Product Manufacturer: Fixture Gaming
Price: $85 – Bundle, $62 – Mount, $46 – Case
Estimated Time With Gear: 2 weeks.
What Is It?: Nintendo Switch Pro Controller mount & carry case.
Compatible With: Nintendo Switch (does not include the Nintendo Switch Lite)
If you hate to hold the Nintendo Switch in your hands but love the idea of playing it portably, the Fixture S1 Mount and Carrying Case are designed for you. These two pieces of gear can and will change the way you play with and use your Switch daily, as long as you’re happy to supply the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller yourself.
I’ve been chucking the S1 Case & Mount in my bag and carrying it to work and around my house now for a few weeks, and the target audience for the S1 Mount is clear. It may not have changed my life as someone happy (most of the time) to play the Switch handheld with Joy-Cons attached, but I can quickly see how this could change lives. Most importantly, if the barrier between how much you play the Switch is an ergonomic factor, this is your best solution on the market right now.
The Fixture S1 Mount was released late last year, while the Fixture S1 Carrying Case was released in June 2021. Some of you may have or be aware of the mount, but the case will be a great addition to your S1 Mount if you already own one.
Setting up the S1 Mount is as simple as clipping your Pro Controller into the bottom and then sliding your Switch (without Joy-Cons attached) into the mount itself. Everything is rather tight and safe when it’s together and you’ll never feel like it’s going to fall apart. When holding the Pro Controller, you can tilt and move the Switch screen into your perfect position for playing comfort, and it doesn’t feel like the screen is going to fall or topple over no matter the angle you’re holding it on. The whole unit is somewhat heavy, although not uncomfortable, it would be too much for a small child to hold. If you like to play your Switch a lot in bed, however, I wouldn’t suggest the S1 Mount as I found that more awkward than simply using the Switch with the Joy-Cons attached.
Given how tight everything fits into place, I wondered if the Pro Controller would begin to get scratched over time if you’re removing it a lot to use elsewhere. So far, I’ve had no signs of this, but I would be wary of it, especially if you’re someone who could be removing the Pro Controller daily.
It’s worth mentioning that the S1 Mount does slide along the Joy-Con brackets to clip into place, so you can’t use this for Nintendo Switch Lite.
The biggest complaint you could make about the S1 Mount is how awkward it is to throw in a bag and travel safely with it; fortunately, the S1 Carry Case resolves all of these issues.
There’s no need to disassemble the S1 Mount when using the S1 Carry Case. Placing the Pro Controller into its slot at the bottom of the case, you can neatly fold the screen in and over the controller for a snug and safe fit. There is a flap for you to slide some Nintendo Switch cartridges into place, but it’s the additional bag space to store Joy-Cons that makes this the whole package in my mind as my initial fear was that travelling with the S1 Carry Case would encourage solo-play as you couldn’t bring the Joy-Cons to whip out at a party for some multiplayer action. You could even fit two Joy-Cons easily inside the case and bring a USB charging cable for your Pro Controller & Nintendo Switch console.
If you leave your Nintendo Switch docked 90% of the time, or you don’t like the Pro Controller, the S1 Mount and Carry Case will not do anything for you, and they aren’t targeted at you either. It’s for those that travel a lot or play their Switch handheld a lot of the time. Switching (flicks fingers) to the S1 Mount will feel so much better in your hands and give you a better playing experience via the Pro Controller anyway. If you feel like this review and the combo of the S1 Mount and Carry Case have spoken to you in this review, it’s because it has, and I suggest picking one up right away to save your poor cramped hands.
