The Crkd Nitro Deck is a new Nintendo Switch accessory that brings a slew of useful, meaningful upgrades to the handheld console. The main appeal of the Nitro Deck, and how it differs from most aftermarket Joy-Con replacements, is that you don’t attach two individual controllers to both sides of the console, but instead slide the entire Switch screen into a single housing unit. The result is a full suite of upgrades, including pro-style back buttons, Hall effect thumbsticks to eliminate stick drift, vibration, and a low-latency connection thanks to a direct USB-C connection.
Crkd Nitro Deck – Design and Features
After sliding your Nintendo Switch into the Nitro Deck, it feels like an entirely different console. Not only is it much sturdier, but it’s a lot more comfortable to hold compared to the standard Joy-Con controller ergonomics. If you’ve held a Steam Deck before, you can expect a similar experience, albeit not quite as heavy.
The Nitro Deck is compatible with the standard Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch OLED models and glides easily into the housing via embedded rails on each side of the unit. It connects directly to the USB-C port on the bottom of the Nintendo Switch which allows for virtually no latency when compared to the standard Joy-Con controllers and other Bluetooth controller options. Once inserted, it’s locked securely in place and can only be released by simultaneously pressing a button on the back of the unit and pulling the Nintendo Switch upwards.
Arguably the best feature on the Nitro Deck is the inclusion of Hall effect thumbsticks. While this technology isn’t new by any means, it’s less commonly featured in controllers than traditional analog joysticks. The main benefit of Hall effect sensors is the elimination of stick drift, as they transmit inputs via electromagnetic signals, as opposed to having two parts touch (and eventually wear down over time), leading to the all-too-common stick drift that plagues so many Nintendo Switch users.
The default thumbsticks offer much more surface area than the standard Joy-Con controllers, and feature a concave design with a textured grip around the edges to keep your thumbs in place. Additionally, the thumbsticks on the Nitro Deck have easily replaceable toppers to ensure that your sticks are always fresh and ready to go, or customized to show your own unique flair.
While the Nitro Deck is very comfortable to hold with its ergonomic, textured grips and contoured shape, it adds a significant amount of heft to the overall unit. The base Nintendo Switch weighs roughly 297g without the Joy-Con controllers attached (319g for the OLED model), while a pair of Joy-Con controllers weigh just under 100g, resulting in a total weight of around 400g. The Nitro Deck by itself weighs 272g – nearly triple the weight added by a pair of Joy-Con. Thankfully, the weight is distributed well enough that it doesn’t feel unbalanced to hold for long periods of time.
All the standard Nintendo Switch controls are accounted for on the Nitro Deck, plus a few additions. On the left side of the Deck is the left thumbstick, D-pad, minus button, and a capture button for screenshots. Over on the right side are the standard face buttons, plus button, right thumbstick, and the Crkd (pronounced “Cracked”) button that doubles as the home button for the Nintendo Switch – more on that in a moment. The face buttons have a nice, clicky feel to them with a bit more travel than what you’d find on the Joy-Con controllers. The D-pad is also surprisingly good, with just the right amount of tension that will certainly please fans of 2D games as well as traditional fighting games. There are also two small cutouts to accommodate the Switch’s internal speakers, as well as built-in vibration for supported games.
The top of the Nitro Deck features four standard shoulder buttons: L1, L2, R1, and R2. Not only are all four much longer than the standard Joy-Con shoulder buttons, but they all have a nice indent to rest your fingers comfortably. L1 and R1 have a soft, matte finish, while the rear shoulder buttons have a glossy texture and a bit more travel than their standard Joy-Con counterparts. There’s also a cutout in the center that allows you to easily access your Switch’s built-in controls such as the power button, volume, headphone jack, and game card slot.
On the rear of the Nitro Deck are four programmable back buttons that can take the form of any other button you please. Even more, and something I haven’t seen in any comparable “pro” style controllers, is the ability to map multiple inputs to a single back button. While it unfortunately can’t take into account the timing of each individual input, it does allow you to create keybinds for very unique situations, such as jumping in the air and air dodging, without having to press two buttons. If you’re not a fan of back buttons, you also have the ability to disable them completely.
