My God what a beautiful shell this is! it totally changed the look of my Switch to something unique and amazing! The price on all this Switch stuff no matter who you buy from is a tad overpriced but given how popular the Switch is right now its all about supply and demand and the market demands this stuff. It literally looks and feels like I have a brand new Switch which is awesome. Even my wife was super impressed by it as was one of my sons.
The package arrived SUPER FAST which was awesome given it came from the state of Washington and I live clear over in Ohio. Took only 2 days to get to me. That's almost unheard of when I order anything. The package was nicely put together and all the parts were secure in the little plastic container. All the parts were undamaged and in perfect order. I was missing the multi-colored directional round buttons for the left joy-con but I had no intentions of using the colored buttons anyway as I wanted to stick with a purely black and white build for my Switch. So I don't care about the red/yellow/green/blue buttons thankfully or I might have been a little ticked off, lol.
Installing the console back-plate was SUPER easy. My twin 2yr old boys could combine their brain power and probably figure out how to do it, that's how easy it was. Take a few screws out pull the back-plate off. Unscrew the game card reader screw and then unscrew the kickstand screws. Super simple and reverse steps to putting the new one on. Super easy. MAKE SURE YOU KEEP TRACK OF WHICH SCREWS GO WHERE!! IT 100% MATTERS!!! You MUST watch out for this!! After that your done with that part. Took me a whole 5 minutes to do that part.
Installing and gutting the joy-cons is where you HAVE TO BE CONFIDENT in your DIY abilities!! You HAVE to be or you will screw something up or break something. You HAVE to be EXTREMELY sensitive and careful with removing every single part of the innards of a joy-con. You should be using an ifixt tool kit or something similar to that quality of tool. You will want to use tweezers at ALL times and not your bulky fingers. Especially when pulling ribbon cables. These are very easy to snap and break. Not to mention opening the retention pieces for ribbon removal. DO NOT FORCE ANY PART OUT! You will break it! instead apply light pressure and maybe wiggle a tiny tiny bit to the pieces that are being a pain for you. I also needed to replace my left joy-con's thumbstick as my original one was messed up and would drift to the left real bad while playing a game. So I bought a new joy-con on eBay for $8 and installed that while I was doing all this so it worked out great and saved me another tear down.
All in all it was a good experience to do this myself. I LOVE trying things like this that take time to do and knowing if I screw something up I will pay for it, literally. If you are doubtful about doing this yourself I MUST insist you still try! There are tons and tons of YouTube videos with detailed step by step tear-down and reassembly for the left/right joy-con. I personally used the YouTube channel "JerryRigsEverything". He has a VERY detailed breakdown and reassembly video for the console back-plate and both joy-cons. I used his and had no issues at all even though I didn't need to watch most of it.
Some things to add just because: When you are reassembling the joy-cons you must be conscious of how tight you are tightening some of the screws as that will affect how your buttons press. Like the b,a,y, and x buttons especially. Tighten to tight and the buttons will not work properly. To loose and things will move around inside the joy-con. You have to find just the right "zone" for the controllers buttons to function. Same with the R/L buttons.
When removing the joy-con outer screws make sure you are using a Tri-wing screwdriver!! People seem to get a Phillips screwdriver confused with a Tri-wing screwdriver. Don't!!!!! You need a special Tri-wing to get into both joy-cons. Also remember these tri-wing screws are incredibly easy to strip. My best advice to just push as hard as you can into the screw with your tri-wing screwdriver and SLOWLY turn while making sure to watch the screw to make sure it is turning and you aren't stripping it. Not enough pressure and they strip like no other screw I have ever seen. Its crazy how "cheap" feeling the tri-wing screws feel.
Make sure you remove the inside ribbon cables with a nice pair of tweezers! Do not use your fingers!! The ribbon cables WILL BREAK super easy! Best to just open the ribbon retention bars and slowly and carefully pull the ribbon cable out with a pair of tweezers. Same with just about every other part inside. If you can get it with a pair of tweezers instead of using your fingers then do it!! So many small pieces and so many things that break incredibly easy, Best to be safe than sorry.
