Nitro Deck is the most comfortable Nintendo Switch grip out there
Accessories manufacturer CRKD delivers an impressive way to play Nintendo’s console that is simple to use and feels great in the hands.
Finding a way to make the Nintendo Switch more comfortable to play while in handheld mode is a mission that many a third-party accessories manufacturer has attempted. I know this because I’ve tried plenty in the six years since Nintendo’s hybrid console launched. The Hori Split Pad Pro, for instance, was hailed for the longest time by people as the height of Nintendo Switch ergonomics, but for me it was cumbersome. This led me to eventually find solstice in Skull and Co. Gaming’s Neogrip, which I was fine recommending… that is until the new Nitro Deck from CRKD came along.
The standard Nitro Deck comes in either Black or White and will set you back £59.99 / $59.99 / AU$65.99 whereas the Mint or Purple Limited edition costs £89.99 / $89.99 / AU$98.99 but includes a carrying case. This puts the standard edition at a lower cost than a set of brand-new Joy-Cons, coming in at £69.99 / $79.99 / AU$119.95 and despite the Mint and Purple versions costing more, the included carrying cost easily justifies the price.
Nitro Deck design
The Nitro Deck supposedly removes the annoyance of the standard Joy-Con’s weedy thumb sticks by getting rid of them altogether. Rather than forcing you to regularly click two attachments on and off the side of your Nintendo Switch’s screen, too, the Nitro Deck serves as an all-in-one solution that works more like a grip. You simply remove the Joy-Cons and then slot the screen inside the unit where it sits comfortably, primed, and ready to deliver comfort in handheld mode for hours on end.
The unit I got sent for this review was Retro Mint green in colour; at first, I thought it a little baby-ish, but it certainly makes the Nintendo Switch console stand out more so than any special edition Joy-Con colour I’ve ever seen. Plus, the Nitro Deck is available in several different colours depending on your preference, from standard Black, White, and Grey to more exuberant tones like my Retro Mint edition and a not-so-subtle Purple that strongly hearkens back to the Nintendo Gamecube controller.
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The Retro Mint tone is part of the Nitro Deck's Nostalgia Collection colour set (Aaron Potter)Overall, I would say the look of the Nitro Deck itself is very impressive regardless of the colour you choose. In fact, it’s not too dissimilar to the look of a Steam Deck, shrunken down to fit the size of either the standard console’s 6.2-inch or OLED version’s 7-inch screen and feeling like one solid piece that feels good to hold. All this is achieved without the typical heaviness you’d find with the current wave of portable PC devices such as the Steam Deck or Asus ROG Ally.
One of the most persistent issues to have plagued the Nintendo Switch as of late is of course drifting Joy-Con. Aside from designing a grip to look good and feel as comfy as possible to hold, this is an issue that CRKD was intent on tackling when creating the Nitro Deck. That’s why it included Hall Effect thumb sticks, which essentially means that they use magnets and electrical conductors to keep an accurate track of their position, being much better suited to stay precise compared to Nintendo’s own. Obviously, time will tell if this remains true and drift stays absent, but so far so good.
Nitro Deck features and performance
That said, on the subject of thumb sticks specifically, it’s here where the Nitro Deck shows the one chink in its armour. They’re sturdy enough, accurate enough, and feature both concaved and convexed tops that are swapped out easily. The issue lies in the place of the right-hand side stick, which requires a slightly larger reach when moving my thumb from the face buttons compared to the standard Joy-Con. This led to some initial discomfort when playing 3D titles where I had to control the camera, although it was something I eventually got used to.
The Nitro Deck being a Nintendo Switch accessory means that you’re unlikely to play too many competitive games. However, that hasn’t stopped CRKD from providing four back buttons that can be programmed to function as a single button or a series of button inputs, the latter of which could give players a serious edge in some cases. The process to do so is a little involved, I’ll be honest, requiring you to first hold a dedicated program button on the back, followed by the input you want, followed by the button you want to attach them to. I’m sure it’ll be worth it for players who want to take advantage of this feature.
A far cooler feature in my opinion is the ability to use Nitro Deck as a standalone controller. The Switch itself recognizes the Nitro Deck as a plugged-in Pro controller, the screen can at any time be taken out and docked onto the TV, connected to your dock using a USB-C cable, where it can then be used for big-screen play. In my time with the Nitro Deck, I only used this feature a couple of times, but it’s nice that it’s there as it’s sure to come in handy the next time I have a group of friends around to play Mario Kart 8: Deluxe.
I’m primarily a handheld player, hence why I quickly grew to love the comfortable ergonomics and exceptional build quality of the Nitro Deck. I also quickly came to appreciate the fact that I didn’t have much need to ever take the screen out of the Deck unit itself because this can only be done by holding a latch on the back and then physically pulling it out. This is fine, obviously, but does make your Switch screen prone to fingerprints whenever you pop it in and out. Not a deal break by any means; just a shame this can’t be avoided.
I haven’t even mentioned the fact that CRKD is treating the Nitro Deck as a collector’s item. This is most made evident by the existence of a dedicated CRKD app, which allows you to register your Nitro Deck and add it to your digital collection. Right now there’s now points or digital currency this and any future CRKD purchases offer, yet it’s a nice nod and proof that this is a company that knows that the physical things matter.
Overall thoughts on the Nitro Deck
Aside from the slight extra stretch required to use its right thumb stick and the need to put your fingers on the screen when taking your Nintendo Switch out, the Nitro Deck is an exceptional piece of hardware that makes handheld play a more premium-feeling experience. It’s an all-in-one solution catered to handheld players who don’t want to faff about with charging extra pieces or attachments or worry about potential Joy-Con drift that is easy to recommend. It’s about the closest you can get to turning your Nintendo Switch into a Steam Deck, complete with lots of cool customizable extras.
Score: 4/5
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