This Switch 2 sequel accessory was a few millimeters away from being good
The stick and face buttons are too close for comfort. | Photo: Cameron Faulkner / The Verge The Crkd Nitro Deck was a saving grace for the original Nintendo Switch. The slide-on $59.99 accessory brought Hall effect sticks to drift-plagued consoles - no need to open up your Joy-Con for a complicated repair. The Nitro Deck 2, made for both the original Switch and the larger Switch 2, continues the tradition of having…
Key points
- The Crkd Nitro Deck 2 is a slide-on accessory for the original Switch and Switch 2 that replaces the Joy-Con with better sticks.
- The reviewer says the right stick sits too close to the ABXY face buttons, making them hard to press comfortably.
- The original's slide-in design was replaced with a twisting vice-grip mechanism, which the reviewer says feels less secure.
The Crkd Nitro Deck 2 is a follow-up to the original Nitro Deck, a $59.99 slide-on accessory that brought Hall effect sticks to the first Nintendo Switch. The new version works with both the original Switch and the larger Switch 2, and its sticks are still better than those Nintendo puts on even the newest Joy-Con, though they are not Hall effect or TMR.
In a Verge review, the accessory is judged less essential than its predecessor, with one design flaw standing out: the right stick sits so close to the ABXY face buttons that pressing them comfortably is difficult.
Stick layout and grip design
The reviewer calls the stick-to-button arrangement a big step down from the original Nitro Deck and worse than the symmetrical layout of the Nitro Deck Plus. The Deck 2 makes the thumb approach the face buttons at an uncomfortable angle, and the reviewer says it is only a few millimeters off from working well.
To fit both consoles, Crkd replaced the original's slide-in design with a vice-grip design that uses a twisting mechanism on the back to loosen, tighten or lock. The reviewer calls it clever but less secure, and says Switch 2 owners must put a lot of faith in the mechanism holding a $500 console. The test unit did not feel wobbly, but the reviewer would have preferred a slide-in design made expressly for the Switch 2.
It’s just a few millimeters off.
— The Verge reviewer
What works and alternatives
The reviewer still likes several things about the Deck 2 more than the original, including adjustable tension on both sticks and a bulkier shape that is more comfortable in medium-size hands in handheld mode. It also has four back buttons and an extra button near the triggers.
Few similar accessories exist, and the other one the reviewer tried, the abxylute N6, was not good either. The reviewer plans to test Mobapad's latest take on Joy-Con and notes the Dbrand Killswitch 2 or Mechanism Basecase as comfort options.
