Nintendo Switch Joy-Con Colors Can Be Customized, Japan Only

Due to its popularity and novelty, and partly due to Nintendo's oversight, the Switch has been hard to come by. Supplies have quickly dwindled and queues have gotten longer. While Nintendo has promised to rectify its production issues, it is also doing something a bit unprecedented for would-be Switch buyers, at least in Japan. The update Japanese online store for the Nintendo Switch now allows buyers to choose between a variety of Joy-Con colors as well as strap colors before placing their order. Of course, the Switch remains sold out anyway.

To be clear, you can't really choose your own custom color. You can only choose from a set of Nintendo-approved colors, but, other than that, you can mix and match to your heart's content. Perhaps the color choices were made so that, no matter the combination, you won't end up with a garish color scheme that would give the Switch a bad name.

Still, this is a huge step in a new direction that even Nintendo fans might have never expected to happen. Nintendo isn't exactly big on customization and mostly just offers themed variants or at least a fixed set of colors. It's not as extensive as the Xbox One controller's design studio option, but we'll take what we can get.

Ironically, this development comes at a time when the Switch controller is at the center of a patent lawsuit filed by Gamevice. According to the latter, the Joy-con infringes on the company's patent for a detachable controller, regardless of whether there are distinct and substantial differences in design and implementation.

That patent, sadly, might hinder the customization options from coming into the US. For now, the offer is available only in Japan and there is no word yet on whether it will be made available elsewhere. Don't worry though, the Switch is still sold out in Japan as well.

VIA: Neowin