6 Nintendo Switch Special Editions With the Best Designs, Ranked

They make us want shiny things

When a new console arrives, a lot of us rush out to buy one the minute we can afford to. At launch, there’s typically just one option, or sometimes a handful of choices with varying specifications. Personality isn’t a draw yet, beyond whatever’s standard. Over time, however, that inevitably changes.

Some consumers hold out for a special edition console, which might come with a game and special visual enhancements. Over the years, Nintendo has done a great job of delivering in this area, going back to the colorful “Play It Loud” versions of the original Game Boy and some tempting Nintendo 64 variants. More recently, Nintendo has offered several beautiful designs for the Switch, and just kicked things off on the Switch 2. Here are six of the best-looking special editions.

6 Dragon Quest 11

Released: Sep. 27, 2019

Sometimes, it feels like Japan gets all the cool stuff. It’s easy to understand why Nintendo wouldn’t bother to localize expensive hardware featuring Dragon Quest 11, because the series isn’t nearly as popular in North America and Europe. But it still feels like a minor tragedy. The hardware featured the standard black dock, with white outlines depicting a legendary sword and shield. The JoyCons were a lovely blue. Each one had a monster near its base (Babble and Slime). The back of the handheld unit featured additional decoration, in the form of outlines of beloved monsters from Akira Toriyama, with a few more blue Slime mascots thrown in for good measure. The design is somehow both restrained and cute at the same time, much like the Dragon Quest games it celebrates. I’ve never imported hardware, but I might have to make an exception.

5 Mario Red & Blue

Released: Feb. 12, 2021

Released alongside Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury, which was sold separately, this basic design had one huge thing going for it: familiar charm. The system’s base and shell are Mario red, a color I quite like, and it is accented by a friendly blue that resembles the plumber’s overalls. The JoyCon straps feature a yellow widget, and the zippers on an included carrying case are also yellow, like the coins Mario and friends grab on their adventures. That carrying case also has a simple print pattern, showing various symbols familiar to anyone who has taken a lot of trips through the Mushroom Kingdom. All in all, despite the apparent lack of ambition, it’s like a warm mug of cocoa on a chilly day.

4 Splatoon 3

Released: Aug. 26, 2022

You might expect a lot of color from a special edition modeled after a game like Splatoon 3, and mostly that’s what you get (along with the OLED version of the hardware, for added brightness). The system’s base itself is white with gray print, featuring an intricate design that is enhanced by a splotch of bright yellow “paint” on its left portion. The base looks like it just got pegged by a paintball. The JoyCons, meanwhile, are vibrant tones of purple and blue on the left side, and green and yellow on the right, also with neat artwork. The effect is very pretty, even if you aren’t super familiar with the IP.

3 The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Released: Apr. 28, 2023

The best Zelda games are mythical, with strange symbols and patterns scattered around Hyrule, and that design translated beautifully to the system capturing the feel of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. The base features Hyrule’s crest, complete with the Triforce, in a white circle at the very center. To its left and right, basic imagery in a golden tone proves that simple is best. The JoyCons are predominantly gold themselves, recalling special-edition cartridges Nintendo released early in the series run, but the left one also has a dark green that recalls Link’s strong connection to the forest. It’s elegant and mysterious in equal measure, and it feels just right.

2 Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Released: Mar. 13, 2020

The Animal Crossing: New Horizons console proved difficult to acquire during the initial weeks following its release, largely because no one could have anticipated just what a monster success that game would become. Nintendo had to provide new stock to keep up with the demand. It couldn’t have hurt that the hardware was so adorable. It featured a white base, with blue ocean waves printed along its base. On a small island stood three tanuki characters: Tom Nook and his Nooklings, alongside a palm tree. Besides that soothing imagery, the device also offered pastel green and blue JoyCons, which perfectly evoke the idyllic island setting where the game takes place.

1 The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Released: Oct. 29, 2026

The special edition Switch 2 console for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is the first of its kind for Nintendo’s latest hardware, which makes it the best-looking by default. That’s a distinction it is likely to retain, thanks to a stylish design. Its two JoyCons are a deep metallic green, with Triforce shapes printed in still darker tones, along with a golden print on the left one. Golden rings circle the analog sticks. The console’s base is half black and half gold, with triangle-shaped print along its right side. An ornate Triforce pattern appears at the very center, with faded echoes extending left. It looks nearly as gorgeous as the new take on Hyrule in the game itself, which is not included. The lack of the game hasn’t stopped resellers from doing their thing, ensuring the console costs more than your average collector might want to pay. Hopefully, Nintendo will produce more units to meet the demand, especially now that the game has shifted more than 5 million units in less than a month. People are clearly all about Zelda this year, and the special edition console is the perfect way to celebrate that moment.