Forward-looking: It’s always good to have more control options for users with limited mobility, whether from console manufacturers, third-party companies, or individual modders. One modder has released attachments allowing users to play all three current game consoles with one hand.
A modder based in Japan recently released an adapter that makes all the Nintendo Switch’s Joy-Con functions reachable with one hand. The attachment provides yet another accessibility choice for Nintendo Switch owners.
Although modder Akaki Kuumeri previously produced one-handed adapters for PlayStation and Xbox controllers, the Nintendo Switch version uses the Joy-Cons’ unique nature to introduce some new tricks. Kuumeri said this adapter was easier to design than those for traditional controllers because he could situate the Joy-Cons in different directions.
The attachment uses connectors to bring all of the face buttons and the D-pad within reach of one thumb, but it can also move some of those inputs to the bottom of the controller where other fingers can reach them. Users connect the Joy-Cons in opposite directions, with one of them facing down. Depending on the user’s handedness, one analog stick remains on top of the controller while the other moves to the bottom. Players move the bottom stick by laying the controller on their lap or a flat surface and then moving the entire controller. The adapter includes optional straps to fasten the Joy-Cons to the player’s hand or leg.
Players should be able to use the attachment with any Switch game. Kuumeri demonstrates it by playing a variety of titles like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. The adapter is available on Etsy at around $200 for a left-handed or right-handed model.
Since Microsoft introduced the Xbox Adaptive Controller for users with limited mobility in 2018, only modders and third-party manufacturers have followed it up, providing multiple options for Switch owners. Former Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé told Inverse Nintendo was developing a similar controller before he left the company, and it may still be on the way.
Hori released a controller similar to Microsoft’s in 2020, which works with Switch and PC games. That same year, one parent modified Microsoft’s Adaptive Controller so his daughter could play Breath of the Wild. This past June, 8BitDo released a much smaller accessibility-focused controller.
