Hands-on review: Skull & Co GripCase Bundle for Nintendo Switch
I've had my Nintendo Switch for a while now, and as a prolific bed-gamer, one of the main reasons I bought one was the fact that I could play a console game without needing a TV, a desk, and unsightly cables taking up space at the foot of my bed (I've had this rig in the past, such is my passion for bed-gaming).
Thus began my era of console-gaming in ultimate comfort, and those first few hours of Breath of the Wild I played tucked under the covers and propped up against three pillows were bliss.
But then my ultimate comfort slowly started waning. My hands started cramping. My fingers itched for somewhere to rest instead of clutching the back of the device. Eventually I opted to put the Switch in its dock and play on the TV in the living room, just like any other console.
But then I got my hands on the Skull - Co GripCase Bundle for Nintendo Switch, and this changed the game.
The bundle comes with a GripCase Body, a MaxCarry case, plus some extra grips for the left and right analog sticks.
As soon as I unboxed the GripCase Bundle, it was obvious that the product was of high quality, and that the team at Skull - Co seemed to have thought of everything to maximise comfort and extended handheld playability.
The main attraction is, of course, the GripCase Body attachment, which surrounds the entire Switch and clips in easily. You can also customise the colours of the two hand grips, adding a bit of extra fun.
Once attached, the difference in comfort while holding the console is immediately obvious. The weight feels more evenly distributed, while only seeming fractionally heavier.
Being told to stay at home for a month presented me with the perfect opportunity to test the long-term comfort of the grip, so I got to work, playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons for hours on end, bed-gaming style.
The comparison between grip and no grip is stark – no more hand cramps, and the coloured hand grips give the fingers respite and a welcome home to wrap around, reducing pressure on the palm.
The coloured hand-grips are also detachable, so you can switch up the colour scheme of your Switch with ease.
Although it's easy to detach the GripCase Body, I don't see myself doing so anytime soon.
Before the MaxCarry case, when travelling with my Switch I used to wrap it up in an oversize canvas bag, hoping that it wouldn't jostle against other, less expensive things in my bag.
The MaxCarry case eliminates these worries for travelers, as well as packing in as much extra storage as possible.
The case has a hard outer shell, protecting against the much-despised jostle against other items, but the real fun is what's inside.
The Switch with it's GripCase Body attached slots perfectly into a mould, and also features a sleeve with 10 game card slots, as well as a mesh pocket with an overlapping cover where you can keep excess cables.
It also includes a small compartment to put your AC adapter, ensuring everything you need to take while travelling will fit snugly in the case.
Skull - Co really seems to have thought of everything whilst designing this bag – every whim no matter how small has been catered to.
My only gripe with the GripCase bundle – getting the Switch onto its dock with the GripCase Body attached is not as easy as I would have liked, and took some adjusting until it charged.
All in all though I was delighted with Skull - Co's product – it's well designed, catering to every need that I could think of both in terms of handheld-gaming and travelling with the console.
There's no question that I will make use of this bundle every time I pick up my Switch – and now, I can happily wait out this lockdown playing Animal Crossing in bed for hours.
