UPDATE After having them for a little over a week, here's what we found out (they were a Christmas present): Yes, they work as I was hoping to use cased joycons manually. However. They're cheaply made, and two of them broke their locking ability. (I see the only reason for this is that at least the joycons didn't break). The hand straps will not slip without excessive force. Everyone is dissatisfied. And I will probably come back. I really needed a set of joycon controller connectors that would allow me to leave protective covers on the joycons and still use them together. These do their job! I love that there are multiple ways to use them! They are also very light. So no extra bulk!