Genki Attack Vector grip for Nintendo Switch 2 review
The Nintendo Switch (and Nintendo Switch 2) are the most versatile consoles Nintendo has ever released. You can play them docked with any kind of controller you want, or you can opt to play the console in handheld mode to have it with you wherever you go. For me personally, I play just about exclusively in handheld mode – you can sit wherever you want with it, plus being nearsighted makes focusing on a TV kind of difficult after a while. With that in mind, though, holding the Switch 2 by itself for extended periods of time isn’t great – your hands cramp up after a while, which means you really need a grip to make those long gaming sessions easier.
That’s where Genki’s new Attack Vector grip comes in. It promises three swappable styles, an easy fit into the Switch 2 dock, and the ability to detach the Joy-Con controllers even with the grips equipped. Unfortunately, the Attack Vector winds up being more of a liability than an asset – so much so that I went back to using no grip instead of this one.
Starting with the positives, the material of the grips is comfortable and sweat-resistant, which is definitely ideal if you’re going to be using your Switch 2 in handheld quite often. That’s really about it for the positives, by the way – unfortunately, the Attack Vector has many crucial flaws that make it impossible for us to recommend. For one, the three different grip styles, while useful, are difficult to attach and click into place. You’ll need to fiddle with them for a few minutes until they finally slide on, and even then they’re wobbly and flimsy-feeling even when they’re properly connected. This wobbly property makes the Attack Vector feel kind of cheap, which isn’t great considering it costs around $50.
Though I didn’t have this issue myself (because I never tried docking it), the Attack Vector grip doesn’t actually fit in the Switch 2 dock all that well. Users have reported that the console with the grip attached fits too snug within the dock and may cause minor scratches. There’s a whole thread on Reddit with all sorts of cases detailing dock issues. Again, I never tried to dock my Switch 2 with the case attached – but it did make pressing the power and volume buttons a little more difficult, so I wound up not using the case and only using the grips anyhow. Speaking of which, the Joy-Con grips themselves have another issue that I haven’t seen documented: they made pressing the ZL button difficult. In games like Splatoon where you have to hold ZL to enter squid form, the button had constant issues staying held down.
Overall, we can’t recommend the Genki Attack Vector grip due to all the issues it has on launch. If Genki reworks the case to fix the docking issues, the wobbliness, and possibly the ZL button issue, this could be a good option for those of you looking for a grip – but in the meantime, it may be a better idea to look for a different grip instead.
