Summary
- It has been confirmed that the Joy-Cons on the Nintendo Switch 2 will also double as a mouse.
- News of the Joy-Con’s functionality comes by way of a patent filing.
- Via the filing, the Joy-Cons can seemingly be used as dual mouses or combined with a standard Joy-Con.
The gaming industry’s worst-kept secret, the Nintendo Switch 2, was finally revealed last month, with more information set to be unveiled in early April. That said, the reveal was rather anticlimatic given the number of leaks that the console experienced in the days, weeks and months ahead of the announcement.
Still, there’s a lot to be excited about when it comes to the Nintendo Switch 2, including the presence of a new Mario Kart, plus the confirmation that Metroid Prime 4 will launch this year. That excitement also carries to the new Joy-Cons, which have been rumored to also double as a functional mouse. Now, via a new patent filing, that much has been confirmed.
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The Mouse Is Real, Folks
As first spotted on Twitter by Wario64, a patent filing has confirmed that the upcoming Joy-Cons will also double as a mouse. Specifically, it denotes:
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.
Several included design schematics also showcase just how Nintendo intends its Joy-Cons to be used.
It appears that it will be possible to use one Joy-Con in a traditional manner while utilizing the second Joy-Con as a mouse. A machine translation of the patent filing states that “The user may use one of the first input device 1 and the second input device 2 as a mouse, and the other of the first input device 1.”
Additionally, it appears possible to use both Joy-Cons as a mouse at the same time, though it’s unclear how exactly that would play out. “When the first input device 1 and the second input device 2 each have a mouse operation sensor, each of the first input device 1 and the second input device 2 can be used as a mouse,” the patent filing states.
One thing is for sure, though, if April’s presentation wasn’t already must-watch, then this new patent filing certainly makes it so. It’ll be interesting to see how Nintendo integrates the mouse into its games besides the obvious RTS and TBS functionality.
