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The Switch 2 reveal has come at last. Let me give you the top lines from our ongoing Nintendo Switch 2 live coverage: it's a lot bigger, it's out this year, it's backwards compatible with Switch games (apparently with a few halfsies exceptions), a full-fat Switch 2 Nintendo Direct is coming in April alongside global hands-on events, and there's seemingly a new Mario Kart with what looks like 24-person multiplayer.
Now let me tell you the reveal I'm most excited about: the new Joy-Con controllers can seemingly double as gaming mouse-like peripherals thanks to a new sensor and a clip-on attachment with very mouse-like pads on the bottom. The total functionality of what I'm calling Joy-Con slide mode still remains to be seen, but everything shown so far lines up with leaks pointing to a full-on Mouse-Con, and it's got me dreaming of the pinpoint palm precision I enjoy on PC. After the original Switch defined the frame used by handheld PCs like the Steam Deck and its growing army of siblings, Nintendo could finally take a bite of the PC gaming pie in a cool way with its own pseudo-mouse.
All slide, no slip, please
Here's the big caveat. Assuming this alternative Joy-Con mode is indeed used like a mouse – not a small assumption to make after one short trailer, even with the mouse leaks – there is exactly zero chance it matches the accuracy and responsiveness of a premium gaming mouse which was specifically built to be a gaming mouse. Nintendo can only feasibly pack so many extras into its break-apart controller design. But while I don't expect this to turn the Switch 2 into a competitive Counter-Strike machine, I could see it playing surprisingly well in a whole suite of games which work on console but are just plain better on PC.
Let me give you an example. I played Cult of the Lamb on PS5 recently, and navigating the building grid in that game is a little cumbersome at times. My mind reaches for the precision of a mouse, but my hand finds only rubber sticks that are far better at controlling cameras and characters. This kind of highlighting and placement in games, from life sims to city builders to strategy games, doesn't require ultra-responsive inputs but could benefit immensely from a real cursor you can move with your real hand. No analog sticks, no unreliable motion controls, just a good old-fashioned piece of plastic to slide around and select things.
I was confused and a little put off by the Mouse-Con idea at first, but the more I think about it, the more interesting it becomes. My GOTY last year was Unicorn Overlord, an open-world strategy game – which, like Cult of the Lamb, is on Switch – that's crying out for cursor controls you could use to better select individual units. (It's a shame there's no PC port planned.) In Pikmin, the Mouse-Con could make it easier to command your army of little guys. Thumbing through your hand in card games like Balatro might be more intuitive. Come to think of it, deckbuilders could be a big winner here. Picture cleaning up your inventory in Stardew Valley or various survival-crafting games. And then there's the real titan. Whisper it: Minecraft.
Other than Nintendo's plans for this sensor, several questions come to mind. Are the new Joy-Cons even comfy to hold this way? Will we see mouse-inspired molds purpose-built for sliding around? How hard would it be for third-party developers to integrate mouse cursor-like controls into Switch 2 games? Is it realistic to expect that from a range of third-party games at all, especially games that may not be on PC? How does this sensor perform on different surfaces? I'm assuming it's built with undocked mode in mind, but I don't have a desk and mousepad in front of me when I'm in a console gaming mood or when I'm on the go with my Switch like all those hip young people in Nintendo's commercials. Speaking of which, how easily can we switch between normal gamepad controls and Mouse-Con mode?
However it shakes out, this is a weird-looking feature with a lot of explaining to do, but I think the potential is real. In the worst-case scenario, this is just a cute gimmick that's only useful in a handful of games designed around it, in very specific setups, and maybe while navigating the Nintendo eShop. But if it works well, feels good in your hand, and is – crucially – adopted widely enough, it could lead to some fun themes in a few Nintendo games and meaningful control advancements in others.
In-depth: the Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Con IR Sensors explained.
