Nintendo Switch Sports Accessories You Definitely Shouldn't Buy
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No one has done motion-controlled sports games quite like Nintendo, with "Wii Sports" still being the high benchmark. The company's immaculately built hardware, coupled with the simple fun of its game design has made these titles a must-have for anyone who enjoys a little physical activity with their video games. "Nintendo Switch Sports" is set to have a ton of motion controlled action for players to engage with. It will include Tennis, Bowling, and Chanbara, Soccer, Volleyball and Badminton at launch and a free update will add Golf in the fall.
Now, all of these games are sure to include motion controls, which means players are probably going to want to pop that nylon wristband on in order to avoid accidentally launching a Joy-Con through their TV screen during an enthusiastic tennis match, but only one of them needs an accessory that doesn't come with the Switch itself. "Shoot-Out" mode in Soccer requires a leg strap that comes with the physical edition of the game. Official Nintendo versions of the leg strap will be also be available for sale individually April 29. Gamers who buy the digital edition or those who want to engage in a little multiplayer action will probably want to get an extra one of these. This is the only accessory players might really need for "Nintendo Switch Sports" right now, but a quick Amazon search reveals that there are plenty of manufacturers out there who are eager to sell players some extra accessories for the title — here's why you might not want to snap them up.
Indoor swordplay is not encouraged
First up on the list of unnecessary "Nintendo Switch Sports" accessories are sword grips. The game will include Chanbara, a sport that involves two players getting into a ring where they face off in a competition to see who has the better sword skills. Players control the sword by positioning and swinging the JoyStick according to the way they want the sword to move on screen. This is one of those games for which that nylon wrist attachment is probably a good call, but no other accessories are totally necessary.
In spite of that, the companies GH-Gamer's House and JOYTORN have both released sword grips targeted towards both the new "Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword" and "Nintendo Switch Sports." The GH-Gamer's House sword holds the right Joy-Con, and apparently lights up when you add batteries and swing it — but there is no way to secure the device to the player's wrist. Customer reviews are split on whether this lack of a safety net is a plus or a minus. The JOYTRON sword is even stranger, as it sports several slots along the plastic blade for housing 12 Switch game cartridges (because that's what you want to be swinging around your living room).
No need for a racket
Tennis is another sport that doesn't really need any added accessories. Much like Chanbara, "Nintendo Switch Sports" Tennis works by having the player move the Joy-Con in motions that reflect what they intend for their character to do on-screen. Players can perform various strokes — such as topspins, backspins and lobs — simply by swinging the Joy-Con in the same way they would an actual tennis racket.
Nevertheless, some companies have dared to ask the question: "What if you did have a tennis racket?" TALK WORKS is currently selling a Nintendo Switch tennis racket accessory that is primarily targeted toward "Mario Tennis Aces," but has also been listed as Amazon's Choice for "Nintendo Switch Sports accessories." The racket itself is small and has a simple plastic design, complete with a rectangular cutout in the handle for holding the Joy-Con. This device is also lacking access to the Joy-Con's SR and LR buttons. The one good thing that can be said about it is that it does have nice, thick wrist straps attached, so the rackets hopefully won't go flying out of overly enthusiastic hands. It still seems unwise to unnecessarily swing larger objects around in front of a TV, however.
Leave the clubs in the bag
Golf will not be included in the initial release of "Nintendo Switch Sports," but it will be added as part of a free software update in Fall 2022. There is no information as of yet as to how the gameplay will work in this game, but that doesn't mean companies aren't already trying to sell accessories for it.
EJGAME has released a golf club accessory that is sold in a two-pack. These seem to have been initially targeted toward "Mario Golf Super Rush," but are now also being touted as optional "Nintendo Switch Sports" accessories. These also have simple, whimsical designs and cutouts for the Joy-Con in the handles. They do allow players to use both the SR and LR buttons and a wrist strap, thankfully. The rod is also rotatable, so players can make sure the clubhead is facing the correct direction, no matter which side they choose to stand on. Even so, the addition of Golf is still months away, so it's still unclear if these accessories will be necessary when the mini-game is added.