REVIEW | Killswitch by dbrand & Various Nintendo Switch 2 Cases
The video above is my review of the Killswitch by dbrand.
The audio is clipped from episode 38 of The Talking Place.
If you want to hear the full episode,
be sure to check it out right here!
Also, please keep in mind there are affiliate links throughout this post
which will help me out if you use them. Thank you!
At this point in my life, I’ve been gaming for a long, long time. I feel like I’m part of the generation that started it all. We planted the seeds of the trees that everyone is picking fruit from today. And it’s an awesome feeling! But for the past few years, as I’ve mentioned what feels like countless times by now, I feel like I’ve become disconnected. I’m still a gamer at heart. I still get excited, I still stay up to date with things. But I don’t really play the way I used to. Heck, sometimes it’s as if I don’t game at all. Yet, I still go out and buy the new hotness whenever they drop.
And then… The fun really starts for me. Because it’s when something is new and fresh that you get to buy all the new accessories that go with it! Call me basic, call me a poser, whatever! Accessorizing makes me happy. Queue the Killswitch from dbrand.
Actually no, don’t queue it just yet! See, it took me a while to get to it. And I’m going to tell you all about my journey because I don’t want you to think I’m Mr. Moneybags over here, just jumping into the expensive option out the gate. See, when the Nintendo Switch 2 came out, I — OMG.. I never gave it an official post here?! Guess with all the podcasts I’ve been putting out talking about it, I never sat and actually wrote about it here. I need to fix that! I’ll get to that soon, let’s get back on track.. — needed a case. Also, I needed a grip because oh my Ganon, my hands aren’t what they used to be.
I started looking around Amazon because it’s the number one spot for cheap overseas merch that can show up at your door in a day. and I find a few things and start making a list. I’m not going crazy because, you know, the Switch 2 wasn’t cheap.
The Journey to Find a Case
Sisma Slim Carrying Case
First case I tried out was the Sisma case from Amazon. It was about $20, and boy did it feel like it. I liked it because it’s the only coffee colored case I could find. And no, I wasn’t looking for coffee brown in particular, but I saw it and liked it and thought, “eh, it looks like coffee, I’m down.” Turns out it feels just like it looks. The best way I could describe it is it feels as if it’s made from an old cheap couch cushion. The fabric feel of it kept catching on my rough, manly hands, and I couldn’t take it anymore. Not to mention it wasn’t as sturdy as I would’ve liked. So it went right back in the mail to Amazon. My kid though did wind up keeping his, but more on that soon.
Sarlar Hard Carrying Case
Then I tried out the Sarlar Hard Carrying Case from Amazon. It’s a frequently returned item, go figure. I liked the look of this one and the color… On the product page. I think I paid about $12 for this one. Can we guess what it was like? Yeeeeeah, not the greatest. This one felt like it was made from old recycled paper products. You can probably see that in the picture. Which, if it was, then cool! But I don’t think that’s what they did. Also, it was labeled as hard shell. It most definitely was not lol. That got sent back quicker than Sisma’s.
STARTRC Games Hard Carrying Case
I wanted to try one more and I went with STARTRC Games Hard Carrying Case on Amazon. God, Amazon is the worst. Truth be told, I completely forgot about this case until I looked through my order history. It was $15 and it was so incredibly meh. I don’t know what I even saw in it. I mean, honestly, it wasn’t horrible. Out of the 3, it was the most tolerable. Despite the inside of it feeling and looking like the bed sheets of a cheesy adult film, it was fairly ok. I think it was the way it looked like a poor man’s tomtoc. Whatever the case, it wasn’t for me.
At this point, I had already heard about the Killswitch, and honestly, that may be what ruined me on STARTRC’s case. I knew I missed out on the initial launch shipments, but I didn’t want to do a few things. 1) Spend so much freaking money. I mean, look at the budget I was working with. Yes, I know about great cases like tomtoc and such. Heck, I have a tomtoc case on my Steam Deck and love it. But at this point in time, I could only spend so much. And 2) I didn’t want to spend the money and then wait forever for it to arrive. I wanted something right then. My ADHD would never have been able to wait months for it. So I put it out of my mind.
