PowerA Protective Nintendo Switch Cases review: Everything you need with a beautiful design

I rarely ever leave my house without bringing my Nintendo Switch OLED along with me and I always want it to be in a protective case. However, I learned the hard way that the Switch OLED is slightly larger than the original Switch, and so cases made for the original Switch don't always accommodate it.

Fortunately, the line of PowerA Protective Cases not only has room for the Switch OLED, but offers everything I look for in a case. There's the hard shell, plenty of cartridge slots, a small storage area, and a convenient carrying handle. I'll be taking a look at three PowerA Protective Cases in this review, each with a different Nintendo design.

PowerA Nintendo Switch OLED cases: Price and availability

PowerA's line of Protective Cases for Nintendo Switch have an MSRP of $19.99. However, you can often find them on sale for much less on Amazon. At the time of this writing, the Zelda Midnight Ride design is on sale for under $12. There are several designs featuring Nintendo characters and each case can hold either the Switch, Switch OLED, or Switch Lite. They sell at a good price since $20 is standard for licensed cases with this many convenient features.

PowerA Nintendo Switch OLED cases: What's good

PowerA Protective Cases come with everything I look for in a Switch OLED case. Each has a small zippered pocket for storing things like earbuds, thumb grips, or other small accessories. I much prefer zipper storage to an open pocket as this prevents things from sliding around and scratching my Switch in transit. There are also cartridge slots for up to nine of your best Switch games as well as two smaller slots that can hold microSD cards. That way, I can have my favorite games and any additional memory cards I need at any given time.

Something I love about the PowerA Protective Switch cases is that interiors often have a design that complements the exterior design. For instance, inside the Zelda Midnight Ride case is a beautiful Shiekah pattern on either side of the Master Sword. Oddly enough, the interiors aren't always shown off in the official PowerA images, so the interior design you get is sometimes a surprise.

Source: Rebecca Spear / iMore

A staple with all of these PowerA Protective Cases is that they always come with a rubber handle that makes the case easier to travel with. This might seem like a silly thing to praise, but there are hundreds of other Switch cases on the market that don't have a handle or carrying strap.

The outer zippers are also covered in soft rubber, which makes them match the overall case design and also makes them a little easier to grasp. Each PowerA Protective Case comes with a foam Switch Lite insert which holds the smaller gaming system in place so it doesn't bang around. If you plan on using the case with the Switch or Switch OLED, you can toss this insert away.

Source: Rebecca Spear / iMore

While not as hard as more intense cases out there, these ones are plenty strong enough to resist everyday bumps and drops while still offering a soft feel. Plus the print quality on the front of the cases is not only vibrant but clear too. They make it fun to show off your love for a specific franchise.

PowerA Nintendo Switch OLED cases: What's not good

Honestly, I've been racking my brain trying to find something that I don't like about these cases, but I'm coming up empty. I will say though that if anyone is considering buying one for their Switch Lite that it might just be a better idea to get a smaller Switch Lite case so you don't have to deal with that foam insert.

PowerA Nintendo Switch OLED cases: Competition

Now, if you're the kind of person who doesn't plan on bringing any accessories with you, then you should check out the Tomtoc Nintendo Switch OLED Slim Protective Case. It can hold 10 cartridges, has a carrying strap, and still offers a hard shell.

If you're looking for something that can bring your dock, charger, Pro Controller, and other accessories along as well, then you can't go wrong with the PowerA Everywhere Messenger Bag.

Now, if you're specifically looking for a Switch Lite case, I'd recommend you get PowerA's smaller cases that were specifically designed for the handheld-only device. That way, you don't have to deal with that foam insert popping out all the time as you do with the larger case.

PowerA Nintendo Switch OLED cases: Should you buy one?

• You want to carry cartridges around
• You want to protect your Switch, Switch OLED, or Switch Lite
• You'd like something that shows off your favorite Nintendo characters

• You need more cartridge slots
• You want something that can hold your charger or dock
• You want something with a shoulder strap

You'd be surprised how many Switch OLED cases out there don't come with all of the convenience features you'd expect. As someone who purchases physical cartridges, I want a case that offers several slots and has room for a few small accessories that I want to bring with me. The PowerA Protective Cases all deliver what I'm looking for while also letting me choose from a number of gorgeous Nintendo designs.

The only reason not to get one of these convenient carrying cases is if you want something larger that can also carry your Switch charging adapter, dock, and other accessories like the Pro Controller. While this case does work with the original Switch and Switch Lite as well, I'd recommend going with the specific PowerA Switch Lite cases instead of using this one with the included insert.