How To Charge Your Nintendo Switch Controllers

You may have noticed that the controllers that come with the Nintendo Switch are a bit different from what you’d normally get with a console. They’re called Joy-Cons. They’re small and slightly rounded, and they fit snugly in your hand if you’re using them as separate wireless remotes. Or, you can attach them to the plastic grip that comes in the box to play as you would with a more typical controller. Either way, you’ll see that there’s no port for you to plug either of the Joy-Cons. So how do you charge Switch controllers?

Charging Switch Controllers

There’re two ways, and they both require that the controllers be connected to another device. The first is to lock them into the sides of the handheld portion of the Nintendo Switch (the tablet that serves as the core of the console) while its docked. You can also attach them to the Switch outside of the dock, but you’ll have to use the included AC Adapter or a 5-15v mobile charger (power bank). Simply connecting the Joy-Cons to the side of the screen will not charge them if the screen itself isn’t receiving a charge from somewhere else.

The other option is to connect them to a Joy-Con Charging Grip which is a $30 accessory that does not come with the console. It can be connected to a power source via USB-C and can charge the Joy-Cons connected to it. It also has a bit more weight than the plastic grip that comes in the Nintendo Switch box, so that’s an extra plus.

Now that you know how to charge your controllers, for more on the Switch be sure to check out our wiki on the console. Down below you can find more Switch-related content as well if you have more questions!