After the Nintendo Switch 2 reveal this morning, those rumors that you might be able to use your Joy-Con as a mouse are looking preeeeeeeeeetty good.
During the reveal trailer, there’s a moment where a pair of detached Joy-Cons are lowered onto a surface, attachment side down. They connect to a pair of connectors that seem to have relatively flat bottoms, and then slide across the surface like a mouse on a mouse pad. If you look closely, you can even see something that looks like a slider pad on the bottom of one of the connectors, leading further credence to the theory.
Rumors have been flying in the lead-up to the Nintendo Switch 2 reveal that this would be possible due to a sensor on the inside of the Joy-Cons similar to the sensor on the bottom of a computer mouse. But thus far, Nintendo hasn’t officially confirmed this is true, nor what it would mean if it is. Fans have speculated that this could be used for games like Civilization that traditionally are better played with a mouse and keyboard, but others have suggested that given Nintendo’s history it could also be used in new and innovative ways with Nintendo’s first party software. It’s all still up in the air.
For all we don’t know about potential mouse support for the Switch 2 (as well as what the mysterious new Joy-Con button does), we do actually know a decent amount. We know it’s called the Nintendo Switch 2, it’s coming out in 2025, and there’s a new Mario Kart in the works for it. It will be backward compatible with Switch 1, and we’ll learn more about other software coming to the system at a Direct in April. You can catch up on all our Nintendo Switch 2 coverage right here.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.
