So, You Put Your Joy-Con Strap On Backwards?

Did you or an unassuming friend put the Joy-Con strap on the Joy-Con backwards? Breathe. You can remove it without breaking anything.

The first thing I did when I sat down to play the Nintendo Switch with my siblings was show them how to attach and remove the Joy-Con strap. While it sounds easy to match the +/+ or -/- signs each time, the truth is that with games like 1-2-Switch, you’re removing and adding the straps so often that you may not always look carefully, and without a close squint at the symbols, they can be deceptive. So chances are you will put the Joy-Con strap on backwards a few times, and get it seemingly stuck.

Don’t panic. It’s fine.

First, make sure everything is unlocked. Not just that you’re pressing down the black button on the back, but that the grey lock switch is flipped. When removing this you may have you hand down near the grey lock for leverage, so be very careful not to relock it while you’re trying to slide the Joy-Con strap off.

Next, and this is key, are you sliding the Joy-Con strap off in the right direction? When the Joy-Con strap is flipped, it slides off in the opposite direction from what is intuitive. If you’re having trouble sliding it off the way you think you should, reverse directions.

Finally, while you obviously don’t want to break your brand-new, expensive hardware, you’ll need a bit more force than you normally would to remove that Joy-Con strap when it’s on backwards. Grit your teeth, say a prayer to Reggie wherever he is, and apply a good amount of force in the right direction. It should come off.

Next: Nintendo Switch Hardware Review: Putting It All Together

The Joy-Con straps aren’t intended to go on backwards, but they also aren’t intended to become permanently stuck if you accidentally mess this up. By applying enough force in the right direction, you should be able to remove it and, after a few seconds of relieved heavy breathing, make good and darn sure that no one in your household ever puts that strap on backward again. Ever.