Yesterday, Nintendo published all the details on its next console, the Nintendo Switch 2. Today, I had to be one of the first people to go with it to Paris, and there is a key characteristic that really surprised me.
It would be the possibility of turning the Joy-Cons on their sides and using them as a traditional computer mouse. When I saw this feature on the live live flow, it did not immediately jump as something that I would get a lot of time.
But after playing the Switch 2 Editions of Super Mario Party Jamboree, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and Drag X Drive, I made a full 180.
Hannah Cowton-Barnes / Foundry
I regularly play in Jamboree at home with my friends (although this game certainly tests friendships), so I knew the types of mini-games offered. Six demos that used the mouse were available to test. These included an operation style game, where you dragged a bad toad through an electrified labyrinth, and a virtual version of aerial hockey where the controller acted as the puck.
The controller is impressive and slides gently. I used it on a mouse mat, which is worth investing if you plan to buy the Switch 2, although you may have to reconsider the configuration of your console. A coffee table in front of your television would be a good way to use the joy-cons at their full potential.
My demonstration guide also mentioned using them on my legs for the Title Drag X Drive, which worked better than expected. However, a flat and smooth surface is the most optimal.
Hannah Cowton-Barnes / Foundry
This feature really gave Jamboree a new breath, but it seems just the beginning. More mini-games arrive at the game later, and some are frankly hilarious, even if they can invoke the anger of your neighbors. A mini -game encourages you to shout as hard as possible – I thought someone died when I heard it for the first time in my demo on the other side of the room.
In addition, this camera costs an supplement (£ 49.99 / $ 59.99), so everyone will not be able to take advantage of these specific modes. But this is not the case for the mouse function on the joy-cons for the switch 2.
I also used the Joy-Con as a cursor on a new game, Drag X Drive, playing a basketball game in a wheelchair and sliding each controller on the surface to control the speed and the turn of the wheel. The last game I tested was Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, where I just used the Joy-Con on the right to control the placement of the camera, and I kept the left-hander as usual.
Hannah Cowton-Barnes / Foundry
The Metroid experience makes me think that it could be the first change to influence certain PC players dedicated to the dark side. Although computers will always be in power, this new cursor element can appeal to players who did not first consider the switch as for them.
Kouichi Kawamoto, producer of the Nintendo entertainment planning and development service, had a similar idea during her own test process: “… When I played a PC game using a mouse, the idea struck me that maybe the joy-con controllers could also be used as mouse.
“Switch 2 was initially designed to support a wider range of games by improving the system's treatment speed, so in this spirit, I thought it would be better to be able to play interesting games that require a mouse. The implementation of mouse control which is widely used today in joy-con controllers is not so expensive, and I think that is exactly what “the lateral thought of finesse technology is not so expensive. »»
After playing the Switch 2 Editions of Super Mario Party Jamboree, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and Drag X Drive, I made a full 180
The main question I have about this functionality is: what other games could support it? As an animal and hard crossing fan (I always have the hope of a new announcement of payment in the next year), the mouse could save tons of time in terms of construction and personalized conceptions. I would also like to know if third -party titles will adopt this new style of play.
In the end, whether you like this functionality or not comes down to the type of games you like. But with a few very different titles using it later this year (Super Mario Party Jamboree and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond), these are already two unique groups of players who can take advantage of this unique feature.
And you can try it yourself later this year, when the Nintendo Switch 2 will be launched on June 5, 2025 for £ 395.99 / $ 449.99.
Nintendo organized my trip to Paris. I accepted, because there were no alternative means to obtain practical time with the Switch 2 at the launch. There was no prior condition on what I write or how I assess the device.
