Nitro Deck 2 Impressions: Building Upon Success of the Original | PAX East 2026
- Roger Reichardt
- Apr 1
- 2 min read
I love my Nitro Deck from CRKD for my Nintendo Switch. It’s saved me from plenty of hand cramps, and features like remappable buttons and turbo functionality make it feel great to use.
So when CRKD announced the Nitro Deck 2 for the Switch 2, I was immediately interested. I had a chance to check it out PAX East 2026, and after getting some hands-on time with it, I’m already looking forward to the finished product.
Like the original Nitro Deck, the Nitro Deck 2 feels great in my hands. One of the biggest improvements is how the Switch is inserted. Instead of sliding it in and struggling to pull it back out, which was one of my complaints with the original, the Nitro Deck 2 uses a retractable design.
The sides push in to secure the system and lock into place with a turnkey on the back. This also makes it compatible with the original Switch and the OLED model.
In addition to remappable buttons, the Nitro Deck 2 also lets players adjust the thumbstick tension, allowing them to increase or decrease resistance based on what feels right. I didn’t get a chance to test this in the prototype, but it’s something I’m interested in exploring more.
There’s also an additional shoulder button next to the L and R buttons. By default, these are mapped to ZL and ZR, but they can be reassigned. The unit still includes the standard ZL and ZR buttons, so having the extra inputs could be especially useful for games with lots of menus or abilities.
CRKD continues to impress with its hardware, and the Nitro Deck 2 is no exception. After spending time with the version they had a PAX East, I’m looking forward to getting my hands on the final product.
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