Hi, pretentious PC gaming enjoyer here. I know that’s not a particularly noble thing to be, but if you knew how many of my fellow TGers were console plebs, you’d feel it necessary to hold the line, too.
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It’s starting to get pretty embarrassing to stick up for PC anyway – er, more embarrassing, I should say. The console war is over, and there’s no reason to even entertain a PC vs. Console war, not when PC games are outselling all console games combined. It turns out most people already know that mouse-and-keyboard is the superior way to play, but for anyone left who doesn’t, the Switch 2 is about to teach ‘em.
Behold, The Joy-Con Mouse
Those at TheGamer who’ve gotten to go hands-on with the Switch 2 say it’s a bigger, better system than the original Switch, with better performance, more comfortable ergonomics, and a few bells and whistles that help justify its eye-stinging price tag (at least a little bit). One such gimmick is the new Joy-Con mouse mode. By detaching either Joy-Con and setting it on a flat surface (or even your own legs), you can use it just like a mouse. TheGamer’s Editor-in-Chief Stacey Henley tested out Metroid Prime 4 using this control scheme, and it convinced her that despite her reservations, the mouse mode was actually a pretty good idea.
Stacey’s preview illustrates my point perfectly (thanks, boss). I don’t know if you can tell by reading it, but she’s not exactly the biggest fan of PC gaming. She, like many, sees PC as a platform for sweaty frame hogs that demand the highest performance possible, while those who like to chill on their couch and actually enjoy playing their games prefer console. She may have even insinuated that console players smell better and have more friends. She might not be wrong.
Using the Joy-Con as a mouse (Joy-Mouse?) was a bit of a revelation for her, as I expect it will be for many, after playing Metroid Prime 4. She even goes as far as to say that it felt like this is how the game was meant to be played – and she’s absolutely right. Not because Retro Studio designed the game around this new feature, but because by virtue of being a shooter, it’s inherently a game you should play with a mouse.
The Truth Will Set You Free
Now it’s time to get a little spicy. Playing shooters with a gamepad is one of the most degenerate things in the world, and I’ll never forgive Halo for the damage it’s done to gaming culture. I know there are pro FPS players that use controllers; of course there are. But do you know how much auto-aim it takes to make aiming with a controller even halfway tolerable? All you controller players are cheating, you understand that, right? And those are the pros! When the rest of you try to aim with a thumb stick, you look like Chris Elliot humping that turkey in Scary Movie 2.
There are games you just shouldn’t play with a controller, and not just shooters (though there are plenty of those on the Switch). Firaxis announced that Civilization 7 is coming to the Switch 2 on launch day. I’m sorry to tell you this, but if you play Civ with a controller, you will never see heaven. Here’s a question for you: have you ever played a point-and-click adventure with a controller? How’d that work? I’m pretty sure they’re not called awkwardly-move-a-cursor-around-and-press-A adventure for a reason.
The Joy-Mouse isn’t an innovation so much as it is an admission of defeat. Every game works with a mouse, but plenty of games don’t work with a controller. PlayStation and Xbox should follow suit and make their controllers detachable too so that everyone can have the best gaming experience possible. We shouldn’t need to rely on Hori to pick up the slack with the Tac Pro just to make console games feel good to play (but thank you Hori, you’re doing God’s work).
It’s not about being right, it’s about helping my lost console brethren find the light.
- Brand
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Nintendo
- Operating System
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Proprietary
- Storage
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256GB internal / MicroSD
- Resolution
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1080p (handheld) / 4K (docked)
- App Store
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Nintendo eShop
- Wi-Fi
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Yes