Snakebyte Announces Nintendo Switch, NES Classic Accessories

Snakebyte revealed at CES 2017 a range of accessories for Nintendo's upcoming Switch console and the NES Classic nostalgia machine.

Snakebyte Meets Switch

Little is known about Switch: It's a hybrid device meant to bridge the gap between home consoles and handheld devices; its unique controller can be split in half to allow for multiplayer gaming; and it's going to play host to the next entries in Nintendo's beloved franchises. The company plans to reveal more on January 13, but for now our knowledge about Switch is limited to hearsay and revelations from an all-too-brief trailer published in October.

Apparently that doesn't matter to Snakebyte. The company announced two accessories--a foldable headset with 40mm drivers that's meant to provide decent sound quality while using Switch as a handheld device, and a "starter kit" filled with accessories. That bundle includes game cases, a screen protector, stereo earbuds, a cleaning cloth, control caps, and a carry bag to "allow for an enhanced gaming experience" and protect the device.

Making Nostalgia More Convenient

The NES Classic is a miniature console that supports 30 old-school games like Super Mario Bros, The Legend of Zelda, and more. It's also Nintendo's latest effort to cash in on decades of nostalgia, and it worked, because the device sold out within minutes and remained that way for most of the holiday season. As we covered in our hands-on, it's a solid product marred by weird inconveniences like USB power and a very short cord for its retro controller.

Nyko was quick to address the cord length issue with an extension cable for the bundled controller as well as a wireless controller of its own. Snakebyte is hitching on to that bandwagon with a 9.8-foot extension cable of its own, and it's also made an adapter that allows the USB-powered console to be plugged in to a wall socket. The improvements should let the fortunate few who own an NES Classic more easily enjoy their itty-bitty gaming device.

Here's Snakebyte in a press release:

'Nintendo has a tradition of honouring the past while forging a bold future, and with the release of the NES Classic Edition as well as the forthcoming Switch, we believe that gamers everywhere will respond positively to the new hardware Nintendo are introducing,' said Nick Repenning, CEO for Snakebyte USA. 'We expect our range of Switch accessories to be high quality and thoughtfully designed, ideal for a day one purchase alongside new console sales. We believe that the new products announced today will allow us to continue growing market share in our gaming hardware business and look forward to sharing further details soon.'

The company said it expects both product lines to debut in spring 2017. Pricing information for any of the products was not revealed.