December is finally here, and that means the countdown to find the best gifts for those with a Switch and Switch 2 is on. If they've got a ridiculous enough gaming backlog, you can always pick up one of the best Nintendo Switch 2 controllers and give the gift of a more premium pad, but not everyone can afford the $80+ price tag that comes with them.
If your budget is tight, I'd recommend you gift one of the colorful CRKD Atom keychain controllers instead, which are down to $17.99 at Amazon today. These adorable pads don't have the premium and ergonomic prowess of something like a Pro controller, but they're adorably small and collectible, and an utter joy to use when playing classic NES games on the Switch 2. Any old-school Nintendo fans will get a kick out of this cute (and collectible) keychain controller.
Why the CRKD Atom keychain controller is a perfect gift for the holidays
The CRKD Atom controller is half a practical controller and half a bit of a novelty in the best possible way. I have four of the things, and change up between having them on display, to using them to have quick gaming sessions whenever I'm in the mood for some classic NES Super Mario Bros on my Ninty handheld.
They come in a huge variety of colorways, which is partially the reason why I believe they're perfect retro gifts for the holidays. While the form factor of the Atom takes after the SNES controller, it's available in a "Retro Purple" style that mimics the color palette of the GameCube controller. That would go down a treat as a gift to any millennial who misses the early 00s era of Ninty games. My favorite of the lot is the "Atomic Purple" variant, as it looks like the translucent purple Game Boy Color of my childhood, and even as I type these very words, I have it on display with the rest of my Nintendo tech.
The tiny pads share a similar shape to SNES controllers of the 90s, but instead of just having a d-pad and a set of ABXY and shoulder buttons, they're also equipped with additional ZL and ZR buttons and are entirely wireless. These tiny pads are equipped with Bluetooth and are super easy to hook up to the older Switch, new Switch 2, for a quick playthrough of Nintendo Switch Online games, or any game that doesn't rely on analog sticks.
Just remember, when I tell you that the Atom is tiny, I mean it. The Atom Purple model in the images above is about the length of my thumb. With that in mind, this is not the kind of controller that you'd gift to someone who's after a more premium experience, or someone who may have dexterity issues with holding smaller accessories. It's more for someone who loves a quick run through of older Ninty titles and loves collecting all things retro and Nintendo.
If the current CRKD Atom deal price at Amazon isn't enough, you can also visit the CRKD website, where there's currently 40% off in total if you buy four at a time. If you have a large friend base who are all Nintendo nerds, buying in bulk could be helpful for the holidays.
- View all CRKD Atom controllers at Amazon
- View all CRKD controllers deals at Amazon
- CRKD Nitro Deck+ Pro Switch Controller |
$59.99$47.99 at Amazon
On the hunt for more Switch 2 accessories? Check out our guides to the best Nintendo Switch 2 cases, the best Nintendo Switch headsets, and the best Nintendo Switch 2 microSD Express cards for our top-picks to grab over the holidays.