Final thing: This is not an easy task for someone who is not good with DIY stuff or who is doubtful of their abilities. The joy-cons are complicated. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. These guys who say it was super easy and its not as hard as it looks are either lying or are just blessed with the ability to do stuff like this in EZ mode. Most people will find this challenging and nerve wracking. All together it took me 4 hours to get everything done and 5 minutes of that 4 hours was spend installing the Switch's back-plate. The rest of the 4 hours was spent on the joy-cons. its a heck of a job. Some people can do it in an hour while others like me who are super paranoid and are extremely overly careful take hours and hours. I would say for the average person it would take 3 hours or so just from the comments I have seen by other people.
Good luck if you buy this! Its a super fun experience and I had a lot of fun doing it! The end result was well worth it and the times spent. I hope it is for you also!
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Reviews with images
Beautiful, unique, and a pain to put together.
So after what was ultimately a couple week project (out of my own neglect), I finally finished installing the new shell in atomic purple, and let me say, it’s absolutely beautiful if you get it perfect. Mine is near perfection, but I’ll talk about that in a bit.I don’t know if it needs to be said, but if you still have an active warranty and like having an active warranty, go ahead and avoid this because you’re super likely to break something.QUALITY:Having gotten the shell in hand, it just looks so cool and I was excited to get it on my Switch. Unfortunately, the plastic is very glossy feeling, which is a turn off for me, but aesthetically, it’s amazing. The packaging and product appears simple in nature. I got the full kit in ‘Atomic Purple,’ which included the controller shells, the rear panel, replacement SNES style buttons, and some extra Y screws in silver to close the housing if that’s your thing. I didn’t use them but considering my iFixit kit didn’t have the exact size bit I needed, I did get close to stripping a screw, so it’s nice that it was included. It would have been nicer to include all the screws just to have extras, but I’ll settle for extra screws I didn’t need anyway.One thing that I’ll mention immediately is that I unfortunately dropped my Nintendo Switch with the Joy Cons attached for the first time since owning the thing (partially due to the slippery glossy thing), and the screw holding the rails on the left Joy Con immediately gave out and ruined half of the shell. In my pictures, you can see I replaced the back of the left Joy Con with the original pink shell, and I understand, it’s completely my fault. What I’m pointing out by saying this is how quickly the plastic gave in only a few days of owning it. I’m not entirely faulting BASSTOP for this due to the drop being my fault, just be aware that if you’re as clumsy or worse than me, you may have to put on the old shells more quickly than you’d ever expect.INSTALL:Installation was… Well, to preface, I’m already very used to dealing with laptop and phone repair. It’s a hobby thing that prepared me for general small electronics repair, and… This was an ambitious project, even for me. It took me two and a half hours to complete it my first go around, and I nearly ruined the battery connector on the left Joy Con (read: I did ruin it but have it jankily sitting in there enough to charge). Pull the charging cables up, not out. Anybody looking to take this on, I implore you to watch a couple different videos on replacing the shell on the Switch and determining if this is something you can do. IGN and JerryRigEverything both have fantastic videos on YouTube. Also verify that you have capable tools, I have an older iFixit kit (I used the Y0 and J0 bits) and a pair of tweezers. I recommend a plastic spudger to reinsert the battery, but I didn’t have one and I’m still alive.CUSTOMER SERVICE:At least for me, the controllers ended up working just fine (although the bottom LED on the right Joy Con no longer emits light and I don’t want to bother), but I had a pretty annoying defect in the right Joy Con shell. The top most shell bulged outwards, preventing the unit from having a complete seal. I contacted BASSTOP for help and they suggested shaving off a bit of the inside. I just used a pocket knife and got the bit they recommended completely removed, but it still bulged outwards. I asked for a replacement and they obliged, and after a few days, the replacement came in. To my dismay, it exhibited the same issue, but I tried shaving the little bit down again and it seals just fine now. I have it in picture what it looks like now and it’s unfortunate, but it’s fine, at least enough so that I wouldn’t say to avoid purchasing it because it’ll end up looking hideous or anything. In summary, BASSTOP was quick to reply to me and quick to send me a replacement. I rarely have to deal with customer service and I’m quite pleased with what I got.TL;DR / CONCLUSION:- If you like manufacturer warranties, avoid at all costs.- This isn’t easy to do. Don’t do it unless you’re confident, and even then, go slow.- It looks beautiful but feels a little cheap and more slippery than the stock shell.- BASSTOP has good customer service.Honestly, I’d do it again and recommend it if you’re capable. It adds a level of genuine uniqueness to your Nintendo Switch that I don’t feel you can get with something like a skin, and it feels so rewarding once you’ve completed the entire project. The option for a dpad is also really nice.
Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2018
I don’t know if it needs to be said, but if you still have an active warranty and like having an active warranty, go ahead and avoid this because you’re super likely to break something.
QUALITY:
Having gotten the shell in hand, it just looks so cool and I was excited to get it on my Switch. Unfortunately, the plastic is very glossy feeling, which is a turn off for me, but aesthetically, it’s amazing. The packaging and product appears simple in nature. I got the full kit in ‘Atomic Purple,’ which included the controller shells, the rear panel, replacement SNES style buttons, and some extra Y screws in silver to close the housing if that’s your thing. I didn’t use them but considering my iFixit kit didn’t have the exact size bit I needed, I did get close to stripping a screw, so it’s nice that it was included. It would have been nicer to include all the screws just to have extras, but I’ll settle for extra screws I didn’t need anyway.
One thing that I’ll mention immediately is that I unfortunately dropped my Nintendo Switch with the Joy Cons attached for the first time since owning the thing (partially due to the slippery glossy thing), and the screw holding the rails on the left Joy Con immediately gave out and ruined half of the shell. In my pictures, you can see I replaced the back of the left Joy Con with the original pink shell, and I understand, it’s completely my fault. What I’m pointing out by saying this is how quickly the plastic gave in only a few days of owning it. I’m not entirely faulting BASSTOP for this due to the drop being my fault, just be aware that if you’re as clumsy or worse than me, you may have to put on the old shells more quickly than you’d ever expect.
INSTALL:
Installation was… Well, to preface, I’m already very used to dealing with laptop and phone repair. It’s a hobby thing that prepared me for general small electronics repair, and… This was an ambitious project, even for me. It took me two and a half hours to complete it my first go around, and I nearly ruined the battery connector on the left Joy Con (read: I did ruin it but have it jankily sitting in there enough to charge). Pull the charging cables up, not out. Anybody looking to take this on, I implore you to watch a couple different videos on replacing the shell on the Switch and determining if this is something you can do. IGN and JerryRigEverything both have fantastic videos on YouTube. Also verify that you have capable tools, I have an older iFixit kit (I used the Y0 and J0 bits) and a pair of tweezers. I recommend a plastic spudger to reinsert the battery, but I didn’t have one and I’m still alive.
CUSTOMER SERVICE:
At least for me, the controllers ended up working just fine (although the bottom LED on the right Joy Con no longer emits light and I don’t want to bother), but I had a pretty annoying defect in the right Joy Con shell. The top most shell bulged outwards, preventing the unit from having a complete seal. I contacted BASSTOP for help and they suggested shaving off a bit of the inside. I just used a pocket knife and got the bit they recommended completely removed, but it still bulged outwards. I asked for a replacement and they obliged, and after a few days, the replacement came in. To my dismay, it exhibited the same issue, but I tried shaving the little bit down again and it seals just fine now. I have it in picture what it looks like now and it’s unfortunate, but it’s fine, at least enough so that I wouldn’t say to avoid purchasing it because it’ll end up looking hideous or anything. In summary, BASSTOP was quick to reply to me and quick to send me a replacement. I rarely have to deal with customer service and I’m quite pleased with what I got.
TL;DR / CONCLUSION:
- If you like manufacturer warranties, avoid at all costs.
- This isn’t easy to do. Don’t do it unless you’re confident, and even then, go slow.
- It looks beautiful but feels a little cheap and more slippery than the stock shell.
- BASSTOP has good customer service.
Honestly, I’d do it again and recommend it if you’re capable. It adds a level of genuine uniqueness to your Nintendo Switch that I don’t feel you can get with something like a skin, and it feels so rewarding once you’ve completed the entire project. The option for a dpad is also really nice.
Color: Set-Transparent PurpleVerified Purchase
Beautiful, unique, and a pain to put together.
Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2018
So after what was ultimately a couple week project (out of my own neglect), I finally finished installing the new shell in atomic purple, and let me say, it’s absolutely beautiful if you get it perfect. Mine is near perfection, but I’ll talk about that in a bit.Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2018
I don’t know if it needs to be said, but if you still have an active warranty and like having an active warranty, go ahead and avoid this because you’re super likely to break something.
QUALITY:
Having gotten the shell in hand, it just looks so cool and I was excited to get it on my Switch. Unfortunately, the plastic is very glossy feeling, which is a turn off for me, but aesthetically, it’s amazing. The packaging and product appears simple in nature. I got the full kit in ‘Atomic Purple,’ which included the controller shells, the rear panel, replacement SNES style buttons, and some extra Y screws in silver to close the housing if that’s your thing. I didn’t use them but considering my iFixit kit didn’t have the exact size bit I needed, I did get close to stripping a screw, so it’s nice that it was included. It would have been nicer to include all the screws just to have extras, but I’ll settle for extra screws I didn’t need anyway.
One thing that I’ll mention immediately is that I unfortunately dropped my Nintendo Switch with the Joy Cons attached for the first time since owning the thing (partially due to the slippery glossy thing), and the screw holding the rails on the left Joy Con immediately gave out and ruined half of the shell. In my pictures, you can see I replaced the back of the left Joy Con with the original pink shell, and I understand, it’s completely my fault. What I’m pointing out by saying this is how quickly the plastic gave in only a few days of owning it. I’m not entirely faulting BASSTOP for this due to the drop being my fault, just be aware that if you’re as clumsy or worse than me, you may have to put on the old shells more quickly than you’d ever expect.
INSTALL:
Installation was… Well, to preface, I’m already very used to dealing with laptop and phone repair. It’s a hobby thing that prepared me for general small electronics repair, and… This was an ambitious project, even for me. It took me two and a half hours to complete it my first go around, and I nearly ruined the battery connector on the left Joy Con (read: I did ruin it but have it jankily sitting in there enough to charge). Pull the charging cables up, not out. Anybody looking to take this on, I implore you to watch a couple different videos on replacing the shell on the Switch and determining if this is something you can do. IGN and JerryRigEverything both have fantastic videos on YouTube. Also verify that you have capable tools, I have an older iFixit kit (I used the Y0 and J0 bits) and a pair of tweezers. I recommend a plastic spudger to reinsert the battery, but I didn’t have one and I’m still alive.
CUSTOMER SERVICE:
At least for me, the controllers ended up working just fine (although the bottom LED on the right Joy Con no longer emits light and I don’t want to bother), but I had a pretty annoying defect in the right Joy Con shell. The top most shell bulged outwards, preventing the unit from having a complete seal. I contacted BASSTOP for help and they suggested shaving off a bit of the inside. I just used a pocket knife and got the bit they recommended completely removed, but it still bulged outwards. I asked for a replacement and they obliged, and after a few days, the replacement came in. To my dismay, it exhibited the same issue, but I tried shaving the little bit down again and it seals just fine now. I have it in picture what it looks like now and it’s unfortunate, but it’s fine, at least enough so that I wouldn’t say to avoid purchasing it because it’ll end up looking hideous or anything. In summary, BASSTOP was quick to reply to me and quick to send me a replacement. I rarely have to deal with customer service and I’m quite pleased with what I got.
TL;DR / CONCLUSION:
- If you like manufacturer warranties, avoid at all costs.
- This isn’t easy to do. Don’t do it unless you’re confident, and even then, go slow.
- It looks beautiful but feels a little cheap and more slippery than the stock shell.
- BASSTOP has good customer service.
Honestly, I’d do it again and recommend it if you’re capable. It adds a level of genuine uniqueness to your Nintendo Switch that I don’t feel you can get with something like a skin, and it feels so rewarding once you’ve completed the entire project. The option for a dpad is also really nice.
Images in this review
Top reviews from other countries
Raziel Gtz
Se ve increíble
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Images in this review
brae
Difficult work but worth it!
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Reviewed in Canada on August 2, 2019Color: Set-Transparent PurpleVerified Purchase
