BODY: If your Switch 2 setup could use a splash of summer, Nintendo has an answer arriving right on schedule. Today, July 23, the company launches a new color variant of its Joy-Con 2 controllers—Blue (L) and Light Yellow (R)—priced at ¥9,980.
The mismatched pairing is the headline here. Rather than a uniform set, this release leans into the two-tone look that Switch owners have embraced since the original console, splitting a cool blue on the left against a soft, creamy yellow on the right. It's an unmistakably warm-weather palette, and it lands just as Japan settles into peak summer.
Fans were quick to spot the reference. The blue-and-yellow combination closely echoes the color scheme of Deep Cut (すりみ連合), the idol trio at the heart of Splatoon 3. Whether or not Nintendo intended a direct nod, the resemblance has given the launch an extra layer of appeal for the game's dedicated community, who tend to color-coordinate their hardware with in-game favorites.
Functionally, these are standard Joy-Con 2 units—the same controllers that ship with Switch 2, now simply offered in a new finish for players who want to swap or add to their collection. At ¥9,980 (roughly $65), they sit at the usual premium Nintendo commands for a first-party pair.
The insider take
Nintendo has long treated Joy-Con colorways as a low-effort, high-loyalty play, and from Tokyo it's obvious why. Limited and seasonal hues move fast here—Bic Camera and Yodobashi displays rotate them like fashion accessories, and resale value on discontinued colors can climb sharply. Tying a release, even implicitly, to a Splatoon faction is savvy: that franchise is a genuine cultural force among younger Japanese players, and Deep Cut's aesthetic carries real weight. Expect this pair to sell briskly, especially before the summer's over.
Originally reported by GAME Watch (Japanese).