If Nintendo finally (hopefully) follows through on my Switch 2 preorder promise, I was imagining that was going to be all I was willing to spend for this Nintendo’s new console. I’m planning to drop $500 on the handheld console packed with Mario Kart World, and that’s already eating deep into my budget. Then a little Piranha Plant camera chomped its way into my life. That toothy, polka-dot plant is the kind of webcam built to poke its head out of my handheld. Now, all I want to see are accessories that clever, cute, and indicative of the Switch 2’s inherent communal nature. Still, if Trump tariffs force Nintendo to make the Switch 2 cost even more after its preorder delay, I may be forced to just buy the Piranha Plant and leave the console behind.
The Piranha Plant webcam is currently up for preorder on German retailer Media Markt (as first spotted by VGC). It sits alongside the other, $50 Nintendo Switch 2 Camera that connects to the console via USB-C. This one has additional benefits over the official model. It can remain in its planter base, or you can stick it into the top of the Switch 2 itself to capture your mug front-and-center. It’s priced at 40 euros, or about $44 bucks U.S. (the regular camera is selling for 60 euros, or $66 U.S. from the same site). We reached out to both Nintendo and device maker Hori for more details about U.S. pricing and availability, and we’ll update this page if we hear back.
We’ve only had a glimpse of what kind of camera quality players can expect from the more-mundane stand-up webcam, and given this adorable little guy is cheaper we can expect the quality to be similar or more mediocre, but also it looks like a Piranha Plant and mediocre camera quality will probably be an acceptable trade off for a lot of people.
The other accessories we’ve seen so far aren’t as adorable, but they are pricey. Nintendo is still trying to push the idea of a $20 Joy-Con Wheel as “more realistic controls” in Mario Kart and the new Joy-Cons cost $90 for a pair. Want the new GameCube controller? That will likely cost even more. The $80 Nintendo Switch 2 Pro controller is $10 more than the original Pro controller, but we checked it out recently and also felt like it was a big upgrade with smooth ergonomics and quality back buttons.
I doubt it will replace my prized $40 Gulikit KK3 controller but we’re still waiting on Gulikit for word if it’s compatible with Switch 2. GameSir is also promoting its $50 Super Nova controller with a charging dock that should work with Switch 2. But the best way to avoid spending oodles of cash on new Joy-Cons is to use your old official Switch 1 controllers, which Wirecutter reported still connect with Switch 2 even if you’ll need to charge them separately.
Everything coming out of Nintendo feels more expensive this time around, but even then few of those peripherals emphasize the handheld’s best qualities. Nintendo’s first-party games are now standardized at either $70 or $80. The Switch 2 JoyCons now sell for $90, while that Charging Grip will set you back $35. You could buy a pair of $13 JoyCon 2 straps, but the only real benefit seems to be pads for slightly smoother mouse controls.
Accessory maker Genki released its own set of covers and attachments alongside a cheeky “Genki Indirect” video a few hours after Nintendo’s Switch 2 Direct. There’s a standard set of cases and carrying satchels, but the company is also offering some accessories that already seem more economical than Nintendo’s own. There’s the $40 Joy-Station, a wireless charging dock for two sets of JoyCons that lets them double as controllers. I’m not sure the angle of that attachment point is conducive to comfortable gaming, but it does offer more control options for when friends come to visit.
The case I’m more excited for is Genki’s $30 Force Field 2. It provides flaps to keep the Switch 2’s magnetically-attached JoyCons in place, but even better there are two secret compartments where you can stick Game Cards to always have them on hand. Genki is also selling a $70 external battery that’s essentially a 10,000 mAH MagSafe power bank for a Switch 2. Genki claims it magnetically attaches to the back any of the company’s cases fitted around the Switch 2. It should “triple your Switch 2 playtime,” even though we still don’t know the Switch 2 battery life.
There’s also DBrand’s Killswitch Case, Travel Cover and Game Card Holder which may also protect your Switch while helping you transport your favorite games. We still don’t have pricing yet for DBrand’s lineup, though the company told us pricing should be similar to current Steam Deck Killswitch cases. The company is finalizing kit configurations and is looking to have availability in late May.
We’re still waiting on more accessories to be announced (and possibly price changes for everything depending on the Trump Tariffs). Yet hopefully, we’ll get more accessories like the Piranha Plant camera. This is supposed to be a fun console, the communal console, and right now we need fun stuff and communal stuff. The world can feel like it’s sucking a lot right now, but imagine wrecking your whole family at Mario Kart while staring down the barrel of a Piranha Plant. That’s fun.
