We know why you love the Nintendo Switch: the console can transform from a home gaming system to a portable one at the blink of an eye. And it’s genius to have two little controllers that can combine to create one big one. But those controllers can be hard to grasp for long stretches of time, so we rounded up some more ergonomic alternatives affordable enough for even light users to love.
Too many of us have been using those little controllers when we don’t need to. They’re just not ideal for big gaming sessions, and there are plenty of alternatives—not all of them pricey. Some clock in at less than half the price of the Nintendo Pro Controller.
Nintendo has always had a thing for wacky controllers. Remember the GameCube’s weird squiggly purple controller, which was always more comfortable than it looked? Now you can get that same style, but with all the buttons you need to play games on the Switch.
Sometimes, with less expensive gaming accessories, you worry about whether you can really comfortably play with this gear for long periods of time. After all, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild takes about 60 hours to complete, and that’s a lot of time spent gripping one of these controllers. Luckily, there are some that are designed for a more comfortable experience: they might have a grippy, textured material on the handles, or a cleverly ergonomic design so that your hands won’t cramp up after an hours-long gaming session.
