A new Nintendo Switch accessory will let players play games vertically, which is a must for the classic arcade games that are making their way to the hybrid console.
The third-party accessory, named Flip Grip, is currently on Kickstarter, where it has already raised over $30,000 from more than 2,000 backers.
Flip Grip Enables Nintendo Switch Arcade Games
At E3 2018, Nintendo announced the original arcade version of Donkey Kong for the Nintendo Switch, as part of the growing Arcade Archives collection. Many of these titles offer the option of rotating the display by 90 degrees to mimic the vertical orientation of arcade machines. Unfortunately, it is difficult to play arcade games on the Nintendo Switch with the vertical orientation, as it is not supported by the hybrid console's kickstand and Joy-Con slots.
Enter the Flip Grip, a Nintendo Switch accessory that will make it easy to play games vertically on the hybrid console. The accessory, made of a single piece of ABS plastic, holds the Nintendo Switch vertically, while the Joy-Cons slot are at the sides.
The Flip Grip covers the air vents of the console, but the makers of the accessory claim that the air still flows and that the operating temperatures of the Nintendo Switch will not increase significantly. The headphone jack, game card slot, and SD card slot, meanwhile, are all accessible with the Flip Grip equipped, but the charging port and power button are blocked.
Flip Grip On Kickstarter
The Kickstarter campaign, which is well on its way to raising the goal of $42,500, offers backers with two reward options. A pledge of $12 or more will net the backer one Flip Grip not including shipping, while a pledge of $24 or more will net the backer two Flip Grips with free shipping.
The Flip Grip is the product of a partnership between video game journalist Jeremy Parish, video game shop Fangamer, and industrial designer and engineer Mike Choi. Parish, the man with the idea for the Flip Grip, claims that the Kickstarter campaign is only for balancing out the logistics for the production and distribution of the Nintendo Switch accessory. The crowdfunded money will be used to have the manufacturers create the molds and start injecting them plastics, with the Flip Grip to go immediately into production after the end of the Kickstarter campaign on July 9.
The estimated delivery for the Flip Grip is November this year, from which the retail price will increase to $15. Until then, Nintendo Switch owners playing vertical arcade games on the console will have to make do with the awkwardness.
