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Eurogamer -: Nintendo Switch's bundled Joy-Con grip doesn't charge controllers
- Thread starter Kuni
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Deleted member 752119
Unconfirmed Member
Same. 8-12+ hour gaming days aren't super rare events for me. At least two or three times a month. 20 is a non issue though.
Unlike a lot of gaffers I actually play games and set aside days to binge when I'm really into something. Easy with a flexible job, no kids and an also introverted significant other who works a lot and needs her own hobby time.
A USB port is a luxury item that costs 50$ per unit to produce now ? Not comparable at all with the Pro Controller.
As others said, it's an non issue out of the box. Just put the Joy-cons on the Switch itself when you're not playing. When I forget to charge my Xbox One controllers I don't blame Microsoft. I just have to suck it up, connect a USB to the controller and sit super close to the TV because I forgot to charge them.
It does become an issue however if you buy an additional set of Joy-Cons and you can't charge all 4 at once without buying the charging grip.
It does become an issue however if you buy an additional set of Joy-Cons and you can't charge all 4 at once without buying the charging grip.
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Deleted member 752119
Unconfirmed Member
To be fair a longer USB cable is super cheap. The charging grip is super overpriced at $30 given it just adds a USB port and charger contacts to the rails. There'd be less uproar if Nintendo hadn't jacked accessory prices so much on top of the console being $50 more than many were hoping and paid online...
Pie and Beans
Look for me on the local news, I'll be the guy arrested for trying to burn down a Nintendo exec's house.
Putting a nickel USB port and charging wire through a grip they're already including is such a negligible cost that even trying to suggest it would affect the consoles price is insanity. Calling it a 'luxury item' is a cry for help.
That's the main issue with this. It's at such an extreme end of nickel and dime'ing that whoever made the call is a Charles Dickens villain level miser.
It's how I feel about it. The more egregious wrong is having only 32GB of storage when it would have cost them very little extra to increase it to 64GB, which is a much better baseline imo.
To give players the option of charging their Joycon without taking it out of the grip or if they have more than one set.
D
Deleted member 752119
Unconfirmed Member
They'll pull power from the battery when in portable mode to work, and will charge in portable mode if the tablet doesn't is plugged into a charger via USB c port on the bottom of the tablet.
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Deleted member 752119
Unconfirmed Member
When the Pro Controller is 70, I'm probably not going to buy one until they get a steep drop in price.
I'd rather spend that money on another set of Joycons, just for the versatility.
Toadthemushroom
Member
The lack of an included dog controller that charges the Joy-Con isn't a big deal at all.
Situations:
1) You play your Switch in handheld mode, or tabletop mode. You return it to the dock, or plug it in with a USB-C cable or USB-C AC Adapter, to charge it. The Joy-Con also charge.
2) You play your Switch docked in console mode too, but when you're done you reattach the Joy-Con to the sides. They start charging during downtime
3) You exclusively play your Switch in console mode and you leave the Joy-Con attached to the included Dog Controller so they never return to the dock to be charged.
A grip that also does charging is only useful in scenario 3). Their 20 hour battery life makes situations 1) and 2) likely to happen at least once when using the system due to its 2.5-6.5 hour battery life. You're literally paying for minor convenience of not having to reattach the Joy-Con to the Switch itself.
Situations:
1) You play your Switch in handheld mode, or tabletop mode. You return it to the dock, or plug it in with a USB-C cable or USB-C AC Adapter, to charge it. The Joy-Con also charge.
2) You play your Switch docked in console mode too, but when you're done you reattach the Joy-Con to the sides. They start charging during downtime
3) You exclusively play your Switch in console mode and you leave the Joy-Con attached to the included Dog Controller so they never return to the dock to be charged.
A grip that also does charging is only useful in scenario 3). Their 20 hour battery life makes situations 1) and 2) likely to happen at least once when using the system due to its 2.5-6.5 hour battery life. You're literally paying for minor convenience of not having to reattach the Joy-Con to the Switch itself.
Yeah it's a bit more expensive, but it appears to have some nice tech. I'm not going to pretend to know the break down of the parts but $10 more than xbone or ps4 controller seems reasonable. The dock and grip on the other hand is pretty marked up.
DXB-KNIGHT
Member
Fixed
I shed a tear after every post that starts out with "this is a non-issue". I don't care if it is 20 hours of battery life on the joy-cons (which, if you believe that's really what those get with having HD rumble along with the other technology in them I've got a bridge to sell you) but this kind of cements my fears of this thing being just an ok console and just an ok handheld. $30 additional charging grip is infuriating and you can't tell me with a straight face they couldn't have included that.
dead_lighter
Member
they should ditch this grip out of the bundle and lower the price of the pack
D
Deleted member 752119
Unconfirmed Member
One issue is the pro controller could end up being hard to find for a while. It hasn't gone up for preorder anywhere in North America yet that I've seen. Makes me worry that it will be in short supply around launch.
If so I'll just deal with reattaching the joy cons to charge until I find one as I don't need a pro controller and charger grip.
What I mean is, if I play in my bed then I'm not going to leave them unattached. The console obviously can't last as long so that will run out of juice first. The only situation where it matters is if you charge the console without the controllers attached.
We know. We also know that the battery life is long enough that you'll only want to charge the controllers every 2-3 days anyway. If it really meets that 20-hour battery life, then honestly I can't blame Nintendo for saving a few cents for something most people don't need. The counterargument I've heard is for people with multiple sets, but it still seems long enough imo that you only really need to charge one set at a time if you have two.
yurinka
Member
When you finish playing the console is switched off, so won't charge them.
Or did they announce a PS4-like sleep mode where it charges the controllers and download games?
Pie and Beans
Look for me on the local news, I'll be the guy arrested for trying to burn down a Nintendo exec's house.
I started a drinking game where every post that contained "non-issue" and "20 hours" was a shot.
I'm dead now. The hivemind killed me.
kinoki
Illness is the doctor to whom we pay most heed; to kindness, to knowledge, we make promise only; pain we obey.
Right now I have 3 PS4 controllers that rotate between charging or playing with. More often than not it's when trying to pause a movie or show that you discover it's dead or barely alive. If I would only had one controller i could solve that by plugging it into the nearest socket with a cord. No such option exists in the Switch where I have to disassemble the controller and attach it to the console.
Coupled with everything else that's iffy I doubt it will make it past my friont door.
Coupled with everything else that's iffy I doubt it will make it past my friont door.
Mass producing a technical accessory for the entire run of consoles would have been a much bigger task than just producing the plastic. It's not a case of, just make more, there are other logistics at play here. For one, perhaps they couldn't source that many parts.
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