What “Complete Kit” Actually Means When Shopping for Switch Shells

I bought my first shell kit thinking “complete” meant I’d open the box and have absolutely everything needed to swap my Joy-Con shells from start to finish. What I got was the shell halves, buttons, and a screwdriver. No spudger, no replacement screws, and the triggers were a different shade than the rest of the buttons. Was it “complete”? According to the seller, yes. According to my expectations, not even close.

The word “complete” gets used very loosely in the Switch shell market, and what it actually includes varies significantly between brands and sellers. If you don’t know what to expect — and more importantly, what to look for — you’ll end up either surprised by missing components or paying for things you don’t need. Let me break down what a complete kit should contain, what’s usually left out, and why “complete” doesn’t always mean the same thing.

What Should Be in a Complete Joy-Con Shell Kit

A genuinely complete Joy-Con shell kit — the kind where you open the box and can do the entire swap without needing anything else — should include all of the following:

Front and back shell halves for each Joy-Con. These are the main housing pieces that give the Joy-Con its shape and color. A pair of Joy-Cons means four shell pieces total: front left, back left, front right, back right.

Face buttons. For the right Joy-Con, that’s A, B, X, and Y buttons. For the left, it’s the four directional buttons (or a D-pad if it’s a D-pad conversion kit, but that’s a different product category). These should color-match the shell.

SL and SR buttons. These are the small buttons on the rail side of each Joy-Con, used when playing in single Joy-Con mode. They’re easy to overlook, but if they’re not included, you’ll need to reuse your originals, which may not color-match the new shell.

ZL and ZR triggers. The shoulder trigger buttons. Some kits include just the trigger caps, while better kits include the full trigger mechanism with springs.

Plus and Minus buttons. The small + and – buttons. Again, color-matching matters.

Home and Capture buttons. Or at minimum, the button caps for these. Some kits include the light-pipe piece for the Home button LED as well.

A Y00 tri-wing screwdriver. This is the essential tool for Joy-Con disassembly — the external screws use tri-wing heads. Without this specific driver, you can’t open the Joy-Con.

A Phillips #00 screwdriver. The internal screws use standard Phillips heads. Most people have a small Phillips screwdriver somewhere, but having the right size prevents stripping.

A plastic spudger or opening tool. Used for prying the shell halves apart and disconnecting ribbon cable connectors. Metal tools work but risk scratching the shell or damaging connectors. Plastic is safer.

That’s the baseline for what I consider a legitimately complete kit. Some brands include additional items beyond these essentials.

Nice-to-Have Extras Some Kits Include

Higher-end complete kits sometimes include components that go beyond the minimum:

Replacement screws. Both tri-wing and Phillips screws to replace the originals. This is genuinely useful because original screws can strip during removal, and having spares means you don’t have to reuse a damaged screw.

Tweezers. Helpful for placing small components and handling ribbon cables, but not strictly necessary if you have steady hands and a spudger.

A pry pick or guitar pick. Thin plastic pieces used to separate shell halves without scratching. Some people prefer these over a spudger for the initial separation.

Trigger springs. Replacement springs for the ZL/ZR triggers. The originals work fine if you don’t lose them, but having spares is nice insurance against the inevitable spring that launches itself across the room during disassembly.

A screw tray or organizational guide. A few premium kits include a labeled tray or card showing screw placement. This is surprisingly helpful for beginners who aren’t sure which screws go where during reassembly.

What’s Almost Never Included (Even in “Complete” Kits)

There are several components you should not expect to find in any standard shell kit, regardless of how “complete” the listing claims to be:

Replacement joystick modules. The joystick is a separate component from the shell. It’s a mechanical/electrical part that sits on the midframe, and shell kits don’t include it. If you need a new joystick, that’s a separate purchase and a separate procedure.

Ribbon cables. The internal ribbon cables that connect the joystick, button board, and rail connector to the main board are reused from your original Joy-Con. Shell kits don’t include replacement cables. If you damage a ribbon cable during the swap, you’ll need to source one separately.

The midframe. This is the internal structural piece that holds the joystick and connects the front and back shell halves. You transfer your original midframe to the new shell. I’ve never seen a shell kit that includes a replacement midframe.

