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The Nintendo Switch 2 has a lot to say. I thought it would be its 4K 120Hz docking capabilities, mouse-sensor Joy-Con, or new chat features that would make the biggest impression on me when I went hands-on at the Nintendo Switch 2 Experience in London. Instead, it was the humble rumble.
Ninty hasn't shouted quite so loudly about this haptic feedback in its marketing. In fact, all we know is that both the Joy-Con 2 and Switch 2 Pro Controller feature 'HD Rumble 2', with more powerful and, crucially, more precise motors. After spending some time with Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananza, and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, it's not the optical sensor or magnetic Joy-Con that have me excited; it's the subtlety of its vibrations.
The Nintendo Switch 2 is slimmer than the original, but the thinner controllers and boosted motors work together to create a far more impactful haptic experience. I can feel the grumble of my Mario Kart engine to in the bottom of my palms in handheld mode, only for it to dance across the sides at the end of a race.
This isn't as bold a sensation as you'll find in Sony's DualSense controller, rather it's a more delicate hint of extra dimensionality that serves its games far better than the brute force of the original's buzz.
Heading over to the Donkey Kong: Bananza booth, I was impressed to feel each thud as I smashed at the scenery but it was the satisfying crash of a projectile boulder that caught my attention. I played the 3D platformer using the new Pro Controller, and was expecting to lose a little of the precision afforded by the slimmer Joy-Cons. Instead, the Pro Controller responded to in-game actions with the same subtle haptic dance, offering a far more textural haptic experience to its predecessor.
These motors really do sneak up on you and it was only when I tried Metroid Prime 4: Beyond that I realized how powerful their effects can be with suck subtle vibrations. Metroid Prime makes good use of the Joy-Con's mouse sensor feature, providing a classic first-person shooter experience with that optical eye doing the heavy lifting.
Actually aiming with the right (and moving with the left) Joy-Con came more naturally than I thought it would. While the actual sensitivity of that sensor is lower than the best gaming mouse models on the market, it's still fast enough to keep up with casual play and this Doom-like shooter.
However, it was the short, sharp jolt of vibration with every shot that really elevated the experience as a whole - to the extent where I soon found myself wondering why haptics had never been built into a gaming mouse before. Firing those shots, and feeling the buzz of each one through the Joy-Con, gave the whole experience a grounded sense of texture that I haven't experienced before. That could well be the Nintendo Switch 2's secret weapon in the FPS-game.
Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders are revving up, and everyone's keen to see how fast it can run at 4K or how long its battery will last. I'm more excited by these smaller touches, even if they may just be the finishing touches.
We're also running through all the Nintendo Switch 2 launch titles and keeping you up to date on the Switch 2's backwards compatibility. Or, take a look at the best Nintendo Switch accessories for more gadgets.
