Nintendo intrigued the internet on Thursday by unexpectedly revealing a new official accessory for the Switch — seven and a half years after the console’s launch, and shortly before the anticipated unveiling of its successor, the “Switch 2.”
It’s also a simple, utilitarian accessory. The Joy-Con Charging Stand (2-Way), to give it its official name, does exactly what it says: it charges two Joy-Con controllers for the price of $29.99. Official images posted by Nintendo on social media show the stand plugging directly into a Switch dock via a USB cable to draw power. It also appears that the central charging block can be detached from the stand, perhaps so it can double as a wired controller while the Joy-Con charge. The charging stand will be released on October 17.
The support seems pretty useful. The question is: why did Nintendo choose to put this peripheral into production now, when the Switch seems to have so little way to go? And why didn’t Nintendo make it sooner?
The answer to the second point is that Nintendo already sells officially licensed charging stands from third-party manufacturers Hori and PowerA, and probably didn’t see the need to add one with its own device. The only major difference is that these stands charge four Joy-Cons, not two.
The question of “why now” remains, and some speculation online indicates that support is a key part of the future of Nintendo’s next console – and, if so, one that confirms some of its leaked features.
In April, it was announced that the Switch 2’s new Joy-Cons would attach to the console magnetically, rather than using the current machine’s sliding rail system. The same reports claimed that existing Switch Joy-Cons would still be compatible with the new console.
But if you can’t connect your old Joy-Cons to your new console, how do you charge them? With an official Nintendo Joy-Con charging stand (two-way), of course!
It’s certainly a logical explanation as to why Nintendo might decide it needed to make its own Joy-Con charging solution at this late stage – even if the company isn’t likely to admit it.
Perhaps as a cover-up, Nintendo pointed out that the stand could also be used to charge its official NES controllers for Switch, a timely idea given the release of Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition this week. Well, that would be apt if the charging stand wasn’t still three months away.
Could this modest peripheral be a hint at the Switch 2’s features? We’ll find out when Nintendo finally unveils its next console before the end of its current fiscal year in March 2025.
