It feels unfair to throw shade at the official Joy-Con grip compared to the best Nintendo Switch 2 accessories out there, as it comes free with the handheld. But the small controller add-on feels super uncomfortable and limiting. It locks your Switch 2 Joy-Cons to one angle and requires you to take off any grips every time you use it.
The edgy accessories maker Dbrand has decided to combat Nintendo's first-party accessory misgivings by releasing its own Joy-Lock Controller Holder. Available for $19.95 (Dbrand), it not only allows players to leave any grips attached (including Dbrand's Joy-Lock Grips naturally), but it also includes a ratcheting, articulating hinge, so you can mimic the angle of the best Nintendo Switch 2 controllers like the Switch 2 Pro Controller or make it "wider than the Xbox controller" at a fraction of a Pro controller cost.
This new Joy-Lock controller holder has a unique origin story. Instead of just deciding to release a grip of their own, as so many other brands have done in the Switch 2's wake, Dbrand states that their "customers invented it" first. When the NS2 Killswitch case launched last year, multiple customers were modding the official Nintendo version so they could still use Killswitch's ergonomic controller grips.
For those unaware, the official Switch 2 Joy-Con grip combines the controllers into one pad, but it also has curved handles on either side. This prevents you from using any grips of any kind, but Dbrand KillSwitch owners, like that of LimRaccoon on Reddit, found a solution by disassembling the accessory and taking off the pesky handles. This then inspired the brand to not plainly release a grip, given how challenging a pitch it would have been to suggest people buy an accessory they've already DIY'd, but instead focused on the fixed ergonomics limitations so many existing grips possess.
Thus, the Joy-Lock Controller Holder was born, which swaps the static middle section of a grip for an "ultra-satisfying ratchet mechanism" instead. Of course, if you don't already own the Killswitch case, which comes with the Dbrand ergonomic grips, you'll still be stuck with the flat backs of the Joy-Con controllers, which is a bit of a bummer as far as comfort goes.
You can buy the Joy-Lock Grips separately for $19.95 from the official Dbrand online store. However, that means you'll be expected to fork out a little over $39 for both, which is a lot for a Switch 2 Joy-Con grip accessory alone. Alternatives like the JSAUX Switch 2 Charging Grip are available for $21.99 at Amazon and provide both an angled controller holder and ergonomic grips. It doesn't have an adjustable hinge mechanism, but you would be saving $17 in comparison.
Dbrand has thought of this, and there is a $5 discount if you add both its Joy-Lock Controller Holder and grips to your online basket at least. You can also get $5 off the controller holder alone if you're a pre-existing Killswitch customer, which is a pro-consumer move that I'm as much a fan of as I am seeing another alternative to Nintendo's uncomfortable official grip. Hopefully, I can test it out for myself and see if it is truly more comfortable than a Pro controller.
- View all Dbrand Nintendo Switch 2 accessories at Best Buy
Want more accessories? Our guides to the best Nintendo Switch headsets, best Nintendo Switch 2 cases, and the best Nintendo Switch 2 microSD Express cards are full of high-quality additions to your Ninty handheld.
