We’ve even added a poll at the bottom so you can pick your favorite designs after you’ve seen them all (yes, we’re like that). Take a look and then vote for your personal favorite to see which comes out on top.
Happy browsing!
Every special edition of the Switch console
The following list is broken down by model in the Switch family so you can check out each release for Classic, OLED, and Lite. While some of the systems below were painfully rare at release, we’ve limited the collection to those that were available for purchase, removing limited edition consoles that could only be obtained by winning a contest or participating in a charity event like the AVICII Invector : Encore Edition and Jack Jeanne Lite consoles and Trials of Mana and LABO special edition switches.
Everything else is fair game, so let’s start with the classic Switch models…
Switch:
Monster Hunter XX
There’s a ‘less is more’ mentality to a lot of the designs on this list, but the Monster Hunter XX special edition model (unique to Japan) is just a little… huh. Especially considering what this franchise is known for.
The dock is a pretty nice design, we’ll admit, but if you want to play in handheld mode, you might as well have bought the standard gray model. Not the biggest “I love Monster Hunter XX” flag you can wave – where are the monsters?!
Pokémon Go Pikachu / Eevee!
This was the first special edition Switch to be available worldwide, and Nintendo is off to a really good start. There are plenty of Pokémon-themed consoles out there (including Switch models), but we’d argue that Let’s Go! edition is one of the best.
Walking the line between too subtle to notice and so OTT is hard to watch it’s hard to balance, but this one does it well. The uniquely colored Pikachu and Eevee-colored Joy-Cos are enough to stand out from the standard design, and the detailing on the back of the console doesn’t look overcrowded compared to some later releases.
If we had one complaint it would be the giant full color titular ‘mon’ on the dock, but we guess you can’t have everything.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
This is certainly one of the more subtle designs (at least in Joy-Con terms), but there’s a certain elegance to the Smash Bros console. Ultimate, which we did not expect from such a bright and in-your-face franchise.
The Joy-Con clearly displays the Smash logo when assembled (not that you’d be able to tell if you’re just looking at the real thing), but while it’s here it’s the real star, showing an image of the fighters clashing in a classy monochrome. How very kind!
Diablo III Eternal Edition
Continuing the trend ‘maybe we should add some color for this design, the Diablo III Eternal Edition Switch is one of the more modest models.
There are two character designs on the base station itself and a small amount of detailing on the back of the console, but if you’re looking for flashy design then there are definitely better places to look.
Dragon Quest XI
This is what the special edition Zelda design of our dreams looks like (if it wasn’t a Japan-only edition). Details on the Joy-Con are reduced to just the franchise mascot and bubble slime, and Akira Toriyama’s monster design on the back of the console is kept black so it doesn’t stand out too much.
We’re also big fans of the dock on this one. Just imagine the Swordmaster and the Hylian Shield sitting in those positions…
Disney Tsum Tsum Festival
If the Disney Tsum Tsum Festival got a special edition design that wasn’t very cute, then there would be riots in the streets. Luckily, Nintendo pulled this Japanese exclusive.
The speckled and diamond pattern is a nice change from the stock model, and we like how it follows through on the Joy-Con. We can only imagine that the design team took an early lunch after considering turning the home button into Mickey Mouse. Inspired!
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
A game as healthy as Animal Crossing: New Horizons deserves an equally healthy console to go with it, and Nintendo has nailed it with a suitably sweet and enjoyable machine.
The back of the console is covered in little island-themed details, and the pastel Joy-Con just screams summer escape. All of this is complemented by a bright dock featuring the Nook clan as they welcome you to your new haven. It’s the ultimate example of “less is more” and probably the most suitable design on Instagram.
Fortnite
As one of the most popular games, it makes sense that Fortnite will get a special Switch edition. Say what you will about the game itself, but this design is undeniable honeyeeeeet.
The character models on the back of the console and the base have always been a big hit with Fortnight fans, but we also appreciate how restrained the Joy-Con design is here. Let the colors speak for themselves and stick on just a little detail (the Battle Bus around the home button is a neat thing) and you’re on to a winner in our book.
Mario red + blue
There are only a few brands that can be presented only in their colors. Yellow and red are immediately McDonalds, purple and gold are the Lakers, royal purple is Cadbury chocolate. But red and blue? It’s Mario.
This design, released alongside Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury, knows that simplicity speaks for itself. It doesn’t mess around at all by adding any intricate details. It might not be covered by the deepest references, but get the console color except gray is something that deserves to be celebrated anyway.
Monster Hunter Rise
It’s there a lots of happening with this. Instead of deciding on one motif to carry through the entire design, this just takes everything that has to do with Monster Hunter Rise and puts it across the entire console, Joy-Con and dock. Moreover, the details are in three different colors so there is no doubt about its volume.
In our eyes, it is much better than the XX, but does it really benefit from having everything and the sink thrown at it? We’d say no, but it leads nicely into OLED designs…
OLED:
Why go subtle when you can go completely overboard? That’s the question we assume Nintendo asked when they designed the special edition consoles for the Switch OLED. We’re not saying it was a bad idea, but its success is undoubtedly mixed.
Splatoon 3
It makes sense that Splatoon 3 has a special edition design that goes all out for the freshest design outside of Splatsville. From the gradient color Joy-Con to the detail that is overcrowded across the body, this is a look that screams Splatoon and it definitely works as a result.
We’re particular fans of the unique yellow ink mark on the dock. It would be easy to go over the top with the splash marks, so it’s nice to see that some restraints were taken.
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
Yes, the overarching design works for something like Splatoon. You know what it doesn’t work so well for? Pokémon.
Looking at the design of this special edition from the front, we were quite impressed. After all, those are some nice colors on the Joy-Con, and the details are kept to a minimum while nicely representing the Academies from Scarlet and Violet. Well done Nintendo, we’re glad you didn’t clutter up the back of the Swi- oh no, what?!
The color takes what could have been a subtle design and turns it into the outer casing of a 13-year-old’s first laptop. Remember when we said “less is more”? This is the reason why.
Easy:
Yes, the Switch Lite might forever be remembered as “The Switch That Wasn’t,” but that doesn’t take away from some pretty nice designs on the special edition front.
Pokémon Sword and Shield
The design for the Pokémon Sword and Shield console is an all-out affair, and you know what? works for it.
The silver/white casing is a classy touch and manages to make the Zacian and Zamazenta drawings on the back a little less imposing. The jury’s still out on the crimson and blue control buttons, but we’re guessing Nintendo had to squeeze in a reference to the different versions somehow.
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shiny Pearl
Phew, now that’s a classy design. Is there anything classier than black, gold and silver? Probably not. This is the console you play after drinking an espresso from your penthouse candy bar.
The real relevance of Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl is limited to the line drawings of Dialgo and Palkia on the back, but we don’t always need the game to be so in your face. It turns back and works.
You’ve got all the major special edition switches right there, but which one is your favorite? Take the following poll, then head to the comments to tell us which one is the most special of them all — and let us know if we missed anything!
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