In its April 2nd Direct event, Nintendo revealed a lot of the Switch 2 details we’ve been waiting for, including the console’s price ($449.99 in the US), its June 5th release date, and a slew of new games coming to it, like Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza. The video and details the company published after the event also helped create a more complete picture of what we should expect from the second-generation Joy-Cons that come with the system.
The new Joy-Cons look a lot like the old Joy-Cons, but about a half-inch longer and black, with color accents on the connection rails and under the analog sticks – blue on the left and a pinkish red on the right. Nintendo says they’ll be more comfortable, too. They have the same general button layout as the originals, but with a new “C” button on the right Joy-Con 2 that’s used for a Discord-like GameChat feature that lets you talk to friends using a microphone embedded in the top of the Switch 2 itself, and includes screen-sharing functionality and the ability to start streaming with the Switch 2 camera accessory Nintendo is selling separately.
As Switch 2 producer Kouichi Kawamoto describes in a new “Ask the Developer” interview published today, the Switch 2’s Joy-Cons have “larger and more durable” analog sticks “with smoother movement.” On its site, the company says that the Joy-Con 2s are quieter, too. Smoother and quieter makes sense if Nintendo is using Hall Effect sensors this time around, as previously rumored. Kawamoto also points out that the L and R buttons curve further down the side for easy reach.
The Joy-Con 2s connect to the Switch 2 magnetically, something Kawamoto says the company originally wanted to do for the first Switch. The Joy-Cons have larger SL and SR buttons that are made of metal, while the magnets themselves are embedded in the console. Disconnecting them involves pressing a release button on the back, and in its Direct today, Nintendo claims they “won’t easily detach” on their own, but we’ll see about that when the system launches this summer.
Another big new feature of the Switch 2 Joy-Cons is that they can work like a mouse with select games. When they’re detached, you hold them, connection-rail-down, on a surface like a coffee table. Kawamoto said the feature will be used in games like Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, for aiming (gyro control is still an option too, according to a footnote on the page), and the thoroughly-named Super Mario Party Jamboree — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition Plus Jamboree TV.
Comparing it to the Wii Remote’s cursor, Switch 2 director Takuhiro Dohta, who is also featured in the interview, says the company sees Joy-Con 2 mouse functionality as a way to let the Switch 2’s touchscreen capabilities transition to playing in docked mode. The Joy-Cons come with wrist straps, which Nintendo says gives them a wider base for “smoother gliding and better stability.”
Kawamoto said the new Joy-Cons’ rumble feature, now called HD Rumble 2, is updated “to allow for a wider variety of vibrations.” They’ll also be stronger, he said, and have “quicker response times.” According to Nintendo’s official specs, the controllers will last about 20 hours between charges and recharge in about 3.5 hours, same as the original Joy-Cons.
As for accessories, apart from the included wrist straps, Nintendo has also announced a $19.99 set of two wheels you can attach Joy-Con 2s to for games like Mario Kart World. The company will sell a $34.99 charging grip, and the console comes with a standard non-charging grip, as well.
Nintendo did away with the IR sensor found on the right-hand first-generation Joy-Con, which I will miss for no reason other than that I love when gadgets have IR sensors. But in every other way, the updated Joy-Cons sound like an improvement over their predecessors, with intriguing new features and Nintendo’s promise of better comfort and improved rumble. Now we just have to wait to see if Nintendo managed to solve the first Joy-Cons’ stick drift problem.