Savage Raven StandGrip and Hard Shell Cover
This is when I decided to wait a few weeks and get the Savage Raven StandGrip. It’s available on Amazon easy enough, But I decided to go and buy directly through their site as they had different color options and it was more or less the same price. It was about $25 or so plus shipping and I already knew all about the StandGrip since that’s what I also have on my Steam Deck.
I really did enjoy the feel of it. it’s something that worked good and didn’t give any issues. It comes off super easy, and that’s a big plus. And the grip was just enough to make a difference. The hard shell cover mimicked what I loved about the Killswitch, making it a case but not a case.
Buuuuuuuuut it wasn’t the Killswitch. See, by this point I was stalking videos for dbrand’s grip and knew it checked off all the boxes I wanted:
- Ergonomic grip.
- Dockable without removing said grip.
- Hard shell cover.
- And physical game storage.
That last one is what ultimately got me to stop being satisfied with the StandGrip. There was no storage solution and I really needed one, because you know, physical forever. On top of that, I was also finding the annoyance of having to remove the StandGrip whenever I wanted to dock the system. It’s easy! Don’t get me wrong. It almost just slips right off. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t cumbersome to deal with every time you have to.
At this point, I actually had some money saved up and I decided to order the Killswitch. It was still a few weeks out, but nowhere near as long. And I just kept thinking about it. So it seemed like the logical way to go… Aaaaaand then the early reports started flying in… We all know how that went, right? Faulty designs led to a nightmare for dbrand, where everyone who received their grip was complaining about the joy-cons not staying attached. dbrand even responded in a not-so-great way, pouring gas on the fire. In turn, it all left me saying “OF COURSE!” to myself since I finally decided to order one. I wound up cancelling my order and felt bad. But it was a gamble I couldn’t afford to take.
So I did what any logical person would do. I bought ANOTHER case.
R.D.S. Industries Mario Kart World Traveler Deluxe Travel Case (yeesh what a name)
This time it was the official Mario Kart World Traveler Case from R.D.S.. Now, this case was awesome! Not going to lie, it looked and felt super premium. And it was only $25! Not only that, the StandGrip fit perfectly inside it, as you can see in my Unboxing/Review video I posted above. I still used the hardshell if I knew I wasn’t going to be changing out any games, like I am right now with my current Hades addiction, or how I’ll be in a few weeks with Pokemon Z-A. But otherwise, I was happy with the grip/case combo I created for myself.
Until a few weeks later, that one case my kid kept decided to break. Remember? The one made from old couch cushions? Yeah, turns out $15, not the greatest of investments. So I gave him my Mario Kart World case since he had a liking towards it. Which left me once again, caseless.
NOW. Queue the Killswitch.
By this time, we’re at what? 4 or 5 cases/grips deep? I still needed one and by this point, the Killswitch was readily available not only on dbrand’s site, but at Best Buy as well?! It was a shock but good for them for branching out. I chose to still go through their site though because when you did, you got a free skin for the joy cons! And there are a bunch of them to choose from too. So, now that we’re up to speed on how I got to it, what do I think about the Killswitch?
It’s ridiculous, that’s what I think! The packaging is so over the top, and even the mailer it came in is completely covered in what looks like legalese. I started reading it and got a headache so I could only assume that’s what it is. But seriously, you can see it in my unboxing video above. The packaging is top notch. For the price you’re paying, you feel like you’re getting your money’s worth, that’s for sure.
Prices and What You Get
Speaking of money, let’s go over the options here.
At $60, you’ll be able to get the grip – the back plate for the system, as well as the two joy-con grips (or, joy-lock grips, as they’re referred to as) – the dock adapter, and the skins for the joy-cons.
