Besides a plethora of cute plushies and similarly adorable items, Sanrio has placed its characters on all kinds of merchandise. This increasingly includes gaming, with two of its mascots dotting the latest wave of console peripherals.
HORI has revealed new products featuring Sanrio’s Cinnamoroll and Kuromi, with these intended specifically for the Nintendo Switch 2. Showcasing the two characters in fittingly kawaii environments, the items are perfect for younger gamers who are just getting their grip on the hobby. There are also pouches to carry the handheld consoles in, allowing gamers to take Sanrio with them wherever they go.
Kuromi and Cinnamoroll Make Gaming Kawaii With New Nintendo Switch 2 Controllers
As noted, HORI’s newest Sanrio items utilize images of Kuromi and Cinnamoroll. Chief among these products is the HORIPAD TURBO Mini. Sold for around US$27, these are controllers for the Nintendo Switch 2, with the imagery showcasing either Kuromi or Cinnamoroll as they interact with food and other items.
Fittingly, Cinnamoroll’s is a varying degree of blue, whereas Kuromi’s is light and dark purple. There’s also a vibrant transparency through the use of glitter, with the gamepads themselves made with younger gamers in mind.
These compact controllers are less weighty and feature more rounded handles, coming in at just over one-third of a pound. This is quite a bit lighter than HORI’s normal gamepads, making it just as compact and easy to transport as the Switch 2 console itself. The Turbo and Turbo Hold functions on the buttons also mean it’s easier to hold buttons and execute certain actions in games. There’s also an added C button that gives easier access to the console’s Gamechat feature.
These controllers and the Switch 2 can be transported in HORI’s Puffy Hybrid Pouches, which sport many of the same visuals and colors as the Gamepads, along with exclusive images of the two Sanrio mascots. Despite this appearance and the softness of the handles (especially for the Kuromi version of the pouch), they’re intended to be very durable, keeping the consoles and any accessories safe while being carried thanks to their EVA (Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate) construction.
Gathered fabric lines the interiors of these pouches, continuing the appearance of soft but protective construction. Other aspects include a layered top section that can hold other accessories or even up to 10 Nintendo Switch 2 game cartridges. The zippers for the pouches are another part of the branding, with Cinnamoroll getting small versions of his head while Kuromi’s pouch has her iconic skull motif for the zipper.
Available to pre-order on the HORI website as well as via Amazon Japan, the collection of Sanrio items will be released in August 2026, with the Cinnamoroll and Kuromi pouches priced at around US$30. An international release for either the pouches or the controllers has yet to be confirmed.
