// THE VERGE — HARDWARE & GADGET
This Switch 2 sequel accessory was a few millimeters away from being good
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Crkd’s $99.99 Nitro Deck 2 has some improvements, with Switch and Switch 2 compatibility, but it’s far from essential.
Crkd’s $99.99 Nitro Deck 2 has some improvements, with Switch and Switch 2 compatibility, but it’s far from essential.
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The Crkd Nitro Deck was a saving grace for the original Nintendo Switch. The slide-on $59.99 accessory brought Hall effect sticks to drift-plagued consoles — no need to open up your Joy-Con for a complicated repair. The Nitro Deck 2, made for both the original Switch and the larger Switch 2, continues the tradition of having better sticks than what Nintendo puts in even the newest Joy-Con (though these aren’t Hall effect or TMR). But it doesn’t feel as essential, and there’s one thing I really can’t stand about it.
It’s too difficult to use the Nitro Deck 2’s ABXY face buttons without the right stick getting in the way. The stick-to-button arrangement is a big step down from the original Nitro Deck (and especially bad compared with the symmetrical Steam Deck-like stick layout in the video output-ready Nitro Deck Plus). I’m surprised Crkd’s team thought this was an improvement. My patience with the run-based gameplay in Echo Weaver is already tested enough, and trying to quickly hammer inputs on the Deck 2 only adds to the frustration.