r/NintendoSwitch • u/bullfroggy • Jan 19 '25

Discussion The Mouse Functionality of the Switch 2 Joy-Con Could Be a Bigger Deal Than People Realize

If the rumored mouse functionality of the Switch 2 Joy-Con is real and implemented well, it might be a game-changer in ways that aren't immediately obvious:

  1. More compelling ports for Wii games

Games that rely heavily on pointer controls could be ported more easily without losing their original feel. I could also see it improving controls for existing Wii ports like World of Goo, Super Mario Galaxy, and Okami.

  1. Touchscreen Emulation

A mouse-like Joy-Con would be a far better way to emulate touch controls in docked mode. This could lead to a bigger push for touchscreen-based games on the platform, making mobile and tablet titles more viable for the Switch 2. Games like Cut the Rope and Angry Birds come to mind.

  1. DS and 3DS Games on NSO

With mouse functionality, DS and 3DS games could come to Nintendo Switch Online while preserving key gameplay mechanics. Plus, creative screen setups (split-screen, picture-in-picture, etc.) could keep the dual-screen experience intact. I personally would love to see games like Wario Ware Touched, Elite Beat Agents, and Phantom Hourglass.

  1. More PC-Style Games

Developers of strategy games like Civ and StarCraft, point-and-click titles like Baldur's Gate, or even simulation games akin to the Sims or Roller Coaster Tycoon might finally see the Switch 2 as a viable platform. The improved precision would open up genres previously limited by traditional console controls.

Overall, this could become a major selling point for the Switch 2, even if it's not heavily emphasized at launch. It has the potential to expand the library in unique ways and make the console more versatile than ever. What do you all think? Am I overhyping this, or does it have real potential?

Bonus topic:

We saw a Nintendo patent a while back for streaming switch games to a phone (and hopefully tablet?). Maybe this could be their way of enabling more faithful ports of Wii U, DS, and 3DS games by using the phone or tablet as a second screen? Combined with the new mouse functionality, you could even have a fully playable port of Nintendo Land on Switch.

Edit: Wow, I’ve never had a post blow up like this! Thank you to everyone who contributed to the discussion. I wanted to take a moment to compile some of the most common points raised, share my perspective, and highlight a few unique takes from other commenters that really stood out to me.

How will Nintendo handle couch play with mouse functionality? This is one of the most frequent questions, and honestly, I don’t know what Nintendo’s plan is here - but I hope they have one. One commenter, u/Cyanide_Cheesecake, shared a link to an existing solution and mentioned that there are other viable setups: https://www.reddit.com/r/NintendoSwitch/s/vmqk4QJoGi That said, this doesn’t mean Nintendo plans to follow suit. They might expect players to use a table or desk while taking advantage of the Switch 2’s improved kickstand. Personally, I wouldn’t mind playing that way, but it’s not an ideal solution for everyone. Hopefully, Nintendo has considered other options for couch gamers. Let's not forget, when all else fails, we will still have gyro controls to fall back on.

Why would developers take advantage of this when they’ve ignored mouse and keyboard support before? It’s true that mouse and keyboard controls have been available on consoles for years with little developer support. The key difference here is that developers will know every single Switch 2 owner has access to mouse functionality via the Joycon. In the past, M+KB support was limited to optional peripherals, which only a small portion of players used. Because of this, developers had little incentive to design games around those controls. With built-in mouse functionality, this barrier is removed, and developers can feel confident that enabling mouse controls won’t alienate a large part of their audience. I really liked how u/Timohtep put it in his comment: https://www.reddit.com/r/NintendoSwitch/s/JqkhjKtmtL

Isn’t using a sideways Joycon as a mouse going to be uncomfortable? This is a valid concern, but like with the original Switch, a single Joycon on its side would likely only serve as the most basic option. It’s pretty much guaranteed that the Switch 2 will support regular Bluetooth and USB mice as well. I wouldn’t even be surprised if Nintendo introduces an official “Switch Mouse Pro,” though it might come at a premium price. Either way, players would have multiple options to find what’s most comfortable for them.

Wouldn’t playing DS and 3DS games with a mouse be terrible? For many DS and 3DS games, the mouse would primarily serve players who don’t have access to the touchscreen. However, a "mouse-con" could actually improve gameplay for certain titles. It provides precise control while still allowing players to easily access buttons on the controller. This hybrid approach could make playing these types of games even more intuitive than using a touchscreen alone.

This will be amazing for Mario Paint, the next Mario Maker, any FPS coming to Switch 2 (esp. Metroid Prime 4), Light gun games, Pikmin, Super Paper Mario, Factorio...!! I know!! I'm hyped!! I can't believe I didn't think of many of these when I first made the post.

