Seven Nintendo Switch 2 gifts cost $50 or less at Nintendo’s own store and HORI’s, from a $9.99 HORI screen filter to a $39.99 Piranha Plant camera. Each is made or licensed by Nintendo, in stock at the time of writing, and does something specific on a Switch 2.
The gift many people reach for first, more storage, is not on the list. Nintendo’s store sells a $39.99 Nintendo-licensed SanDisk memory card, and its own product page says that card does not work with a Switch 2.
That matters when shopping for a new owner, perhaps one who caught the Switch 2 at $469 ahead of Black Friday. Each pick below comes with the reason it suits this console, from the maker’s own page.
Seven Nintendo Switch 2 gifts under $50, priced at the source
| Gift | Store | Price | What it does on Switch 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| HORI Screen Protective Filter | Nintendo Store | $9.99 | Film cut for the Switch 2 screen, made in Japan |
| Joy-Con 2 Wheel (set of 2) | Nintendo Store | $24.99 | Magnetic wheel shell for Joy-Con 2 in racing games |
| PowerA Protection Case | Nintendo Store | $24.99 | Holds 9 game cards and 2 microSD Express cards |
| Nintendo Switch 2 AC Adapter | Nintendo Store | $34.99 | Powers the dock, which an original Switch adapter cannot |
| Joy-Con 2 Charging Grip | Nintendo Store | $39.99 | Charges Joy-Con 2 and adds mappable GL/GR buttons |
| HORI Dual USB PlayStand | Nintendo Store | $39.99 | Charge while playing in tabletop mode, plus two USB-A ports |
| HORI Piranha Plant Camera | HORI Store | $39.99 | Video chat camera, $20 less than on Nintendo’s store |
Why a $39.99 Nintendo memory card is the wrong Switch 2 gift
Storage looks like the safe present. On Nintendo’s store, the 128GB microSDXC Card for Nintendo Switch is $39.99, made by SanDisk and licensed by Nintendo.
The same page carries the catch in one line: “SanDisk microSDXC cards are not compatible with Nintendo Switch 2.” Nintendo’s support page on memory cards is just as plain. Switch 2 “is only compatible with microSD Express cards,” and an ordinary card can only load screenshots and videos captured on an original Switch.
A card that does work, Samsung’s 256GB microSD Express card, is $59.99 on the same store, $9.99 over the ceiling. Bigger cards climb fast, as a 512GB SanDisk Express card at $153.99 showed. The first Express card also needs a system update over the internet before it works.
Why an old Switch charger falls short on a Switch 2
Nintendo’s own Switch 2 AC Adapter is $34.99, a replacement for the one in the box that plugs into either the console or the dock. The cable detaches from the brick for easier packing.
It also settles the charger question. According to Nintendo’s charging guide, an original Switch adapter can charge a Switch 2 directly but cannot power it in the dock for TV mode. Any unlicensed adapter needs at least 54W, and Nintendo warns it has not been through its testing.
HORI’s Dual USB PlayStand, $39.99 on Nintendo’s store, is the natural partner. It props the console up in tabletop mode with two USB-A ports for wired controllers and a USB-C port for an adapter, so the Switch 2 charges while it plays.
It ships without an adapter, which is why the two pair well, and it folds up for a bag.
Joy-Con 2 gifts that add buttons, charging and a steering wheel
The Joy-Con 2 Charging Grip is $39.99, and Nintendo says it is not included with the console. Slide the Joy-Con 2 in and it becomes a classic-style controller, or a charging station through the supplied USB-C cable.
It also adds GL and GR buttons that can be custom mapped, and it works only with Switch 2.
For a lighter present, the Joy-Con 2 Wheel set is $24.99 for two. Each controller snaps in magnetically for racing-style games, and the wheels are for Joy-Con 2 only, so original Joy-Con are out.
The Piranha Plant camera costs $20 less on HORI’s own store
The most playful gift here is also the best priced. HORI sells its Piranha Plant Camera for $39.99 on its own store, while Nintendo’s store asks $59.99 for the same camera and $54.99 for Nintendo’s own Switch 2 Camera.
The camera head lifts out of a Warp Pipe base, the base clips onto a TV, and the camera can plug straight into the top of the console in handheld mode. Closing the plant’s mouth covers the lens for privacy.
Expect modest picture quality. It captures 640 x 480 at 30fps with an 85-degree view, according to HORI, and video chat may need a Nintendo Switch Online membership. Games are using cameras too, with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’s Switch 2 update adding CameraPlay support.
A case and screen filter finish a Switch 2 gift under $50
PowerA’s Protection Case is $24.99 on Nintendo’s store and holds nine game cards plus two microSD Express cards. Its built-in play stand doubles as a padded screen cover in transit, and PowerA backs it with a two-year limited warranty.
HORI’s Screen Protective Filter costs $9.99 and is cut for the Switch 2 screen from film made in Japan. It goes on by pulling from the center, a method HORI designed to keep out dust and bubbles.
Nintendo’s own $39.99 carrying case and screen protector set missed the list because it was sold out on Nintendo’s store, as were the Turtle Beach Recon 70 and Airlite Fit wired headsets.
Nintendo’s store charges $6.99 for standard shipping and ships free on orders over $50, so the adapter and PlayStand together, at $74.98, go out free. Prices and stock can change, but the rule behind this list will not: check that the box says Switch 2, and for storage, that it says microSD Express.
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