At $80, you’re getting the grip, the dock, the skins, and also the hard shell cover and the 10 game holder. Oh! And thumb grips.
For 100 smackeroos, you’ll get everything mentioned above, and 2 screen protectors.
The only thing I’ve ever see anyone get is the $80 option. Some go for the option with the screen protectors, but almost never have I seen anyone grab just the grip itself. Personally, I went with the $80 option. And I’m glad that’s not the top tier option because it’s all I needed. $80 is A LOT for a case.
But considering that I have owned *counts to the air* about 4 different Waterfield CitySlicker leather cases for previous Nintendo consoles? $80 doesn’t seem too bad!
I know, I said 4, but I have one for the 3DS XL that is not easily reachable. That one you see there is for the New Nintendo 3DS. My baby. My pride and joy. God, I miss that console. Such simpler times. Just grabbing it to take this picture made me want to fire it up. Anyway…
If you’re not familiar with Waterfield cases, you can find them over at SFBags.com. Their quality is unmatched! I mean, obviously, I have freaking 4. But they’re pretty expensive going for $130. Honestly, if you use your Switch 2 with no grip and that’s how you roll? This is a no-brainer. Skip two games that you know you’re not going to play anyway, and just get a CitySlicker for your Switch 2. It’s so sophisticated and refined. The perfect case if you’re wanting to show the world that you are a fully functioning and respectable adult who loves to play video games whenever your heart desires.
Ok, Ok. Couldn’t have a post about Switch 2 cases without mentioning Waterfield. Back to dbrand!
SO WHAT DO I THINK?!
I’ve gotten fairly wordy here again and despite all this talk, I haven’t even really said anything about the actual Killswitch. What do I think about it?!
Well. Obviously, I think it’s good. Dare I say perfect for me. It’s worth it. That’s the short answer.
The long answer?
Joy-lock Grips
The Joy-Lock Grips feel amazing. As if a piece of clay was globbed onto the back of a Switch 2, and then gripped with the hand, and they just molded it from there. But! The texture leaves something to be desired. It feels like a smooth sandpaper almost. It’s not uncomfortable to hold or anything, I was just expecting it to be smoother. I said it in the video – I was expecting the smoothness of the Switch 2 Pro Controller, but in reality, that’s not really grippy in itself so I guess it is for the best. The best part, I think, is that you can detach and fidget with the joy-con magnets still even with the grip on. I’m not saying I do that… I’m just kidding, I totally do that.
After playing with it more now since I’ve begun writing this amazingly long-winded and over-the-top review, I found I’ve gotten used to the texture that first threw me off. Yes, it still has that smooth sandpaper feel, but it’s not a bad thing and there is actual grip to it. The DualSense controller for the PS5 is probably one of my favorite controllers ever, but I haaaaaate how little grip it has for me. Sometimes it feels like it could literally slip right out of my hands. These Joy-Locks do not have that problem.
The Dock Adapter
The Dock Adapter is great and it seems like it would be too much. Like not a necessity. Which is probably why the cheaper option exists at all. But really though, it was a huge selling factor for me. Not having to deal with taking off the grip to dock it is a huge plus and I’m glad they got it to detach so naturally. AND it just looks really good! Love how the Switch 2 is on full display with it, and it’s not just the ugly plain Switch 2 logo on the dock. I had it in my mind to make a decal to cover up the front of the standard dock, but I never bought the right paper for it. But there’s a nice little section on the bottom of the Killswitch Dock Adapter that is just screaming for some sort of decoration!
Also, take this time to admire the skins I chose! Between the picture just above and the picture just below, you can see the skins pretty good. I thought the decision to mix and match one black and one white was big brain thinking on my part, but I may be bias.
