We Finally Know What The Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Cons Are Hiding
TL;DR
- Many Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Con features have been revealed by a new patent.
- They show an optical sensor and mouse functionality for both Joy-Cons.
- Nintendo will reveal more details at the Switch 2 Direct on April 2.
We’re still months away from the full Nintendo Switch 2 Direct, but one of its biggest mysteries was just solved. A patent published on Thursday (via Wario64) shows the full scope of what the new Joy-Cons are capable of, including an optical sensor that turns them into mice.
Speculation around the feature started well before the January reveal, when the Joy-Cons could clearly be seen gliding across a surface like mice. The patent finally confirms this: “The sensor for mouse operation detects reflected light from a detected surface, the light changing by moving over the detected surface in a state in which either the first side surface or the second side surface is placed on the detected surface.”
In other words, it’s a mouse.
The patent also shows nearly 30 technical drawings of the Joy-Cons and how they attach to the console. They show the Joy-Con on its side, with the index and middle fingers over the triggers like mouse buttons. The thumb can either rest on the joystick or buttons on the side of the Joy-Con. Another image shows two hands, each using Joy-Cons as mice, which, if utilized well, would open up some very interesting gameplay opportunities.
The patent also reveals the design for a different controller, which may be a new kind of Nintendo Switch Pro controller. Unlike the current version, this one splits apart, with an optical sensor in the middle to enable mouse controls. Compatibility is an issue with the current Pro controller, which doesn’t always play nicely with games that require Joy-Cons.
Only Nintendo can pull this off.
The Switch 2 isn’t the first console to feature these kinds of controls, with the Lenovo Legion Go controller sporting an optical port on the bottom, which attaches to a dock to enable mouse support. However, Nintendo’s solution appears to be much more elegant, and given the company’s experience with new and innovative form factors, it could be a game changer for the new console. It may even make the Switch 2 the best way to play first-person shooter games, with the precision of a mouse and the comfort of a controller.
Nintendo has only shown off a single Switch 2 game so far, with a brief clip of Mario Kart 9, but with this new control scheme, a follow up to 1992’s Mario Paint would make a killer launch title.
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