Nintendo Switch 2 Custom Travel Case

Summary

In this project, I sought to create the ultimate Nintendo Switch 2 travel case. To create it, I followed a rigorous design process, taking many cues from what I learned throughout my first year of university. Along the way, I encountered numerous issues related to mechanical design, materials, and manufacturing. However, by following a structured design process, I overcame these challenges to create a final product that I am very proud of!

Complete case

Problem

I needed a travel case for my Nintendo Switch 2. Coming from a Switch 1 with a store-bought case, I had a list of requirements that no market offering could fulfill.

Requirements:

• Needs to be a hardshell case: My Switch 1 case was fabric with cardboard inserts to make it slightly stiffer. I always worried when stuffing it in a bag that the switch could be squished and damaged in some way, particularly the fragile joysticks. A hardshell would ensure that regardless of where it is placed, the Switch 2 would be well protected.
• Needs to store at least 14 game cartridges: The Switch 1 case carries 14 cartridges. I wanted to be able to take the same amount of games with me as before.
• Shrink-wrapped design aesthetic: I did not want a plain box with rounded edges. I wanted an interesting shape that revealed more of the contents inside. I was particularly inspired by the style of the Dbrand Killswitch 2 Case.

Dbrand Killswitch 2 Case used as inspiration for the project

Design Process

Material Selection

The first main problem to solve was deciding on the materials to use as this would influence the scale of parts used, how many parts would be needed, and how they would be made.

For the main hardshell body of the case, plastic emerged as the obvious choice for its combination of strength, weight, and ease of accessibility through both home FDM 3D printing, and through manufacturing services.

While a plastic hardshell does well to protect the switch from outside forces, it introduces the risk of scratching the console. Therefore, a soft, plush material was needed to line the inside of the case. For this, I decided on wool felt. I had had a lot of success adhering wool felt to plastics in previous projects to serve as cushioning. This success gave me the confidence to use wool felt for this lining application.

The final main piece to consider is the cartridge storage. One of the good features of my Switch 1 case was its storage solution. It simply used a strip of elastic fabric sewn onto a backing, with the stitches acting also as guides for each game. I decided to adopt this same approach, with the elastic fabric sewn onto a piece of felt.

Preliminary Design Features

I determined early on that in order to maintain the shrink-wrapped aesthetic, the cartridge storage would have to be contained to the flat area above the screen. With some rough measurements, I determined the maximum cartridge capacity to be 15, arranged in a 3 × 5 grid configuration.

Cartridge storage early drawing concepts

In order to get a secure fit, I expected the inside of the case to feature complex curvature. This would make lining the entire interior with felt nearly impossible. The easier and more efficient method I used instead was felt pads placed strategically throughout the case to cushion the console's movement in every direction. Before any concrete design, I planned out preliminary locations for these pads to better inform how the case could be shaped.

Potential felt pad placement drawing

Modeling the Switch 2

The next step was to start modeling in CAD. For this project I decided to use Fusion 360 for its advanced capabilities. Before I could model the case though, I needed to make an accurate 3D model of the Switch 2. To create this model, I used images of the front and side profiles of the console to model rough shapes. I then used these rough shapes to create test pieces that could be quickly printed on my 3D printer. These were then test-fit to the actual console. Based on the fit, adjustments were made to the model until an accurate and cohesive model was achieved.

Switch 2 Modeled from image overlays

Completed Switch 2 model

Fitment test pieces used to tune dimensions of Switch 2 model

Modeling

The basic workflow I followed to create the case goes as follows: I started by creating a smoother version of the Switch 2 model that was offset outward slightly to create what eventually became the air gap between the shell and the console. To this new body, I smoothed curves and added humps over the buttons and cartridge storage. Then, using the shell outward command, a 3mm-thick shell was created around the offset body, forming the main case. This case was then split into two clamshells before I added the finishing features, including lips for the magnetic closing mechanism, grips for opening and closing, hinges, an opening for pass-through charging, and other smaller model touch-ups. The final step was to add internal indentations for each felt pad. This was done by creating positives of the indents on the original offset body. This shape was then subtracted from the shell to create the indentations.