Battery. Your original battery transfers to the new shell. Batteries aren’t part of the housing swap.

Adhesive strips. Some internal components in the Joy-Con are held with adhesive — notably the battery and certain ribbon cable guides. If the adhesive loses its stick during the swap, you may need to add a small piece of double-sided tape. Kits don’t include this.

Rail assembly. The metal rail that slides into the Switch console is reused from your original Joy-Con. It transfers to the new shell with its existing screws.

Why “Complete” Means Different Things to Different Brands

The term “complete kit” isn’t standardized. There’s no industry definition that every seller agrees on. Some brands consider “complete” to mean shell plus buttons. Others consider it to mean shell plus buttons plus tools. The most generous interpretation includes everything down to replacement screws and trigger springs.

In my experience, this is roughly how it breaks down by price tier:

Budget kits (under $12): Usually shell halves and buttons only. May not include triggers. Rarely includes tools. “Complete” in these listings often just means “both shell halves included” rather than “everything you need.”

Mid-range kits ($12–$20): Shell halves, full button set, basic tools (screwdriver and spudger). This is where most first-time buyers land, and it’s usually adequate for a clean swap.

Premium kits ($20–$30+): Shell halves, full button set including SL/SR and Home/Capture, quality tools, replacement screws, sometimes trigger springs and extras. These are the kits where “complete” actually means complete.

The brand matters here as much as the price. Established aftermarket accessory brands tend to include more at every price point because they’re building long-term customer relationships. No-name sellers tend to include less because they’re optimizing for the lowest possible unit cost.

How to Verify What’s Included Before You Buy

My process for checking kit completeness before purchasing:

1. Read the product description line by line. Look for an itemized list of contents. If there’s no list, that’s a yellow flag.
2. Check the product images for a flat-lay photo. Good sellers include a photo of everything in the kit laid out on a surface. Count the pieces and compare to what you expect.
3. Read the Q&A section. Someone has almost certainly asked “does this include tools?” or “are buttons included?” Look for the seller’s answer.
4. Read the one- and two-star reviews. If buttons or tools were missing and the listing implied they’d be included, someone will have mentioned it in a negative review.

This takes two minutes and prevents the disappointment of opening a box that’s missing half of what you expected.

Should You Buy a Complete Kit or Source Parts Separately?

For beginners, always buy a complete kit. The convenience of having everything in one box, with parts that are designed to work together, is worth the slightly higher price compared to buying shell-only and sourcing buttons and tools individually.

For experienced modders, there’s a case for buying shell-only if you already have tools and you want to reuse original buttons or mix and match components from different kits. I do this sometimes when I want a specific shell color but prefer the button feel from a different brand. But that’s an advanced move that requires knowing what fits with what.

If you’re somewhere in between — you’ve done a few swaps and have tools — mid-range complete kits are still usually the best value. The tools are extras at that point, but the color-matched button sets and replacement screws justify the price over housing-only options.

FAQ

If a kit doesn’t include a spudger, what can I use instead?

A guitar pick or an old credit card cut to a point works as a substitute for separating shell halves. For disconnecting ribbon cables, use your fingernail or a plastic toothpick. The key is avoiding metal tools near the circuit board and ribbon cable connectors, since metal can cause shorts or scratches.

Do I need to buy replacement screws separately?

Not usually. Your original screws transfer to the new shell in most cases. You only need replacement screws if you strip one during removal, which is less likely if you’re using the correct Y00 driver. That said, having a spare set on hand for future builds is a good investment — they cost very little.

Why don’t shell kits include replacement joysticks?

Because the joystick is a separate component that doesn’t relate to the shell swap. The shell is the external housing; the joystick is an internal mechanism. Including joysticks would significantly increase the kit price for a part that most buyers don’t need. If your joystick needs replacing, buy a joystick module separately and treat it as its own project.

Can I mix buttons from one kit with a shell from another kit?

Sometimes, but fit isn’t guaranteed. Button dimensions are similar across most aftermarket kits, but tolerances vary. A button from brand A might be slightly too loose or tight in a shell from brand B. For the cleanest result, use the buttons that came with your specific shell kit. They’re molded to fit those exact shell dimensions.