What is the Orion Up Switch?
Made to level up your gaming session, the Orion Up Switch holds your Nintendo Switch and offers a sizeable screen with ports for attaching joy-con controllers on either side. While the device, which retails for $249.99, primarily functions to enhance gaming on the Nintendo Switch, it can also be used to improve mobile gaming on your iPhone.
The Orion Up-Switch comes in a sleek-looking rectangular cardboard box. Upon opening it, you’ll find a soft mesh bag wrapped carefully around the Up Switch. The Up Switch fits securely within the pouch allowing for easy transport. Orion clearly put a lot of thought into the product’s packaging as everything stayed safely in place while packaged, yet I was able to unpack it with extreme ease.
Power Up
Powering on the Up Switch requires a Nintendo Switch power adapter. If you don’t own a Switch and thus don’t have the power cord needed, you can easily pick one up on amazon for about $30. You’ll also need joy-con controllers to utilize the device.
Nintendo Joy-con controllers glide effortlessly into the side ports connecting them to the device. Be aware that generic joy cons will not necessarily work with the Up Switch. My original Nintendo joy-cons work like a dream. But my secondary off-brand ones, while still fitting to the controller ports, won’t actually pick up any of my button presses. Orion also recommends you use your original Nintendo Switch power cord for the best experience.
The Orion Up Switch’s Sleek Design
The creators of the Orion Up Switch clearly put a lot of thought into the design. The Up Switch has a simple yet classy aesthetic. It’s a sleek black rectangle with an 11.6-inch IPS anti-glare screen. The top of the device features a power button, volume and brightness controls.
On the right side of the back of the device is a kickstand that folds out to allow for tabletop rather than handheld gaming. Just to the right of the kickstand is a headphone jack. The lower left corner features ports for USB and HDMI and the top back corners sport rectangular speakers.
Lacking Direction
The Orion Up Switch comes with clear instructions on how to use it with your Nintendo Switch. Simply use the device’s rear latch to open the hatch, then place your Switch inside and carefully mount it on the USB-C male jack. Then close and latch the hatch. You can easily mount a joy-con controller on the left and right sides of the device. Then it’s a simple matter of turning on your Up Switch and playing a game.
However, while the device features easy-to-follow directions for use with the Nintendo Switch, it lacks explicit directions for using it with your iPhone or Android smartphone. It took me more time than I’d like to admit to figure out how to connect to my iPhone 13. You’ll need to use an HDMI adapter to connect your iPhone to the Up Switch. Then connect the joy-con controllers to your phone via Bluetooth and hit the power button. Make sure your phone is fully updated. You will have some issues if you don’t update your iPhone to iOS 16 before use. While the setup sounds simple, the lack of directions makes it quite frustrating.
An Audiophile’s Delight
Upon settling in for a gaming session, I was immediately blown away by the crisp audio. Dialogue, music and sound effects all came through sounding clear and sharp. The dual speakers on the back of the device may be small but are surprisingly powerful. The device easily reaches volumes to accommodate a room full of friends watching a movie or sharing a gaming session. I’d recommend plugging in some headphones if you’re going to play around your friends or family, as the volume is more than capable of annoying others in the room. To adjust the volume, tap the up and down buttons on the top of the device. Unfortunately, holding the volume buttons down doesn’t continually lower or raise the volume. However, this is only a slight inconvenience and doesn’t really detract from the experience.
The Orion Up Switch sports an 11.6” IPS screen offering clear visuals. The screen’s generous size makes it easy to notice minute detail you might miss while playing on your iPhone. While I wouldn’t call the screen impressive, it more than gets the job done. The visuals weren’t as crisp as my iPhone’s, but they also didn’t look pixelated or distorted. Additionally, the larger screen size makes it easier to notice details you may otherwise miss.
Orion’s Up Switch is only compatible with games that support controllers, which may be disappointing to some. However, controller-compatible games run like a gem. Asphalt 8: Airborne smoothly picks up on my joy-con input, allowing me to accurately guide my car through the track. However, if you are playing a game with ads, you’ll need to switch to your phone to skip or close them, which can be a pain. And while the Up Switch claims to charge your iPhone while plugged in, that wasn’t my experience.
Playing Nintendo Switch on the Up Switch
Of course, since the device is primarily marketed as a device for enhancing gameplay on the Nintendo Switch, I couldn’t resist testing it out on my Switch. Luigi’s Mansion 3 and Sword Art Online ran smoothly with no lag. The larger screen really enhances my handheld gaming sessions. There was no lag and the Up Switch seamlessly transferred my input on the joy-con controllers to my Switch. Honestly, using the device to play games on my Nintendo Switch was much more enjoyable than it was with my iPhone.
The Orion Up-Switch works fantastically with the Nintendo Switch. However, the device lacks directions for use with an iPhone. Also, switching back to your phone to enter a game or close an ad feels cumbersome. On the flip side, the audio is excellent, and the screen is more than decent. If you plan to use the Orion Up Switch primarily with your Nintendo Switch or don’t mind having to jump back to your phone to dodge ads, then it’s worth the price tag. Otherwise, you should pass this one by.
