Hands-on with Nintendo’s adorable new pastel Joy-Con controllers for Switch

Last month, Nintendo first revealed its new pastel Joy-Con sets, and now they’re finally here. I instantly had to order the new colorways for Nintendo Switch, and at long last both pairs have landed on my front porch. Toning down the usual neon stylings from past controllers, the new pastel releases bring summer-ready vibes to your hybrid console.

Check out the new Nintendo pastel Joy-Con colors

Nintendo has continued to release fun new controller colors since it first launched the Switch backed in 2017. Now even 6 years later we’re getting some refreshed designs, with the first two pairs of new Joy-Con of the year. Perfect for summer, two new styles have officially begun shipping, and we’re taking a closer look at how they stack up.

The new pastel Joy-Con sets from Nintendo actually mark the first standalone releases in ages from the company. Sure, we’ve had quite a few themed offerings that come bundled with entire Switch packages, with the latest installments in the Zelda, Pokémon, and Splatoon franchises ushering in their own pair of themed controllers. But outside of bringing home an entirely new console, there hasn’t been a new colorway added to the collection in years. Actually, it’s been all the way since the summer of 2021 when we saw the Skyward Sword HD Joy-Con hit the scene.

So to say we’re long overdue is a bit of an understatement. Now with summer arriving, Nintendo is giving fans what we’ve been waiting for. In true Nintendo fashion, we’re getting a pair of designs, each of which continue the usual Switch convention of having a different color for the left and right controllers. Each of the new sets come with distinct designs from each other, totaling four new Joy-Con colors in total.

With pastel being right in the name of the new Joy-Con sets, Nintendo is taking a more toned down approach than we’ve seen in the past. Neon has all but defined the color scheme of the Switch since launch, with a dominant majority of the accessories arriving with bold, in your face designs. Now taking a more subtle approach, we have the Pastel Purple and Green set joined by the Pastel Pink and Yellow controllers.

Here’s how they look in person!

Just like any other pair of Joy-Con, the new pastel sets from Nintendo retail for $79.99. They’re now available for purchase over on Amazon, too. There’s no extra cost associated with bringing home the fun new colors, and these will likely be limited edition releases like we’ve seen in the past.

9to5Toys’ Take

Call me a collector or hoarder, but the second Nintendo reveals a new pair of Joy-Con, I have to try and get my hands on them. That goes double for the pair of new sets just hitting store shelves, with these being some of the more must-have colors in my book.

Don’t get me wrong, I have been loving the usual vibrant designs that Nintendo has been taping into for over half of a decade at this point, but going with something a bit more relaxing is certainly an appreciated change of pace. And oh, did the company deliver. As someone who has been quickly outfitting my wardrobe with as much pastel clothing as I can find on store shelves, being able to bring that energy to my Switch is almost too perfect.

I do have to say that I am quite partial to the Pastel Purple and Green set. It’s not that I don’t also love the Pink and Yellow pastel controllers, but there’s something about the former two designs that really shine. I would definitely say that the purple and green pair are the way to go if you can only affordable a single colorway, but honestly you can’t go wrong. I’m sure these will be around over the next few months if you’re having a hard time deciding, but these likely won’t be on store shelves forever.

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