The back of the Deck also features a built-in kickstand like the standard Switch, albeit much sturdier. It extends to just under 90 degrees, allowing you to get the perfect angle while playing in tabletop mode, or just to display your Deck while charging. On each side of the kickstand, you’ll find a USB-C input and USB-C output port, respectively. The input is for charging your Nintendo Switch while it’s inserted into the Nitro Deck, while the output allows you to connect to your Switch dock’s USB port to play on the big screen. You can also connect the Deck to a PC for use as a controller with the built-in buttons. Lastly, you’ll find a program button below the back buttons, as well as the Switch release toggle to remove the console from the Nitro Deck.
As previously mentioned, the Crkd button not only takes you back to your Switch’s home screen, but also conveys useful information in the form of different LED colors. For instance, it changes to purple when programming the back buttons, orange when in wired mode, and green when putting the Deck into Turbo Mode – which allows you to bind a specific button to be automatically pressed at various intervals with adjustable speeds. The LED light itself can also be dimmed or turned off completely, which is nice as it’s very bright by default.
Crkd Nitro Deck – Software
While the Nitro Deck doesn’t require any additional software to operate, the optional Crkd app allows you to register your product to your digital collection. This is done by “tapping” your phone to the Crkd logo on the back of the Deck and utilizing NFC technology to identify and add it to your virtual collection. Each Nitro Deck (and subsequently future Crkd products) all have a rarity and number assigned to them based on where they fall in a given batch. The lower the number, the higher the rarity. Once tapped in, each product is locked to your collection, but if you decide to sell or give away your products, you can “unlock” them and allow someone else to tap it into their collection.
When tapping the Nitro Deck into your collection for the first time, there’s a flashy animation slowly revealing your unique batch number and rarity, giving you a similar feeling to cracking open a pack of cards and looking for something rare. You can even opt-in to record your screen and microphone to get a live reaction that can be shared with your friends.
This gamification of digital collectibles is certainly unique, and whether or not it catches on is yet to be seen as currently there are only a limited number of Nitro Decks out in the wild. It’s also worth noting that these are not NFTs or digital assets on the blockchain, they are simply a way for you to show off your collection of Crkd products, and the products can still be used without the app – none of the features are gated behind its use.
Crkd Nitro Deck – Gaming
Out of the box, setting the Switch up with the Nitro Deck is a breeze. The only thing you’ll need to do is enable Pro Controller Wired Communication in the Settings app, which allows the Deck to communicate with the Switch through the USB-C port at the bottom. Then, simply pop off your Joy-Con controllers and insert the Switch into the Nitro Deck and you’re ready to rock.
During my testing, I found the Nitro Deck very comfortable to hold for long periods of time. I generally get hand cramps after long sessions on the Switch due to its ergonomics – or lack thereof – but I was pleasantly surprised at how well the Nitro Deck played during extended sessions. While the weight is definitely noticeable, it’s very balanced and works well for hands of all sizes.
While the Switch isn’t generally known for competitive games, it does have its fair share that would benefit from the use of programmable back buttons, such as Apex Legends, Fortnite, and Overwatch 2 just to name a few. However, even if you don’t find yourself playing competitive shooters, you can still find a use for back buttons in just about any game you play.
The back buttons can be bound on the fly, allowing you to easily tailor them depending on the game or situation. For instance, I found that binding jump in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate to one of the back buttons allowed me to keep up the pressure on my opponents without taking my thumb off the attack buttons. I did the same in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, where the jump action is normally bound to the X button (which always felt awkward to me). Simple changes like these add small quality-of-life upgrades to existing games that don’t allow for custom in-game button assignments. The back buttons are conveniently located on both grips, too, allowing you to easily reach and press them without straining your fingers. However, if back buttons just aren’t your thing, you can disable them completely and enjoy the Nitro Deck with just the stock Nintendo Switch buttons.
One of my only real gripes with the Nitro Deck is that the right thumbstick is set a bit lower than the standard Joy-Con controller. For games that utilize the thumbstick for camera controls, it can feel a bit cumbersome for your thumb to travel a bit further between the thumbstick and face buttons so often, but I did eventually get used to it after some time.
The other small irk I had with the Nitro Deck is the process of actually removing the Switch console. Ideally, you’d leave the Switch in the Deck for the majority of your playtime, but if you do want to transfer it to the big screen, you’ll need to remove the Switch itself which requires pushing the release button with one hand and (somewhat) forcefully removing the Switch by pulling upwards from the screen. Since there’s no real place to grab the Switch itself other than the screen, this requires applying some pressure to the display to dislodge it from the Nitro Deck, which not only results in some pretty unsightly fingerprints, but also scares me a bit when pressing so firmly on the sensitive OLED display.