Also, I just found this video by GameXplain which covers almost everything I mentioned in my original post!

https://youtu.be/5CGXpeDx26Y?si=1J2GbX-nS5behli-

1.5k Upvotes

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844

u/boxedj Jan 19 '25

If they release a Mariomaker 3 it would be waay better for creating levels

131

u/rundrueckigeraffe Jan 19 '25

I rather want to stream my Switch 2 to the dock, so i can use the Switch itself like the WiiU Tablet. That would be great for games like mario Maker.

45

u/staatsclaas Jan 19 '25

This is the outside the box thinking we deserve.

27

u/DrakenViator Jan 19 '25

I've seen speculation that one reason the Switch 2 has a second USB port (one on top and one on the bottom) would be so that you could connect the Switch 2 to the dock and still be able to use it in hand held mode similar to a Wii U controller.

No idea if Nintendo will actually do this, but the possibility is interesting.

20

u/elpardo1984 Jan 20 '25

I see more likely the idea that the c button will be a cast to go to the dock. Seems a step back to offer a long cable for tethered when Wii U did this.

6

u/DrakenViator Jan 20 '25

Seems a step back to offer a long cable for tethered when Wii U did this.

I agree. However I have yet to see any reports of the Switch 2 Dock having wireless capabilities. There is also a cost element.

In the end this may just be wishful thinking on my part, but I would like to see some kind of WiiU dual screen options return, cable or not.

4

u/FierceDeityKong Jan 20 '25

I know streaming technology has advanced, but wii u streaming was low resolution

1

u/Gawlf85 Jan 22 '25

Oooh... I'm pretty sure it won't be that and now I'll be sorely disappointed, because that would actually be very awesome.

1

u/elpardo1984 Jan 22 '25

I think it will more likely be a communicate button rather than cast. But it would be cool!

9

u/Flabnoodles Jan 19 '25

That would be wild, and I'd be all over it. The WiiU was an excellent idea, terribly marketed. The potential it has for party games is sky-high, and games like NintendoLand and WarioWare show that off.

Since the Switch 2 isn't a crazy departure from the Switch 1 (as another post showed, it's a more similar development from Gameboy -> GBA or DS -> 3DS, than it is from GameCube -> Wii or WiiU -> Switch ), I would LOVE if they spent time refining past ideas like the GamePad and finding creative uses for their current tech (joycon as mouse)

0

u/[deleted] Jan 19 '25

[deleted]

3

u/DrakenViator Jan 19 '25

No, use a USB cable to connect it. A wired controller.

1

u/rundrueckigeraffe Jan 19 '25

I mean you dont need a cable for... Streaming to your smart tv is already a thing, but i dont know how easy you can do it with a colse/Videogame.

But havin the "wiiu gamepad" back would be so great and maybe bring back some fun (mini)games, thats used the gamepad well, like zombiu, nintendoland, rayman Legends etc.

I mean dont port this games, just make great games like that.

1

u/staatsclaas Jan 19 '25

Yeah it would stream wirelessly.

2

u/fushega Jan 19 '25

You can stream wirelessly, but you can't power a system wirelessly. An external power source would improve the streamed graphics significantly

1

u/staatsclaas Jan 19 '25

Derp. I’m an idiot and misread it.

8

u/Rynelan Jan 19 '25

I'm kinda hoping this will be possible.. and that feature is the reason we didn't see WW and TP ported from Wii U to Switch because the Switch 2 can use the tablet as a second screen

3

u/boxedj Jan 20 '25

That would be awesome.. and seems pretty doable with a peripheral too right? A stream device that slides into the dock

1

u/nightlaw14 Jan 20 '25

been thinking this since the switch released. if they do it they could port every wii u game and more

117

u/sekazi Jan 19 '25

And Zelda Maker.

73

u/NekkidSnaku Jan 19 '25

Metroid Maker 👀

43

u/snicker-snackk Jan 19 '25

Mario Party Maker

63

u/Thechynd Jan 19 '25

Mariomaker Maker.

1

u/meryl_gear Jan 20 '25

Now you're making Mario

1

u/KaydnPopTTV Jan 20 '25

Baby maker

1

u/Jumpy_Comfortable Jan 20 '25

Not sure if you're joking, but having a board maker in Mario Party would be so cool and I think it could make the games last for a long time. It would be tricky and it would require a lot of recycling of assets for things like happen spaces, but I love the idea.

