Tech Desk 
Jul 19, 2024
Nintendo has unveiled the new official Joy-Con Charging Stand (Two-Way) accessory, set for release on October 17 in Japan and the United Kingdom. However, many users in the US are still waiting for an official release date, which is expected to be announced soon.
The Joy-Con Charging Stand (Two-Way) is available for pre-order on the Japanese My Nintendo Store for 3,000 yen (approximately $21 / £16). International pricing and pre-order information have not yet been released but are anticipated shortly.
According to a translated press release by Nintendo Life, the accessory allows for easy charging of Joy-Cons without attaching them to the Nintendo Switch console. This is particularly useful for those with multiple Joy-Cons, such as when playing games like the "Mario Party" series or "Nintendo Switch Sports" with friends, or when wanting to charge spare Joy-Cons while playing in portable mode. It can also charge the "Family Computer Controller" for Nintendo Switch.
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Looking at the listing pictures, the accessory appears to be a modified version of the Joy-Con grip that comes with the Nintendo Switch. This Charging Stand includes a USB-C port and can be fixed to a supplied plastic stand for storage, making it a useful accessory for Switch owners with multiple sets of Joy-Con controllers.
This new accessory comes as the Nintendo Switch is over seven years old, with Nintendo confirming its next console will be unveiled by April 2025. This timing might seem less than ideal for launching a new accessory for the current Switch. The rumoured Switch 2 is expected to use a new magnetic connection for its reworked Joy-Con controllers, rather than the current railing system. This change would allow users to continue charging their first-generation Joy-Cons even after switching to the new console.
Nintendo has a history of making its controllers forward-compatible, and users can even use an N64 pad with the Switch. However, there's no guarantee that Switch 1 controllers will be compatible with Nintendo’s next-generation hardware.
