A vertical case makes arcade games easier on Nintendo Switch
Jeremy Parish and Fangamer made a crowdfunding campaign to produce the 'Flip Grip.'
A big part of the Nintendo Switch's appeal is its portability, but select games -- typically older titles that originally debuted in arcade machines -- are formatted vertically. Playing them horizontally leads to giant black bars on the sides, which isn't enjoyable for anyone. But a new gadget (more like a case, really) is up on Kickstarter that situates the console upright with rails on the sides for Joy-Con controllers to slide into, allowing players to enjoy their favorite vertical games on the go.
The Flip Grip, as it's called, will retail for $15 if it meets its $42,500 goal (it currently sits just above $14,000). It's a single piece of ABS plastic with cutouts that leave the game card, SD slot and headphone jack exposed when the console is fully inserted -- but unfortunately, the charging port and power button are both inaccessible. There's even a little slot in the back to insert something (like a credit card (!!), the campaign suggests) as a makeshift stand.
Current Switch titles that benefit from vertical play include classics like the original Donkey Kong, Punch-OUt!!, Ikaruga, Galaga and Pac-Man. To be clear, only games that support screen rotation will benefit, but the Switch menu interfaces don't support vertical orientation, so it's not a seamless experience.
The Flip Grip is a collaboration between veteran games journalist Jeremy Parish, hardware engineer Mike Choi and production company Fangamer. The case has already been designed and prototyped, according to the site -- it just needs funding for mass-production. If the campaign meets its goal, the Flip Grip is expected to begin shipping in November.
