For some inexplicable reason, Nintendo isn’t giving us different coloured Joy-Con for the Switch 2 – at least not yet, anyway.

Sure, we have the slightly different Light Purple and Light Green set, but the plastic on the bodywork is the same colour as the standard Joy-Con that ship with the console – and a far cry from the weird and wonderful colour combinations we got with the original Switch.

Thank goodness, then, for GameTraderZero.com. You’ll be familiar with this company if you’re a long-time reader of the site, as we’ve covered its amazing work in the past – from Pro Controller mods to completely upgraded Switch Lites. The firm also does a wonderful line of modded Game Boys, too.

GameTraderZero has now turned its attention to the Switch 2 Joy-Con, and was kind enough to send us a pair of its latest aftermarket marvels – a set inspired by one of the company’s “absolute favourite handhelds”, the legendary Famitsu Edition Game Boy Light (detailed in this this video by The Retro Future).

Released exclusively in Japan, this version of the Game Boy boasted an electroluminescent display for playing in the dark, and, in its Famitsu Edition guise, is highly collectable (I sadly don’t own that particular edition, but I do have the equally lovely Tezuka Osamu World Shop version).

As you can see, the main difference with these custom Joy-Con is that GameTraderZero has swapped out the original shell for a transparent one that lets you see all the lovely components inside. The white buttons mimic those of the aforementioned Famitsu Edition Game Boy Light, while the red and blue accents on the bottom of the analogue sticks have been swapped out for transparent alternatives for a “consistent” overall look, according to the company.

Another big change is the inclusion of a proper D-pad on the left-hand Joy-Con – something I dearly wish Nintendo had done with its OEM controller. This improves the experience of playing retro games on the Switch 2 immeasurably, although the pad is still located a little too low on the controller, which can cause slight hand cramp over time.

Under the hood, GameTraderZero has replaced the standard analogue sticks with ‘Tunnel Magnetoresistance’ (TMR) upgrades, meaning stick drift shouldn’t be an issue.

This bodes well for the longevity of these controllers, but I found the left-hand analogue stick felt somewhat stiffer than normal. This may well improve over time, but it’s worth noting that you might not get the exact same feel as on the original Switch 2 Joy-Con (heck, you might even prefer it).

There’s one final secret included in these Joy-Con, which is yet another tribute to the Game Boy Light. The player LEDs have been switched to blue as “a subtle nod to the electroluminescent screen on the original Game Boy Light,” says GameTraderZero.

These don’t come cheap – in fact, they’re around twice the price of the official Nintendo Joy-Con (prices vary depending on the finish) – but those TMR sticks alone could make these a wise long-term investment, and I personally prefer the ‘proper’ D-pad featured here, too.

If you fancy checking out the full range, head this way.