When I first saw that the Nintendo Switch 2 would be including mouse controls in its Joy-Cons, I couldn't quite believe Nintendo would commit all the time and resources to a controller method that feels very niche for consoles. However, the more I think about it, the more that feels exactly like what Nintendo would do. Nintendo has made a name for itself by being not like other consoles and this mouse implementation suits it to a tee.
Today's Nintendo Direct finally gave all the details on the Nintendo Switch 2, including the fact it's due to be released on June 5. With this came the announcement of a social chat feature, webcam integration, and a Switch 2 manual called Welcome Tour that you have to pay for. It's not a Nintendo Direct unless Nintendo does something its competitors wouldn't.
All of these elements are intriguing, but as someone who plays most games with keyboard and mouse, I've been curious about the Nintendo Switch 2's control scheme. The 'mouse', which is effectively just placing the Joy-Con flat on the table, uses a mixture of its own sensor and gyroscope controls, to both move icons up and down on a screen but also rotate them.
To show off a combination of the two elements, today's Nintendo Direct had a golf game called Speed Golf, where players use the mouse and gyroscope to angle how they hit a golf ball. This is described as a tech demo in the presentation and that seems about right.
However, a little while later, we finally saw some mouse controls in the form of Metroid Prime 4 Beyond, which is getting a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition. It has fully supported mouse controls, and the presentation even shows off a small camera at the bottom of someone actually using the mouse mode. However, something strikes me as I watch: this looks both uncomfortable and awkward.
The hands are firmly placed on both Joy-Cons so as not to miss out on all the extra controls on the Joy-Con in the player's dominant hand. The original Joy-Cons aren't hugely comfortable, especially not from the side, and the new Joy-Cons still have a bit of height to them which makes them look a tad awkward. A lot of the best players swap over to mouse and keyboard for cleaner and more accurate movement, yet this looks like a setup that wouldn't encourage me to play my best.
However, mouse controls do feel like a great idea for someone whose only gaming device is a Nintendo Switch 2. Better functionality for games like Civilization 7 is absolutely a boon, but given the device is effectively a handheld and console 2-in-1, it's hard not to see the mouse functionality as the worst of both worlds. To use it, you are locked to a table but it's not quite dedicated enough to justify making your own setup.
This is all before mentioning that games need intentional compatibility with mouse controls, so you can't just pick a game you want to play and start using the bottom of the Joy-Con. Games not only need a Nintendo Switch 2 edition but also further support specifically for mouse controls. Borderlands 4 was announced for Nintendo Switch 2 in the announcement and no mention was made of a mouse mode. This doesn't mean Borderlands 4 won't be mouse-compatible but feels like a strange omission if so.
Given the Nintendo Switch 2 has a spare USB-C slot on top, I'm holding out hope we may see keyboard and mouse support yet but no confirmation in the showcase suggests that might not be the case.
As a Dark Souls die-hard, I imagine my Nintendo Switch 2 will be dedicated to From Software's upcoming Nintendo exclusive, The Duskbloods. Yakuza 0 Director's Cut also looks great but you won't be seeing me bust out the mouse mode even if it has one. We all know real yakuza use a gamepad anyway.
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