After seven years of the Nintendo Switch being on the market, Nintendo is finally releasing an official Joy-Con Charging Stand. The company announced on X (formerly Twitter) that the stand will be available on October 17th. While we don’t have many details yet, images of the stand show it supporting all Joy-Cons, including the Nintendo Entertainment System Controllers. It appears to work vertically on a stand and horizontally if you want to lay it flat. Like the Switch, the stand has a USB-C connector on the top.
The news of the stand has sparked conversation, particularly as it comes at the end of the Switch’s life cycle. Users have never needed an official Joy-Con charging stand since the Switch dock charges the controllers along with the console. There are also numerous other ways to charge them, including an official charging grip that lets you charge them while you play. Many third-party options are also available for those with multiple pairs of Joy-Cons.
The release comes at a time when the Switch has become the longest-running Nintendo console without a successor. Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa has confirmed the existence of a new console, calling it a “Nintendo Switch successor” on X. Rumors have been circulating about the successor, including the possibility of Joy-Cons with magnets instead of rails. If these rumors are true, then the new charging stand may not be compatible. However, if Nintendo doesn’t change the Joy-Con form factor for a potential Switch 2, then this belated release would make more sense.
