Nintendo Switch is just ten days away and I've already got some homework for you to get the best possible experience. Whether it's setting up your user ID for the new online services ahead of time or getting the best possible accessories picked out, you might as well get all this out of the way before you're sucked into The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for the foreseeable future.
Set up your Nintendo Switch user ID
Switch ties into the new, unified Nintendo Account service which is used by mobile games like Super Mario Run and Fire Emblem Heroes. So if you've played those games before, you might already have a Nintendo Account but you may still not have a user ID.
To check if you have a User ID set you can check by logging into the Nintendo Accounts page.
If the 'User ID' section is blank then you'll need to set one up. It looks like you can change your user ID without too much hassle, but if you want to get your preferred moniker for Switch multiplayer before somebody else scoops it up, you'd better hurry!
Pre-order a Switch, duh
Unless you enjoy camping outside of stores for a chance at dropping hundreds on a new product, you should try to get a Nintendo Switch pre-order in. Click that link to see our updated guide for securing a console early. You might have different luck depending on where you are in the world - my UK colleagues say they're still not having much trouble securing pre-orders, while here in the US they tend to sell out within minutes of going live.
Get one of these stickers to make your Joy-Con grip look like a dog
Switch's Joy-Con Grip looks like a goofy little dog face with handle-ears, stick-eyes, and a shiny logo-nose in the center. That's just a fact. Embrace your controller's caninity by backing this Kickstarter for Nintendo Switch dog tongue stickers. You can't unsee it, why should anyone else?
Grab a USB-C to USB-A cable for charging on the go
Nintendo Switch only comes with one AC adapter, which means you'll have to unplug it from both your Switch dock and the outlet every time you want to play and charge on the go. Save the hassle and pick up a USB-C to USB-A cable instead - it's a standard, common cable type so they're nice and cheap. Pair that with any typical USB charger and bingo, you've got a fully powered Switch wherever there's electricity.
- View deal: Cable Matters USB-C to USB-A cable in black 3.3 feet for $6.49 on Amazon
- View deal: Cable Matters USB-C to USB-A cable in black 3.3 feet for £4.99 on Amazon UK
Pick up a MicroSD card to meet your needs
The Switch does not come with a lot of internal storage which means it's time to pick up some additional storage in the form of a MicroSD card. If you favour physical games, you should be fine with a nice and cheap 32GB card just for future-proofing and to cover any digital-only games; Switch already comes with 32GB of storage space (minus its OS stuff) so that will effectively double it.
- View deal: Samsung 32GB MicroSDHC memory card for $10.99 at Amazon
- View deal: Samsung 32GB MicroSDHC memory card for £11.99 at Amazon UK
Heavy downloaders will want to go quite a bit bigger. For instance, installing Dragon Quest Heroes 1 & 2 takes up 32GB all by itself, though The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild weighs in at a comparatively light 13.4 GB. Nintendo Switch will eventually support cards up to 2TB in size, but 200GB should be plenty big enough to start.
- View deal: SanDisk Ultra 200GB MicroSD memory card for $69.95 at Amazon
- View deal: SanDisk Ultra 200GB MicroSD memory card for £75.38 at Amazon UK
Clear out a nice spot near your TV
Pick a location with a decent amount of vertical clearance so you can pop your Switch in and out of its dock without banging into anything. And make sure it's displayed prominent so your jealous friends can eyeball it, obviously.
Run down that list and you should be pretty well set up for when Nintendo Switch arrives on March 3. I'd joke about not leaving the house for weeks after that, but hey, you can go wherever you want and not stop playing! Except for funerals, probably stop playing at funerals.
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