Dbrand's Joy-Lock Controller Holder has put me off ever investing in the Switch 2 Pro Controller

GamesRadar+ Verdict

Dbrand's Joy-Lock Controller Holder doesn't provide all the bells and whistles of a Pro Controller, but it has made me less inclined to pick up Nintendo's pricey first-party pad. The accessory costs a fraction of the price and yet provides just as comfortable an experience with its easy-to-adjust mechanism and simple setup. However, you will need to spend a little more to grab the dbrand's Joy-Lock grips for the best experience. Luckily for you, that total cost will still be less than the Pro.

Pros

• +

  Stylish all-black design

• +

  Compatible with other brands' grips

• +

  Affordably priced

• +

  Easy to adjust

Cons

• -

  Takes a moment to loosen up the mechanism

• -

  Only available through the dbrand store

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Dbrand has been all about providing niche accessory alternatives when there are none, even before the era of the Nintendo Switch 2. Shortly after the PS5 came on the scene, the edgey accessory maker launched its own series of faceplates when Sony had little of its own to offer, and it was among the first to release a case for Ninty's newest machine.

The best Nintendo Switch 2 accessories aren't shy of Joy-Con grips like that of its new Joy-Lock controller holder, but it's still providing something so many lack: customizability. The holder isn't stationary and can be adjusted to offer up a range of different angles, which in turn provides a pro-controller-like comfort that other brands haven't managed to grasp.

The Dbrand Joy-Lock controller holder is available separately for $19.95, or you can add the Joy-Lock grips for $19.95, and the brand's Switch 2 stick grips for $9.95 to complete the set and mirror the same setup I had at my dipsable for this review.

Design

In essence, there isn't much to the look of the Joy-Lock controller holder, but that's the same with any grip. At a glance, it looks not too dissimilar to a Turkey wishbone I used to snap with family members on Christmas Day growing up. Unfortunately, snapping open this doesn't grant any wishes, unless I made a wish for a 'new favorite Switch 2 accessory' that I wasn't aware of.

The controller holder is made up of two prongs that are held together by a large ratchet mechanism. The entirety of the accessory is all black to better tie into the Switch 2 Joy-Con once you snap them in place, and there are small cut-out squares at the sides to allow the illumination of the controller syncing process.

If this were from any other brand, that'd be all she wrote for this grip, but this is a Dbrand accessory. And as such, there are a couple of bizarre design elements on closer inspection. The first obvious one is the design on the front of the ratchet, which reads, "4026 All Rights Denied 4E5332 Archive Robot" with a circular logo underneath. Popping this into Google's search engine just pulls up the X (Twitter) post about the controller holder, but I wouldn't be surprised, knowing the brand's edgy marketing, if it relates to an easter egg found on the official Dbrand website. The opposite side features an Illuminati-style triangular logo, which feels very on-brand for Dbrand.

Features

In that very same X (Twitter) post I mentioned above, Dbrand refers to the Joy-Lock controller holder as a "fidget toy" for your Switch 2, and I can entirely see why. Cracking the ratchet open is satisfying. There are approximately five notches of adjustment in total, which you can switch to by simply holding your hands on each side of the device and pulling outwards.

That's essentially all there is to the gadget, but Dbrand did think to include some neat elements, from matching strips of neon blue and neon red color on the interior of the magnetic edges so you know where to attach what Joy-Con, to four small rubberized squares intermittently laid out on the back to allow the holder to stay firmly in place when left upon a coffee table, just like in my photos throughout this review.

Talking of which, you've likely spotted the fact that there's a pile of dbrand boxes sitting next to the Joy-Lock holder, and that's simply because you can order this separately, or pile on some extras to complete the Pro Controller-like experience. The holder is compatible with dbrand's Joy-Lock grips, and once attached, the edges will stay flush with the grip as they do with the brand's Switch 2 Killswitch case. This also means the holder is compatible with alternatives, so you don't have to stick with Dbrand grips for a true Pro-like experience if you don't want to.

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Performance

The first time I cracked open the Joy-Lock Controller Holder, I was a little scared. There are no instructions in the box, and the loud sound that emanates from the accessory when you adjust it for the first time made me worried I had somehow managed to break it.

But my experience with Dbrand tech, from my trusty Steam Deck Killswitch case, to the brand's PS5 Faceplates, reminded me that the company's tech is known for being plenty robust, so I kept at it. After I had cracked the ratchet swivel a few times, I was on the right track, as this helped loosen up the grip and made adjusting all the easier. You literally just have to pull, though I found the best practice to be to gently place my thumbs at the top edge to give it more support each time I used it.

