The emergence of mouse controls on the Nintendo Switch 2 has always been a veritable legend. Despite long-standing rumors, the feature didn't mention this when Nintendo officially announced a new console in January 2025, and was only confirmed in the full revelation in April.
With a sensor built into the left and right Joy-Con 2 controller, it can be rotated 90 degrees on its Y-axis to function as a mouse while retaining gyroscope, motion sensing and tactile capabilities. This is a smart move by Nintendo, opening up new hardware for more different gaming experiences with the new hardware that is usually offered by gaming consoles. There is only one problem: they hurt.
I was excited to get new consoles in all forms and impressed by participating in the Nintendo Switch 2 experience in London. In handheld mode, the larger 7.9-inch screen looks pretty, almost enough to forgive the transfer from OLED to LCD, thanks to its higher 1080p resolution and HDR usage.
Photo: Julian Chokkattu
Play in docking mode, output to 4K TV, Mario Karting World A dazzling azzle, showing an exhaustive cartoon world with amazing verticality – on the edge of its open world’s track, fell down and felt like Meyer More Continue the world of karting.
I'm most interested in those new mouse controls though, so I've zeroed in any game I can try with wired. What I found are many titles that are related to Nintendo’s trademark charm. Especially the futuristic wheelchair basketball outing Drag the X drive Feel like the answer to a new console armsis a game designed to show off basic technology.
Significant soreness, uncomfortable twist
Playing with Joy-Con 2s in mouse mode, it does a great job in this regard. Push forward a Joy-Con 2 and you will rotate the wheel on that side in the game; push forward and you will compete forward. Grab the ball and lift the joy cannon into the air and you will physically throw the ball to try to score. It's intuitive, quick 3-to-3 matching format makes it a fun multiplayer outing that will surely find a niche, but sliding around two temporary mice around the table, which also makes my forearms significantly sore.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Not strong, but the controls require some habits. The long-awaited sequel to the Wii trilogy uses console-style thumb motion controls on the left-hand Joy-Con 2, while the right-hand can use the right hand like a PC mouse to control aiming, shooting and Morph ball conversions from the protagonist Samus. It's the midway house between the Joypad and the mouse and keyboard controls, which feels weird, but it quickly condenses and I knocked down the boss of the demo for the first time. But again, I felt uncomfortable after the twist, especially on the right arm.
