It started with an innocent want. Animal Crossing Special Edition Nintendo Switch Joy-cons. A pastel green and sky blue front plate, both backed in ivory white.
Problem. It was only available as a set with the Nintendo Switch console, and I already owned a Switch. Its $500 price tag certainly did not help either. But it was too late, I have gotten it in my head to own a pair of pastel Joy-cons and as is often the case, that persistent thought grew into an obsession. What happened next was a deep-dive into the rabbit hole that is Joy-con customisation and modification, just hours sunk into reading, watching and researching every option available for getting a different coloured set of Joy-cons. I compared prices, I considered availability, I assessed difficulty of execution, I checked for tools requirements, and ultimately what would get me as close to an authentic design, and as far away from an authentic price.
Distilling all that research eventually led me to the decision of replacing the old shells on my Joy-cons with custom shells. It provided the most seamless design that sticker sheets cannot achieve, and there was lower chance of deterioration due to daily use which had been observed on painted Joy-cons. The only issue was that this was also the hardest option to perform, and it carried a more than likely chance of completely destroying a perfectly good pair of Joy-cons. Despite all my research, I ruminated for days after and held off on taking the final step, hesitant to risk what I knew was good, but always yearning for what could be amazing.
In this internal battle between contentment and strive, my obsession became the tie-breaker. That same persistent thought that triggered this whole journey became a consistent voice, egged me to see past my inhibitions and to envision the glory that was to be had, albeit a personal one. It bolstered my determination and fuelled my dissatisfaction to the point where I could no longer stand looking at the default red and blue Joy-cons docked on the sides of my Nintendo Switch. It meant that despite the difficulty of the task, and my own lack of skills and tools in dismantling any form of electronics, I knew the potential pay-off would be worth it.
And so I got to work. The first Joy-con took me 2 hours to take apart and reassemble. The second, I messed up immediately by stripping the external screws, which meant they could not be unscrewed for me to extract the shell. Nevertheless, I pushed on. I researched ways to rectify a stripped screw. I tried using glue to adhere the screw head to the driver — that failed. I tried using rubber bands to increase the surface area and grip — no dice. I attempted to drill the screw out, but could not find a drill bit small enough. Each time, something arose to hinder my progress, my obsession kept me going, never allowing me to lose sight of my goal. I finally resorted to a more drastic method of cutting open the shell with a utility knife.
In the end after 5 gruelling hours, I had in my hands what I desired so many weeks ago. A pair of pastel green and sky blue Nintendo Switch Joy-cons, backed in ivory white. Was it perfect? Far from it. The internal electronics rattled slightly when I shook them, and the screws on one side stood a little proud because I stripped them again upon reassembly. But it didn’t matter. I had achieved what I set out to accomplish, and every skill and experience I picked up on my way there was mine to keep for a lifetime. And even though it is for something as trivial as gaming equipment, my obsession gave me the drive to pursue what I wanted, and the tenacity to get there.
I now possess 8 custom Joy-cons. So, what is your obsession?
