Ever since the unveiling of the Nintendo Switch 2 hardware last month, eagle-eyed fans have been speculating whether the Joy-Con featured in the teaser trailer was hiding additional functionality. In the footage, the Joy-Con is seen moving across a table in an upright position, behaving almost like a computer mouse.
Close-up images also reveal what appears to be an optical sensor near the magnetic Joy-Con attachment system. While many believed this strongly hinted at built-in mouse support, we now have official confirmation thanks to a newly discovered patent.
The patent, uncovered on the WIPO Patent system by ResetEra user –R, provides detailed diagrams and an English description that explicitly refers to “mouse functionality.” The description states:
“This input device comprises a front surface, an upper surface, a first side surface, a second side surface, a direction input unit, a first upper surface button, and a sensor for mouse operation. The first side surface is on one side in the left-right direction. The second side surface is on the other side in the left-right direction. The direction input unit is provided on the front surface. The first upper surface button is provided on the upper surface and can be pressed around a first rotation axis extending in a direction in which components in the left-right direction are included. 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.”
This official documentation confirms that the Switch 2 Joy-Con will include an optical sensor designed for mouse-like movement, solidifying previous fan theories.
The big question now is: which games will take advantage of this feature, and what other surprises might Nintendo have in store for the Joy-Con? Fortunately, we won’t have to wait long—only about 50 days remain until the Switch 2 Presentation on April 2nd. Stay tuned to Nintendo Wire for all the latest updates!
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Written by Jason Ganos
Nintendo super fan since birth, Jason is the creator of Amiibo News and editor-in-chief at Nintendo Wire. One of his life goals is to provide the latest Nintendo news to fellow gamers with his natural know-how.
