Nintendo’s new $20 accessory just solved the Switch's worst problem

Since its launch in March 2017, the Nintendo Switch has gone from strength to strength.

Supporters of the Switch are fans of the impressive library of games and exclusives Nintendo have so far released for the console.

With E3 just around the corner and fans of the Super Smash Bros. series eagerly awaiting a new title for the Switch, all signs are positive for Nintendo’s latest console.

Improved hardware support

But one area where customers of the Switch do believe it falls down - quite literally in some cases - is its kickstand. As the Nintendo Switch can be played in three modes, TV mode, Handheld mode and Tabletop mode, it has certain strengths and weaknesses in certain areas.

Some critics have pointed out that Tabletop mode is the Switch’s weakest configuration, as it relies on the pre-packaged kickstand. This holds the console in an upright mode, which is supposed to allow players full functionality while the Switch isn’t connected to a TV.

Users can then play Switch games on the go, in theory placing the console on any flat surface. But while this works fine on a stable surface like a table at home, when users explored how portable this proved for the Switch, they ran into problems.

Improving the playing experience

Using the Switch in Tabletop mode using the inbuilt kickstand, players immediately found that there were stability issues. Although Nintendo claims that the Switch in this mode can be played anywhere, including on “a tray table on an airplane,” gamers found this either frustrating or impossible.

But now Nintendo is launching a $20 accessory, which will make this a reality. Nintendo has announced that on July 13, the company will launch an adjustable charging stand for the Switch that “makes playing in Tabletop mode easier than ever." That’s right - the stand will provide much-needed stability, and will also be capable of charging the console on the go.

It should improve the playing experience and of course extending the battery life of the Switch by providing a charging option. The angle of the screen can also be adjusted using the charging station, something which was impossible using Nintendo’s kickstand feature.

While there are already third-party accessories that provide these functions, it is the first time that Nintendo has done so. When the ‘Adjustable Charging Stand for Nintendo Switch’ is releasing in the summer and it will retail at $19.99.