Nintendo is adding a bit of elegance to the Switch with the release of tasteful pink Joy-Con controllers fit for a royal.
The new gamepads are an ode to the Japanese gaming giant’s first monarch: Princess Peach.
No longer the perennial damsel in distress, the squeaky-voiced blonde is about to star in her first solo outing on the Switch.
When Princess Peach: Showtime! arrives on March 22, you’ll be able to grab the new Joy-Cons to go with it.
You can also pre-order them now from the Nintendo Store for £70, which may be a good shout given that only a limited amount will be available to buy.
Joy-Cons are essentially two controllers that can be used individually or slotted on either side of the Switch when playing handheld. They’re an ingenious part of an inventive console that has sold bucketloads, although their tiny buttons take some getting used to for newbies.
These Pastel Pink Joy-Con controllers will debut alongside #PrincessPeachShowtime on 22/03! pic.twitter.com/UboMQouCB5
— Nintendo of Europe (@NintendoEurope) January 23, 2024
On the downside, Joy-Cons have also suffered from a long-running issue known as “drifting,” where the console thinks you’re using them even when you aren’t. After years of complaints, Nintendo finally caved to pressure last year by announcing that it would fix affected Joy-Cons free of charge.
It’s probably just a coincidence that the pink controllers were announced on the same day that Barbie bagged eight Oscar nominations. Look around and you’ll notice pink fever is still in the air thanks to the arrival of the new Mean Girls movie.
Peach, on the other hand, looks set to ditch her iconic pink gown in her new game. Going through a series of outfit changes, Nintendo’s princess will become a ninja on one level and a crime-solving detective on another.
Nintendo previously released hot pink Joy-Cons, and you can still buy the pastel pink and pastel yellow set and the neon green and pink set.
Nevertheless, the upcoming pastel ones are distinct enough to stand out. We’d even wager that they’ll be a massive hit when March rolls around. Now we just need a pink Switch OLED to go with them.
