Civilization VII, if it’s anything like past games in the 4X strategy series, will play just fine with a single mouse in one hand. And while it’s coming to console with bindings for controllers, that will still be many people’s preferred way to play. What if the Switch 2 Joy-Con can also double as PC gaming mice?
That’s certainly the impression Nintendo gives in the Switch 2 reveal trailer. A segment near the end showed the new Joy-Con snapping into small holders, then gliding around on a black surface like your favorite wireless Logitech or Razer DeathAdder. Will the Switch 2 let fans play Civilization VII just like they were sitting at a PC?
Mouse functionality was previously rumored for the new hardware when leaks that have proven to be accurate revealed what looked like an optical sensor on the inside of each Joy-Con. While Nintendo didn’t make the new feature official, the brief demo in the trailer all but indicates that one of the big differences with the Switch 2 will be its PC gaming-adjacent functionality.
That’s certainly one way to compete with the Steam Deck and a host of other chunkier and more powerful PC gaming handhelds that have sprung up in the wake of the original Switch’s unprecedented success. And it has the potential to be a lot less cumbersome than switching from a controller to keyboard and mouse on the current batch of consoles, including PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.
The cross-pollination between PC and console has led to tons of great games making the jump, but also some clumsy workarounds for moving a cursor around on screen. We’ve all fumbled through modern menus screens slowly moving a dot around with a thumbstick and it sucks. A truly seamless switch between controller and mouse, if that’s what the Switch 2 is pitching, could be a lowkey game changer. It could also make PowerPoint parties the new “playing Mario Kart on a roof.”
Civilization VII is out in February and the Switch 2 seems unlikely to launch before June at the earliest. While Firaxis Games and 2K haven’t announced a full port or “next-gen” version for Nintendo’s new hardware, backwards compatibility means Civilization VII will still seemingly run just fine on the Switch 2 whenever it ends up coming out. Hopefully, whenever it does, fans will be able to explore, expand, exploit, exterminate as effortlessly as if they were sitting down at their PC.
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