Completed case model (closed)

Completed case model (open)

Prototyping

Physical prototyping saved me a lot of time throughout the design process as I was able to quickly spot issues as they arose and address them. They informed decisions around fitment, aesthetics, and most of all, manufacturability. My main prototyping method consisted of half-length cases printed on an FDM printer with PLA. While not the full case, these prototypes simulated how a full shell would be printed, informing how printable certain features were. Prototyping was also used to test the magnet lips, the hinge mechanism, and the cartridge storage to ensure these components functioned as intended.

Half-shell case prototypes

Cartridge storage prototype

Hinge mechanism prototypes

Manufacturing

The most challenging part of this project was the manufacturing phase, particularly of the main shell. I started off printing the shell at an angle on my FDM 3D printer using PLA. The end product was stiff yet tough and very easy to print, though it did require some sanding as support structures were necessary. However, the low heat deflection temperature of PLA made the material ultimately unsuitable for the task as the case deformed when I left it in the sun while painting.

Clamshell printed in PLA. Printed at 45 degree angle to fit on printer build plate

PLA case closed. Sanding artifacts visible

PLA case interior with magnets and felt pads

I next began experimenting with FDM PETG filament as it was still easy to print and had a higher heat deflection temperature. However, PETG's increased warping and much worse surface quality also made it unsuitable for the project.

PETG clamshells with high warping and low surface quality

Finally I decided to try a manufacturing service where I send them the files, choose the manufacturing process, and they produce and deliver the parts. For this I chose JLC3DP as they are well known and highly regarded. Initially I wanted to use SLS printing with Nylon as it's extremely strong, heat resistant, and comes in an appealing matte finish. However, after consultation with JLC3DP manufacturing engineers, the risks of severe warping with SLS nylon were expected to be too high, and SLA printing with JLC Temp Resin was decided upon as the best option. This resin was chosen for its stiffness, temperature resistance, and dimensional accuracy, though the engineers did note that some of the thin, long, flat sections of the part could be at risk of warping. To solve this, I included sacrificial rib structures to the case to increase rigidity and reduce warping. These ribs could then be cut away after printing, with the cut marks all neatly hidden under felt, having no impact on final appearance.

Case internals with sacrificial ribs added to reduce warping

The final prints that arrived from JLC3DP with the sacrificial ribs were notably stiffer than previous FDM attempts I had made, and with a significantly smoother surface finish. The parts were almost immaculate, though the edges where no supports were added did still warp slightly. If I were to have the case reprinted in the future, I would keep with the same process and material, but extend the ribs all the way to the edges of the part to hopefully eliminate warping in those areas.

SLA printed clamshells with ribs still attached

SLA printed case (top)

Slight warping at edges of SLA printed case

Final Assembly

The final assembly process of the case began by installing the magnets. These were either press-fit or glued depending on tolerance, with careful attention paid to the polarities of the magnets to ensure the strongest closing mechanism. Next, the felt pads were cut and glued into their indentations using superglue. From prototypes, I learned the pads adhered much better to sanded surfaces. I also learned that superglue requires at least a day to cure as it releases white vapor that sticks to everything (learned the hard way). Then, elastic fabric strips were sewn onto a piece of felt to form the cartridge storage, and the entire piece was also glued to the case. Finally, the clamshells were attached together at the hinge, which connects and rotates using a pair of M4×20 hex bolts and nuts.

Final Product

Overall I am very satisfied with how this project turned out. All the design requirements I set out were met, and I now have a very functional, and in my opinion, very cool Switch 2 case. However, this does not mean the case is perfect, and if I were to get another one made, there is a list of alterations I would make. First, I would expand the sacrificial ribs all the way to the edges of the clamshells as this is where most of the warping occurred. I would deepen the indentations for all the felt pads and change the pad geometries to make them more secure and easier to install. I would also add more magnets (possibly different magnets), as well as change the handle lip shapes to make them less susceptible to warping.

Throughout this project I learned a lot, particularly around designing for manufacturing (DFM). I learned how to better design parts for SLS and SLA printing to ensure higher manufacturability, and what material properties I should look for when choosing a material. These learnings will definitely become useful in future projects, and possibly future iterations of this case.

Final product with Nintendo Switch 2 and cartridges installed