Travel Cover and Game Card Holder
The Travel Cover and Game Card Holder is what really sold it for me. This is what I really wanted in a grip – something that can protect it like a case and also hold physical games. Let’s be real, physical media is king and while it may be a whole other conversation, it’s something I needed to make sure I can take around with me. I need options when I’m out and about. My ADHD gets too crazy sometimes so I can’t help it. I dunno, I guess I wanted an anti-case! I think that’s a good way to put it? A case that’s a case but it’s not a case.
And not only does it work great and is held there sturdy, it looks super cool with games loaded in there thanks to the transparent shell.
Oh yeah. The Thumb Grips
The Thumb Grips it also came with do leave something to be desired. I was expecting grips. I always love using grips on the thumb sticks. Honestly, I have thumb grips for every system’s controller that I use. Especially with the horror stories I’ve been seeing lately on reddit of the Switch 2’s joy-con thumb sticks getting rubbed off from basic playing. But these thumb grips? I dunno, they’re just not it. They’re not grippy enough for me. My thumbs kept slipping around and I just couldn’t take it anymore. I wound up taking them off and putting on the Savage Raven thumb stick grips. Truth be told, they’re the ones I ALWAYS get because they always work great. I’ve bought way too many over the years than I’d care to admit. AND! They not only fit on the joy-cons, they also fit on the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller!
I think that covers everything
Get it? Covers? Because it’s a case?
Ok, whatever.
In conclusion, I –hey! What TH do you mean, “finally!”?! I didn’t have to write all this up alright! I did it for YOU!
Like I was saying! If you’ve been on the fence to get a Killswitch, just go for it. Rip off the band-aid like I did and you won’t be disappointed. I mean, if you’re looking at the Killswitch and you are fighting yourself on it, then you already lost the fight. You want one, so just do it. The price is rough, especially when there are other cheaper alternatives out there that mimic the detachable grips like the Killswitch. But with the travel cover and the dock adapter, and heck, even the free skins you get from going through dbrand, you get a complete package that feels worth it the minute you feel it in your hands.
Check out the links below if you are curious about it and want to buy. I don’t get any sort of referral or whatever as I’m not an affiliate with them. They’re not sponsoring this review, heck, I’m not sure they’ll ever even click on this, let alone read through it all. But still, the info and links will be here for you if you need it! (I’m sure it won’t hurt to tell them I exist and wrote this up but I won’t ask. Officially.)
Here are all the links in one convenient spot for your
buying pleasure. You know, in case you didn’t click
on any of the links throughout the post.
Switch 2 Killswitch (through dbrand – comes with free skins)
Switch 2 Killswitch (through Best Buy – $80 option is only bundle available)
Explore the different skins available through dbrand
Sisma Slim Carrying Case
Sarlar Hard Carrying Case
STARTRC Games Hard Carrying Case
Savage Raven StandGrip and Hard Shell Cover (through Savage Raven)
Savage Raven StandGrip and Hard Shell Cover (through Amazon)
R.D.S. Industries Mario Kart World Traveler Deluxe Travel Case
Waterfield CitySlicker Handmade Leather Case
Savage Raven Thumb Grips
UPDATES:
10.7.25: Someone commented on my YouTube video asking if the Killswitch fits inside the R.D.S. Mario Kart Case… To which I scoffed to myself. “That’s just silly!” I figured I’d try anyway, just to verify even though I didn’t think it would at all. Lo and behold!
Pardon the dog hair, we have huskies. But I mean, it’s almost as if it was MADE to fit in there! Look at the molding inside of the case!
It freaking fits PERFECTLY! Pardon my Ace Ventura voice when I say “Liiike a glOVE-a!”
I’m thoroughly impressed and shocked by this, but it’s awesome to know for anyone that has both, or wants the Killswitch with an added level of protection in a case. The flap that holds the games can even sit flush in there if you have the system a certain way. It’s easy to NOT have it a certain way and the flap will be not flush with the system. BUT, if you adjusted it a bit it’ll fit just fine and it does not seem to be causing any stress to the system at all!