The Switch 2’s Joy-Cons can double as mouse-like controllers

Nintendo just dropped a boatload of Switch 2 news. We got the release date, which is June 5, and plenty of details. The company also pulled the lid off a mysterious Joy-Con feature. The rumors were right. They can double as mouse-like controllers. One Joy-Con can be used as a traditional controller, held vertically, while the other slides along the table as a mouse. This could allow for near-perfect ports of Wii and Wii U games that relied on motion control, in addition to ports of PC titles. A Joy-Con will also combine with the gyroscope for unique gameplay experiences. Nintendo The good use case here should be first-person shooters. Computer mouse controllers offer a level of precision that consoles have typically struggled to match, but this looks like an attempt to address this particular issue. It could even make the Switch 2 a powerhouse for franchises like Civilization. As a matter of fact, the company announced a port of Civilization VII. The company revealed that a Switch 2 version of Metroid Prime 4 will use this feature. Nintendo might also release games that make special use of this functionality down the line. It also pulled the lid off a game called Drag x Drive that's controlled via mouse Joy-Con. Nintendo The company even showed off nifty-looking demos, but these look mostly like mini-games. I, for one, would very much like a new Mario Paint. Nintendo The company also revealed another tool for the Switch 2. This is the mysterious "C" button. The button calls up voice chat. Finally, a Nintendo console with easy voice chat. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/the-switch-2s-joy-cons-can-double-as-mouse-like-controllers-133355339.html?src=rss

Apr 2, 2025 - 15:09

The Switch 2’s Joy-Cons can double as mouse-like controllers

Nintendo just dropped a boatload of Switch 2 news. We got the release date, which is June 5, and plenty of details. The company also pulled the lid off a mysterious Joy-Con feature. The rumors were right. They can double as mouse-like controllers.

One Joy-Con can be used as a traditional controller, held vertically, while the other slides along the table as a mouse. This could allow for near-perfect ports of Wii and Wii U games that relied on motion control, in addition to ports of PC titles. A Joy-Con will also combine with the gyroscope for unique gameplay experiences.

The good use case here should be first-person shooters. Computer mouse controllers offer a level of precision that consoles have typically struggled to match, but this looks like an attempt to address this particular issue. It could even make the Switch 2 a powerhouse for franchises like Civilization. As a matter of fact, the company announced a port of Civilization VII.

The company revealed that a Switch 2 version of Metroid Prime 4 will use this feature. Nintendo might also release games that make special use of this functionality down the line. It also pulled the lid off a game called Drag x Drive that's controlled via mouse Joy-Con.

The company even showed off nifty-looking demos, but these look mostly like mini-games. I, for one, would very much like a new Mario Paint.

The company also revealed another tool for the Switch 2. This is the mysterious "C" button. The button calls up voice chat. Finally, a Nintendo console with easy voice chat.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/the-switch-2s-joy-cons-can-double-as-mouse-like-controllers-133355339.html?src=rss