,000 mAh version.
SanDisk 256GB mcroSDXC Card
If you want to buy the bare minimum accessories, you’ll be best served putting money two items in particular: a screen protector to prevent damage to the console’s display and an SD card to supplement the Switch OLED’s 64GB onboard storage. We recommend this Switch-branded 256GB Class 10 microSDXC card from SanDisk, which is both affordably-priced and tested to work with the gaming handheld.
Hori Split Pad Pro
Despite the Switch reviving handheld gaming in this generation, it’s not the most comfortable device to cradle in hand for long periods. A lot of that is due to the Joy-Con’s ergonomics, which lack the comfortable grip that those marathon sessions require. This replacement controller offers a much better ergonomic experience, all while giving you larger buttons, a proper D-pad, more conventional analog sticks, and large comfortable grips. It even has programmable rear triggers and turbo functionality, although you do lose motion controls, amiibo scanning, and rumble vibrations, so it does have some tradeoffs.
Razer Barracuda X
Want wireless headphones you can use when playing with your Switch? This over-the-ear model combines great-sounding 40mm drivers, a detachable boom mic that captures voices while suppressing background noise, and tactile controls located under the ear cups. It’s affordably-priced, too, especially when compared with other Switch-compatible headsets that deliver comparable performance. Because the Bluetooth support of Nintendo’s console remains not-so-reliable, it comes with a 2.4GHz dongle for more dependable wireless connectivity.
HyperX Chargeplay Quad
If you own plenty of Joy-Cons for all those party games you play with family and friends, you can definitely use this Joy-Con charger, which has slots for juicing up to four of the gamepads at a time. Individual LED indicators for each slot lets you know when a Joy-Con is fully-charged, while a weighted base keeps it from slipping even when things get rowdy during play.
Satisfye ZenGrip Pro Gen 3 OLED
Because grips require you to slot the Switch into a dock in the middle, it’s sized to snugly fit the Switch model it’s designed to hold. As such, you won’t be able to use your old grips for the new OLED model, requiring you to get a brand new accessory if you want better ergonomics when using Nintendo’s latest gaming handheld. These grips from Satisfye are among the best we’ve seen, providing a really premium and secure feel with the console in hand. It works with both the OLED and older Switch models, too, with no need to make any adjustments or modifications. Do note, the grip does add a bit of width to the overall console size, so if you have smaller hands, this might make it harder to reach the action buttons, but we found the size perfect for those with average- and larger-sized hands. It’s not dockable, by the way, so you’ll have to take it off each time you decide to connect the Switch to a TV.
8Bitdo Pro 2 Bluetooth Controller
We’re big fans of this controller from 8Bitdo, which works beautifully with the Switch OLED, whether you’re playing at home or on the go. It gets a PS4-style layout, complete with asymmetric thumb sticks, as well as two programmable rear paddles. The best part about this gamepad is the fact that it won’t just work for the Switch, but also for Windows, macOS, and even Android, complete with a tuning software that lets you perform plenty of granular fine tuning (e.g. you can adjust sensitivity for thumb sticks and triggers, adjust vibration intensity, assign macros, and more). Basically, if you’re not exclusively a Switch gamer, this is a nice gamepad to add to your stash.
HyperDrive 60W Switch Dock
This charging hub comes with three USB slots, namely a 45W USB-C, an 18W USB-C, and a 7.5W USB-A, for replenishing a trio of devices at a time. More importantly, it has an HDMI output that you can use to connect to your Switch to the TV, eliminating the need to use the original dock. Because of the compact size, it’s a lot more convenient to bring than the standard dock, all while being able to charge not just the Switch, but laptops, tablets, and phones alike.