Once you do this a few times, adjusting becomes second nature. After a few days of using it to try and finally three-star all the GPs in Mario Kart World, I got far more relaxed when snapping it in place. During that time, the second position became my go-to. That level of adjustment doesn't point out the Joy-Con too far, yet it still allows my wrists to sit in a way that mirrors the way I hold premium Switch 2 controllers like the 8BitDo Ultimate 2 that I currently have in my setup.

Until the Joy-Lock controller holder arrived at my door, I had been using JSAUX's Ergonomic Charging Grip. It's a high-quality alternative to the official grip packed in with the handheld, but ever since I've tried Dbrand's version, I almost feel reluctant to pick it up again, if it weren't for its charging capabilities. Being able to adjust the position of a grip on the fly was a feature I never knew I needed, but it makes a lot of sense for someone like me with joint issues.

Without oversharing too much, I have a condition called hypothyroidism, which can affect my joints and make them stiff and painful. I particularly feel this in my fingers and wrists, where there's an underlying pain at all times. Its intensity comes in waves, but the customizability of the grip angle has meant I can now prepare for that. The other night, there was a lightning sharp sensation in both my wrists, so I kept the controller in its default position in order to help keep my arms and joints more stationary. Once I felt a bit better and my painkillers were doing their job, I was able to easily switch back to that second position I grew to love, which allowed my wrists to sit away from my body and be more naturally positioned.

As I had loosened up the ratchet mechanism plenty, the actual adjusting doesn't add to my wrist and joint pain either, which was a nice discovery. As was the fact that I could push the controller holder down to its default position in order to make it easier to store in my JSAUX All-in-One Switch 2 Carrying Case and other large cases like it.

Should you buy the Dbrand Joy-Lock controller holder?

Dbrand heralds its Joy-Lock Controller Holder as "more comfortable than a Pro Controller for a fraction of the cost" and sadly, I wasn't able to make that direct comparison.

I have yet to pick up Nintendo's Switch 2 Pro Controller for the simple fact that it's $89.99 / £74.99 MSRP is a little out of my budget. But honestly, when this alternative is just $19.95, I feel less inclined to grab Nintendo's first-party pad than ever.

The Joy-Lock Controller Holder provides the same comfortable experience as other premium gamepads I've used for the Switch 2, and each level of adjustment takes that a step further. Not only does it make it easier to store away, but the customizability has been a better experience on my achy wrists and joints as I can adjust it depending on what feels more comfortable on any given day.

My only main hindrance with the accessory is the same I have with all Dbrand tech, in that it's only available directly through the Dbrand online store. Over the past year, some of the company's products have made their way to retailers like Best Buy, but this is not one of them, and so availability is a bit more limited. The US retailer does ship to the UK and elsewhere, but that does come with the possibility of extra customs fees, and I'm aware not everyone is comfortable ordering from the US these days.

However, if you want the best Switch 2 grip I've used to date (that doesn't include charging) and don't want to fork out the exuberant cost of Nintendo's official gamepad, the Dbrand Joy-Lock Controller holder is the way to go. It's even better if you pick up the Joy-Lock grips, and even that new combined cost of $39.95 is still going to cost less than the Ninty Pro pad.

How I tested the Dbrand Joy-Lock controller holder

To put the Dbrand Joy-Lock Controller Holder through its paces, I used the accessory for a little over two weeks where it became my one and only Switch 2 controller. During that time, I played everything from Mario Kart World, Pokemon Pokopia, Donkey Kong Bananza and Tomodachi Life Living the Dream, aswell as older titles via the Nintendo Switch Online service including N64 games Pokemon Snap and Lylat Wars. For more information on how we test accessories for the Nintendo Switch 2, check out our full GamesRadar+ Hardware policy.

Our team has also rounded up the best Nintendo Switch headsets, the best Nintendo Switch 2 microSD Express Cards, and the best Nintendo Switch 2 cases that can help contribute to the ultimate Ninty setup.

Ever since I first held a NES controller in my hand I've been obsessed with gaming, and the hardware it runs on. I could hook up a NES and SNES to a telly, without instructions, before I could walk. Even now, nothing is more exciting then taking a console, or handheld, out the box for the first time and setting it up. This obsession transformed into a love of games and game music, which lead to my music degree and dream of becoming the Scottish Nobuo Uematsu. After sharing my love of games through music, I began to share my love through words on sites like TechRadar and iMore. This lead to becoming a Hardware staff writer for PCGamesN, and later the Senior Tech Writer for Dexerto, covering all things Steam Deck, PlayStation and Nintendo. With that experience, I was able to level up as Hardware Editor for GamesRadar+, where I'm still just as Nintendo, PlayStation and gaming tech obsessed as ever.

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