Make Your Nintendo Switch NES-Like With Retro Joy-Cons

NES-themed Joy-Cons cost half as much as the Switch itself

nintendo switch joy con nes retro switchnes02 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

In these troubled times when Switch shortages are leading to hefty pricing for Nintendo’s current flagship console, the only real silver lining is that accessories don’t seem quite as expensive in comparison. Still, the NES-themed Joy-Con controllers from Colorware are not cheap. Putting an order in for a pair will set you back $200.

Coloware offers a number of different controllers and system skins, with a wide color palette to choose from, each offering a unique look for a system. With the Joy-Con Classic design though, Coloware has gone decidedly retro, hearkening back to the days of gaming’s past, with two controllers that look very much like the classic NES controller.

The main body of the Joy-Cons are classic NES gray, with a black backdrop for the buttons and joysticks themselves. The main buttons are of course red, and designated with little indicators alongside their diagonal layout. The D-Pad face buttons have also been given a light-gray surround to make them look much more like the D-Pad of old.

The Joy-Con Classic controllers cost $200 at the point of ordering and have all of the abilities of the standard Joy-Cons, as well as having a unique look. They also come with a Colorware warranty, which covers them for 12 months after purchase.

This isn’t the first time Colorware has launched a retro-themed controller or system. It also sells a “PlayStation 4 Pro Retro,” which features a PSX-style grey paint job and classic PlayStation Logo in its center, as well as controller indicators much like the original PlayStation console. There’s even a Dualshock 4 controller made with the classic gray styling of its predecessors. It can be purchased separately, though one does come with the retro PS4 Pro as well.

Neither are cheap, though. The Retro PS4 will set you back a whopping $900, while the retro Dualshock controller has a price tag of $120.

Of course, you don’t need to use Colorware products to make your system look retro. When it comes to the Nintendo Switch, you can change its look dramatically yourself, as many others have done. Some of the best Nintendo Switch mods have seen Joy-Cons given traditional D-Pad designs and there are plenty of others which change how it looks and operates.

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