New Nintendo filings have got fans excited by the prospect of a new GameCube controller potentially to be used to play GameCube classics via the Nintendo Switch Online subscription service on Switch 2.
As reported by Nintendo Life, a new FCC filing by Nintendo for a “game controller” matches up with the Switch 2, and the suggestion is it’s a wireless Bluetooth controller.
The internet (Famiboards) subsequently investigated and believes one of the images in the filing shows a label location that matches the back of a GameCube controller where the label is positioned behind the C-Stick.
While this could end up being a Switch 2 Pro Controller, the current speculation points to its use with Nintendo’s Switch Online subscription service, which already uses wireless classic controllers for retro games.
Thoughts now turn to a GameCube library of games on Nintendo Switch Online. Nintendo fans have long called for GameCube classics on Switch, but Nintendo has so far stuck to re-releasing NES, SNES, N64, Sega Genesis, and Game Boy games on its subscription service. Could GameCube finally return in a big way via Nintendo Switch 2?
The Switch 2 was revealed earlier in January with a brief trailer that confirmed backwards compatibility features and the addition of a second USB-C port. Most details, such as its other games and what the the mysterious new Joy-Con button does, were left out, though the Joy-Con mouse theory did gain traction.
Last month, a Nintendo patent suggested Switch 2’s Joy-Con controllers could be attached upside down. It seems the Switch 2 operates with gyro mechanics in a similar way to how phones work without screen lock. Unlike the original Nintendo Switch, which had rails for the Joy-Cons to attach and lock into place, the new controllers feature magnets that presumably allow them to be attached on either side.
While this won’t make much of a difference on the hardware front, it will allow players to essentially choose where they’d like certain buttons, the headphone port, and so on. If it makes it into the final product, the flipping ability may spark interesting gameplay mechanics, too.
Analysts suggest the Switch 2 will cost $400, although some predict Nintendo could go up to $500. June has been mentioned as a potential release month.
There’s still a great deal we don’t know about the Switch 2, but Nintendo plans a Direct for April 2 during which it will reveal more on the console.
While we wait to find out, Metroid Prime Remastered offers a wonderful dose of GameCube goodness on Nintendo Switch.
Image credit: Evan-amos CC BY-SA 3.0
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
