Nintendo Patent Details Switch 2 Joy-Cons Working Like A PC Mouse
There is one new feature that Nintendo hasn't confirmed yet which seems almost certain to be real, though. That's the ability to use the Joy-Cons with their edge against a surface like a mouse, much like the similar feature included on the Lenovo Legion Go. This idea first came about when sharp-eyed enthusiasts spotted what seemed to be an optical sensor on the inside edge of the Joy-Cons.
The patent shows using both Joy-Cons in either standard or mouse mode.
We say "almost certain" now because a Nintendo patent, filed on August 1st 2023 and published yesterday, specifically depicts someone using the device in exactly that manner. The patent, filed with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), is simply titled "INPUT DEVICE AND SYSTEM," and it describes in great detail what appears to be the second-generation Joy-Cons.
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 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.Well, that's pretty clear-cut, isn't it? Of course, a patent, even a granted patent, doesn't necessarily mean that the technology is coming to market. Considering that the design in the patent's figures closely matches that of the Switch 2's Joy-Cons, though, we think it's a pretty safe bet that this function is going to arrive with the new system.
— WIPO Publication Number WO/2025/027803, Nintendo Co. Ltd.
The graphics in the patent clearly depict someone using various configurations: both Joy-Cons held traditionally, one Joy-Con down against a desk while the user continues to manipulate the analog stick, both Joy-Cons in "mouse mode", and even confirmation of a left-hand-stick right-hand-mouse mode, which is arguably the optimal setup for first-person shooters.
Interestingly, the patent also seems to conceive of a mouse mode for a more traditional controller. While the design of the device is rudimentary and still split in two like a Joy-Con, it is clearly one-half of a traditional gamepad with an optical sensor on the inside surface. By placing the end of the controller on a surface, you can make use of mouse mode.
The presence of this optical sensor on even the traditional-style gamepad controller strongly suggests to us that "mouse mode" may indeed be a crucial part of Switch 2 gameplay. That's particularly exciting in the context of a next-generation Splatoon game, and it may also have the effect of abruptly making the Switch 2 the best console platform for shooter games.
Of course, that's all down to how well the mouse mode works. We'll probably hear about this feature, assuming it comes to the final hardware, at Nintendo's Direct event on April 2nd.
