There’s a bit of a running joke that anything that’s ‘gamerfied’ is smothered in RGB lighting. Some find the effect tacky, but I embrace the tack and love it when the best Nintendo Switch 2 controllers and accessories can not just make your games run more smoothly, but provide a little light show in the palm of your hand at the same time.
I’ll be an RGB defender until my dying days, and one of my favorite examples of why I adore the illuminating feature so much is found in this inconspicuous Mario and Luigi controller. It was released on March 30, 2026 for $64.99 (Amazon) / £54.99 (Amazon), and it looks perfectly fine with the moustachioed plumbers cross-armed and chilling on the grips. When it’s lit up, it looks like it’s been given a new 1-up lease of life, as it reveals a hidden array of light-up Super Mario power-ups. Do they help make me better at Super Smash Bros Ultimate or Mario Kart World? Absolutely not, but the effect Turtle Beach has crammed into this pad is so mesmerizing that it’s solidified my love for RGB lighting now and forever.
The RGB effect on display with this Mario and Luigi Switch 2 accessory is pretty remarkable, so much so that it’s hard to capture just how spectacular it is seeing the waves of rainbow lighting cascading across the front of the pad in photos alone, though I did try. There are up to four different modes available in total, which can be selected by holding the small black button beside the right stick and tapping the two sets of trigger buttons.
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This can offer up a static RGB effect if that’s what you’re after. Or, you can choose from a twinkling mode that lights up different areas of the pad in a pretty sequence. My personal favorite is this slow wave of light, which passes through the faceplate and ever so subtly flows through the colors of the rainbow. The ghostly lit-up power-ups look particularly stunning this way. They manage to make a pretty average-looking pad and elevate it to one impressive piece of tech.
It doesn’t feel distracting when you’re playing games, which is another reason why I adore the RGBs in this pad in particular. Well, so long as you don’t have all the lights turned off. If you’re playing the Fatal Frame 2 Crimson Butterfly Remake on your Switch 2 and want to create a spooky atmosphere, I’d maybe not pick up this wireless controller. The plain Switch 2 Pro Controller will do a much better job at not distracting you from the spooky ghosts on your TV, as it’s RGB-free.
Turtle Beach has included the option to adjust the brightness of the lighting however, so you can just do that instead. You can even turn it off entirely, although the plain blue background with Mario and Luigi sitting on top doesn’t look as striking without the power-ups glowing underneath. Sorry boys, you’re cute but not quite as striking as my beloved RGB lighting.
It’s a good thing the option is there. As much as I adore RGB lighting in all its many shapes and forms, it is a major battery drain. That’s an issue here too, as while the controller has an up to 40-hour battery life, you only get up to 12 hours with the lighting in full glow. Since testing it over the last week, I’ve only had to charge it once right out of the box, and I’ve had the lighting on full brightness and played plenty Mario Kart World and Pokemon Pokopia. So it’s not been too cumbersome, but as an RGB fan, I am willing to set aside the battery issues if it means I get to “oo” and “ah” each time I glance down at my hands.
RGB lighting should never take precedence over quality. Yet, I’d never yap on about a Switch 2 controller like this one if I didn’t also think it was a great accessory in its own right. It’s equipped with premium TMR thumbsticks, which can help fight back against any stick-drift woes. Better yet, it’s also pretty lightweight at just 0.36kg, but doesn’t feel cheap in your hands, and the d-pad feels nice and rigid to boot.
Its price is a bit on the expensive side. At $64.99 / £54.99 it’s missing the NFC-reading tech required to use amiibos like the more premium first-party Switch 2 Pro controller, which is a bit of a bummer. Nintendo’s first-party alternative has also dropped around the £50 price mark in the UK in the past, and I’d much sooner recommend that when there’s deals inbound.
However, if you’re a fan of RGB lighting just as much as I am, then this is definitely one of the best inclusions of it I’ve found in a Switch 2 accessory to date. Price aside, I’ll never tire of the illuminating RGBs and their ability to turn an average-looking piece of officially licensed Super Mario tech and elevate it into one of the best-looking accessories I’ve laid my eyes on.
- View all Turtle Beach Switch 2 controllers at Amazon
- View all Nintendo Switch 2 controllers at Amazon
Our team has also rounded up the best Nintendo Switch 2 cases, the best Nintendo Switch headsets, and the best Nintendo Switch 2 microSD Express Cards if you’re after more illuminating Ninty accessories.
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