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Now that some time has passed, I’m finally sharing my thoughts on the custom Switch 2 Joy Cons I had made. I opted to buy a pair of custom-shelled Joy Cons from an independent Etsy artist, UsmansConsoles, located in Australia.

There are plenty of people who will swap Joy-Con shells for a fee. Many of the shops I came across appeared to be using the same suppliers and offering similar combinations. Still cool, but after deciding to Cutify My Switch 2, I wanted something that actually matched the vision I had in my head instead of settling for what everyone else was offering.

This was my experience with UsmansConsoles and their Joy-Con customization service.

Why I Decided to Outsource This Project

I have experience customizing my Switch Pro Controller. I did a full shell and button swap, and it was a journey.

I like doing tedious things, but this is a different monster. Everything has to go back together perfectly or it simply doesn’t work. I’m not an electronics engineer. I just wanted my controller to be cute.

Had I known how much work my Pro Controller was going to be, I probably wouldn’t have done it myself. Once I stepped back and thought about it, the decision became obvious. If I didn’t enjoy working on a controller that’s larger than a Joy-Con, why would I enjoy working on something even smaller…twice?

I wouldn’t.

The idea honestly stresses me out, so I decided this was one part of the project that deserved a professional.

Choosing a Shop

Since Etsy is a handmade marketplace, you’ll often find mass-produced items mixed in with genuinely handcrafted work. You’ll also notice a lot of the same shops showing up repeatedly.

UsmansConsoles actually caught my attention through an ad, and I’m glad they did.

Their Joy Cons immediately stood out because they weren’t just another shell swap. They fit my vision. The pair I ordered wasn’t simply white. They had a subtle shimmer that made them feel elevated without screaming for attention. They’re sleek Joy Cons for adults who still want their gaming setup to be fun.

What really sold me were the buttons. They have a beautiful iridescent finish that shifts color and pairs perfectly with the shimmer in the shells.

The more I searched, the more I realized a lot of the shops on Etsy, and even elsewhere on the internet, seemed to be working from the same pool of third-party shells. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it made a lot of the listings start to blur together.

The shops that did offer more unique color combinations usually made compromises somewhere else. Maybe I could get the bold pink color that had been living rent-free in my head, but then the joysticks were left completely stock with the blue and red rings around the base. I did not want that. To make things even cuter, I added Hello Kitty Joy-Con thumb grips.

It started to feel less like customization and more like settling.

Then I noticed they were shipping from Australia.

That definitely gave me pause. It’s a long trip from Australia to Michigan, and there was already a listed turnaround time of four to six weeks. By this point I’d spent nearly a month looking at custom Joy Cons online. I was ready to pull the trigger.

I messaged them to ask about their current turnaround time. After a few conversations back and forth, I felt comfortable placing my order.

Waiting for Them to Arrive

Considering the time difference, UsmansConsoles was incredibly responsive.

After placing my order, I did the impossible.

I waited.

Luckily I had this blog and my other blog to keep me occupied. I feel like I ordered them with such a specific intention that I didn’t feel the need to check on their status constantly. 

Once the estimated completion date was getting close, I sent a quick message to check in. Unfortunately, my controllers weren’t finished yet. They explained they had to remake another customer’s order, which pushed production back. More importantly, they were upfront about it and immediately offered me a full refund if I didn’t want to wait.

I wanted the controllers.

So I told them I had no problem waiting a little longer.

Not long after that, about two weeks, they reached back out to let me know they were ready to ship. Somewhere in all of this, we also ended up chatting about how I have family in Sydney, which made the experience feel surprisingly personal.

Shipping took about three weeks. There weren’t any postal delays, customs issues, or surprise tariffs. I simply selected the standard shipping option.

One thing that genuinely surprised me was that they arrived in an original Nintendo Joy-Con box. It makes complete sense now, but I hadn’t even considered it beforehand. Seeing the original packaging was a nice reminder that these started life as genuine Nintendo Joy Cons, not third-party replacements.

Overall, I was really happy with the experience. If Nintendo releases another Switch, UsmansConsoles will probably be the first shop I check before starting another customization project.

The Finished Joy Cons

When I pulled them out of the box, they were absolutely worth the wait. The shimmer really took my breath away because it was done so tastefully. After taking some pictures, I had to get them on my Switch immediately. 

I could immediately tell these weren’t off-the-shelf replacement shells.

I the shells were painted with a custom blend of paint and shimmer. They feel incredibly smooth, and the iridescent buttons shift between blue, purple, and green depending on how the light hits them. It’s almost like a chameleon effect.

When I looked closely around the seams and compared them to my stock Switch 2 Joy Cons, I didn’t notice anything unusual. Everything fit together cleanly.

In my hands, they feel buttery smooth.

When I customized my own Pro Controller, the shell had a matte finish that picked up dirt surprisingly quickly. I’d share a picture, but honestly…I’m embarrassed.

These don’t have that problem. After four months of use, they still don’t feel porous or look dirty. The buttons have a satisfying click, and because the lettering is encapsulated inside the buttons instead of printed on top, I don’t have to worry about it wearing away over time.

God, this makes me sound gross.

Functionally, they’ve been flawless. They paired immediately, and I haven’t had a single issue using them.

I only have one other custom controller to compare them against, but knowing these were built from genuine Nintendo Joy Cons instead of aftermarket shells makes them feel even more special to me.

I’ve recently started using an airbrush machine myself, and it has given me a whole new appreciation for work like this. Achieving even color, laying down a durable finish, getting everything fully cured, dialing in your paint, PSI, and technique…none of that happens overnight. It takes experience.

Every time I pick up my Switch, I smile.

As cute as the dock turned out, the shimmer on these Joy Cons still steals the show. At one point I wondered if I’d regret spending this much on them. That would be a negative, Ghostwriter.

Instead, I like knowing I’m one of a very small number of people with this exact set while also supporting an independent artist.

Was It Worth It?

Absolutely.

The customization speaks for itself, but what really made buying from UsmansConsoles worth it was the communication.

I’ve dealt with a custom controller companies before where updates came weeks after the estimated delivery window, usually through a generic YouTube announcement explaining production delays.

This felt completely different.

Every message I sent was answered within about a day. When production was delayed, they didn’t make excuses or disappear. They explained what happened, offered me a refund, and let me decide whether I wanted to continue.

That level of communication goes a long way with me.

The next time I upgrade my Switch, UsmansConsoles will be one of the first places I look.

This project also taught me something about myself. If I’m dealing with something this technical, I’m perfectly happy outsourcing it if it means getting exactly what I envisioned.

These Joy Cons actually changed the visual direction of the entire project.

I think anyone who enjoys cute things would appreciate them. The price alone will probably make some people pass, but after seeing the amount of work that went into them, it felt worth it to me.

This isn’t the last stop on this customization journey.

After getting this far, my Switch still needs to travel in super cute style.