I tend to be a bit of a console purist. In the past I’ve rarely added dedicated accessories to my systems. Even with the Steam Deck I keep it in the carrying case I got with the handheld and stuff like decals or skins tend to not be for me. However, walking around Gamescom I spotted the booth of accessory-maker Genki. Now Genki might be more closely associated with the Nintendo Switch 2 then they’d prefer themselves, as they recently settled a lawsuit with Nintendo over bringing out a 3D printed version of the system in January at CES. But given a hands-on with their upcoming range of products I was particularly excited about their dedicated grip for the Nintendo Switch 2, provocatively named the Attack Vector. Having played around with it over the past few weeks, I have to admit that I’m having a hard time taking these grips off of my system as they’ve increased comfort and portability drastically for me.

The Attack Vector is a full on clamshell that covers the entire Switch 2 system. It snaps on snugly and feels like a tight fit while leaving plenty of room for the ventilation, kickstand, cartridge slot and buttons. If I didn’t know I put it on there, the bulk and noticeability of the shell is almost negligible, which is to me a massive plus. It also fits perfectly into the Nintendo Switch 2 dock. I have to admit that since getting my system at launch in June I did have my doubts about how much the system can ‘wobble’ in the dock and possibly scratch the screen. With the Vector, all these doubts are a thing of the past. There’s no way to misalign the system when docking it and getting it out feels very sturdy.

The shell comes with two separate pieces for the Joy-Con 2 controllers. Getting these on was a bit trickier, as you need to insert them around the shoulder and ZL/ZR buttons. But again, once it was on there, there was no way of removing them easily. These modular shells are truly why you are picking up this grip as they allow for the addition of three sets of grips around the back of the controller. There’s the ‘Feather Grip’, a minimalistic grip that fits into the higher end of the handpalm underneath the pointer and the middle finger, the ‘Balance Grip’ which follows the length of the controller and makes the bottom edge rounded and align with the entire palm, and finally the ‘Anchor Grip’ which adds a hefty bit of bulk to the underside of the hand, shifting most of the weight to your four fingers. Each of these provides a wildly different experience and personally I didn’t care for all of them. In particular the Anchor Grip simply was too bulky and hefty for my comfort. Much akin to the Steam Deck, after about an hour of playtime my hands would get fairly tired and sometimes they even tended to go a bit numb, depending on my posture. The Balance grip feels nice, but with the width across the entire palm, it took me quite some time to adjust to the way my fingers would reach certain buttons or the sticks. Thankfully there’s the Feather Grip which to me was absolutely fantastic. I played nearly all of the forty hours I spent with Hollow Knight: Silksong using the feather grip and even now I haven’t taken them off. It makes it a joy to hold the Switch 2, as you can rest the console more easily on your middle fingers at the back of the system. Truly, it fit me like a glove and made up for how quickly I dropped the other two available grips.

Each of the grips has a nice textured feeling that makes the system easy to hold and doesn’t slip off. I do think that they are a bit susceptible to sweat, dust and hair, in particular if you have hairy pets. There’s this fine coating of cat hair on my grip that doesn’t bother me too much, as it comes with living with these two feline folks, but due to the way the anti-slip texture is designed it isn’t easy to wipe or get off. The hairs didn’t stick back on my hands or fingers so in the long term it is something I simply have to deal with.

I was very pleased that the Attack Vector is so slimly designed that I could still fit it in my TomToc carrying case without needing to disassemble either the Feather Grip or the case itself. But even if you do want to keep the Balance and Anchor Grips attached or don’t have a case yourself yet, I also found the included Hard exterior shell to be a great piece of kit. This hard shell has an opaque look that prevents the screen from being scratched or scuffed and clicks into the anti-slip case. I found it to be a great way to take my Switch with me easily, without needing to grab a carrying case. Simply pop the hard shell on and toss the Switch 2 into a bag. It might not be as comfortable as a dedicated carrying case, especially as you need to keep that shell somewhere when you’re using the Switch 2 on the go, but it gets the job done and you don’t need to remove anything when using it.

Finally I wish I could comment on perhaps the most useful feature as the Attack Vector has a built-in MagSafe magnetic ring on its backside. While I would have loved to test out this feature, in particular with the 30W Energy Pack powerbank that Genki has developed specifically for the Attack Vector, I do not own a MagSafe compatible powerbank. Do keep in mind that if you are looking specifically for a MagSafe case, this one does need a wired connection to the powerbank from the console. There is no charging available through the case itself to the Switch 2. But if you’re really set on using your Switch 2 for several hours, this might be the most convenient solution for the portable gamer.

Overall I was pleasantly surprised with the Attack Vector. Like I stated at the beginning, I tend to use consoles and controllers in their purest form. But the Attack Vector from Genki is so flush with the Switch 2 that I barely noticed it being there. When I did use it, the Feather Grip in particular elevated my comfort using the Switch 2 significantly. It’s a shame that even with my larger hands, the Balance and Anchor grip will probably go unused, but I have a feeling that a lot of users will settle on using one of the three included grips. The additional features like the MagSafe ring and the hardshell cover help to make it an accessory that is designed for long term portable use. If you’re a dedicated handheld user of the Nintendo Switch 2 and you’re looking for a way to increase your comfort and portability with the system, I’m fairly certain that the Attack Vector is unrivaled for its versatility and comfort. The best accessories are the ones that you forget are even there.