Jsaux’s EnergyFlow Joy-Con charging dock isn’t a must-have for every Switch 2 owner, but if you’ve got extra controllers in regular rotation, it’s a genuinely handy bit of kit. Fast charge times, easy magnetic slots, and a splash of RGB flair make it a practical — if not exactly thrilling — way to keep four Joy-Cons ready for the next Mario Party session.
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Design
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Performance
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Portability
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Value
You may have already blown through your stash of Nintendo Switch 2 games in the months since launch while you wait for Nintendo to do, well, anything with its biggest franchises, but a fresh crop of accessories from Jsaux may well be enough to keep you cosied up to your hardware until then. The accessory-maker’s EnergyFlow Switch 2 Joy-Con charging dock is certainly one of those, even if it isn’t the sexiest accessory out there.
All of the lights
That isn’t to say the Joy-Con charging solution Jsaux has cooked up here is unattractive. In fact, it pulled off the astronomical feat of making a charging dock that we didn’t mind displaying proudly, both on our desks and right alongside the TV. Even so, we’ll be the first to admit that any sort of charging dock lacks a certain pizazz.
It’s also not going to entice every Switch 2 owner. Most will make do with the Joy-Con 2 controllers until something better comes along — meaning a proper Pro controller, or something third-party. But for the madmen who enjoy the Joy-Cons and the dodgy grip, or regularly play with a couple of friends, the ability to charge up to four Joy-Cons 2 controllers at a time is invaluable. It proved itself a real time-saver for Mario Party days.
Jsaux’s little dock is a wholly plastic affair. It stands a little taller than your typical Joy-Con 2, with four slots on the sides to stick your controllers, and a massive RGB strip down the front that bumps the aesthetics to something you wouldn’t mind placing alongside your TV (and hiding the Switch 2 in the process). Up top lives a single button to toggle the RGB strip on or off, with numbers 1-4 etched into the corner to match up with your Joy-Cons.
The lights and the included USB-A to USB-C cable that powers the dock worked wonders for us, but if you’re looking for something a little more custom than some RGB lights moving in the same downward direction, then you may want to look elsewhere.
Babe Controller magnet
Like the Switch 2 itself, the Joy-Con 2s hook up to the dock magnetically, requiring no effort to get all four controllers back into the mix. Unfortunately, it requires about as much effort to shake ’em loose, with the magnet not living up to the one found inside the console itself. A little tug was enough to get these loose, without ever pushing on the pin in the first place. Still, keep this stationary, and it won’t ever present an issue.
Under the main RGB strip lies four little green LED indicators that’ll help keep track of which Joy-Cons are ready to go, and which are still charging by gently flashing. Speaking of which, the dock managed to get our Joy-Cons fully charged in a little under the 2.5-hour time that it promised, and firmly beat out the Switch 2’s roughly three-hour charge time. For anyone with no backup controllers to speak of, it’s worth it for the charge times alone.
Not quite pocket-sized, but it’ll do
Oddly enough, we got our hands on another Jsaux-made Joy-Con 2 charging dock — although this one makes a case for being your new travel companion. We won’t deny that there are a lucky few folks who can wrangle enough Nintendo-loving friends to make this a must-have accessory, but we, unfortunately, are not one of them.
Still, even if the portability factor of the Jsaux Joy-Con Charging Station is lost on us, the $20 price tag certainly wasn’t. It doesn’t have the same flair as its RGB sibling, but the ultra-thin, clean, and flat look may just appeal to someone out there. It’ll either lie flat and charge up to four Joy-Cons 2s at once, or you can prop it up using the kickstand on the back.
We thought that the limited size, as well as being primed for the on-the-go traveller, would sacrifice charge times, but we were wrong. Jsaux’s portable solution was more than a match for our Joy-Cons 2s, and even managed to get them up to full charge in the same two-hour window that the RGB option offered — for $10 less, too.
Jsaux EnergyFlow Switch 2 Joy-Con charging dock verdict
If you only have the Joy-Cons that came with the controller and no desire to have people over for a round of Mario Kart, then Jsaux’s flashy charging dock probably isn’t for you. Got an extra pair or two that’s regularly put to use? Then it’s a different story, with Jsaux’s $30 (∼R500) pricetag (plus shipping) making this an easy buy for anyone hoping to zhooze up their Switch 2 set-up. Or if you couldn’t be bothered by any sort of RGB, then the company’s portable charging dock at $20 (∼R330) presents an ironically even more attractive solution.