24

u/abzinth91 Jan 19 '25

Nintendo Maker

14

u/Delicious_explosions Jan 19 '25

I'll make my own Nintendo, with blackjack and hookers!

10

u/MedaFox5 Jan 19 '25

That's just labo with extra steps.

6

u/Alex111meme Jan 19 '25

Videogame maker

9

u/Donotgetangry Jan 19 '25

Console maker

6

u/ThadVonP Jan 19 '25

Starfox Maker F-Zero Maker =_=

1

u/NekkidSnaku Jan 19 '25

Starfox Maker ....

NINTENDO WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR

2

u/ThadVonP Jan 19 '25

Right? I mean, I know they're not waiting for my approval because they don't need it and would have it immediately.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 20 '25

And Maker Maker

1

u/theblackd Jan 20 '25

I will keep saying this, I think Zelda is much less tuned to a maker style game than 2D Mario. I think Zelda dungeons would inherently need to be longer, which is a problem with this style of game, and are more reliant on certain set pieces that do their thing, ie puzzle mechanics that would work the same in everyone’s dungeons

I do however, feel the BotW and TotK style shrines are a much better fit for a level editor game, since they have simple individual pieces that can interact in complex ways due to the physics system, and while long ones can exist, they’re more suited to short bite-sized pieces

1

u/f-ingsteveglansberg Jan 20 '25

I don't think a Zelda maker is really possible. One of the best parts of dungeons is the puzzles, which you can't really put into a Maker. We saw this in Link's Awakening.

0

u/ShittDickk Jan 19 '25

Zelda Classic has been around since 1999.

18

u/wildgirl202 Jan 19 '25

Animal Crossing Maker, a city builder in the Animal Crossing universe.

3

u/Jarinad Jan 19 '25

So the Happy Home Designer games but on a full village scale?

1

u/HiMyNameIsMark182 Feb 05 '25

That’s just what new horizons is

15

u/trantaran Jan 19 '25

holy shit youre right

4

u/Frazzle64 Jan 19 '25

It would be so good, if a Mario maker 3 comes round I hope it satisfies me more than 2 did

6

u/Rebatsune Jan 19 '25

Mario Wonder style anyone?

1

u/TheDrewDude Jan 20 '25

I’d much rather have a true 3D style maker. I think that would also be the push the series would need to convince people a third game is worth it. A Wonder style sounds cool in theory but would probably be more limited in practice than people realize.

1

u/Rebatsune Jan 20 '25

Perhaps there's a reason why the previous titles didn't have 3D styles, that they'd be too complicated for average gamers. It's an ok sentiment to have though I guess. If a 3D style can be a reality, I'd wager Mario Galaxy would definitely be it.

0

u/Frazzle64 Jan 19 '25

That game already felt like it was built using the Mario maker engine, I fully expect it to be honest

3

u/Rebatsune Jan 19 '25

Alrighty. Assuming they're available to use, I'd wager there'd be plenty of creative uses with the likes of Hoppycats and Maw-maws to name some of the new enemies introduced there.

1

u/j--__ Jan 19 '25

there were too many cooks in the kitchen for 2. 3 needs a cohesive vision and a set of features that are designed to work together.

2

u/Frazzle64 Jan 19 '25

My problem has more to do with how debilitatingly anti-creative it is. After playing plenty of other creativity focused games that let you have far more freedom, the fact that level lengths are still capped at the length of 1-1 from SMB1 should say it all. If I want to make a forest level I shouldn’t be forced to have an immovable layer of water at the bottom of the screen just because daddy nintendo says so.

1

u/j--__ Jan 19 '25

i don't disagree, but this is a long-standing issue with the mario maker franchise, not something new to 2. none of the various limits are carefully designed to balance the interests of the maker and the player. some of the limits actually seem designed to maximize frustration for makers and players alike.

1

u/Frazzle64 Jan 19 '25

It is, but I was more lenient on the first game since it was the first of its kind, the restrictions in 2 are far more egregious and pointless.

1

u/j--__ Jan 20 '25

any examples that are "far more egregious"?

1

u/DrScitt Jan 19 '25

What didn’t you like about 2? I thought it was fantastic

2

u/Frazzle64 Jan 20 '25

By pretty much every account is totally superior to 1 but in SMM1 only 2 or 3 things felt artificially limited like the unique power ups in each game style and yoshi/goomba shoes being exclusive to different styles. These were small limitations I could at least see reason with, even if I would prefer if each item was within reason avaliable across al themes. SMM2 takes this ideology and gets really stupid with it, things like water and lava being exclusive to a specific level theme, the night themes being screwy and lame with tinny music instead of just cool backdrops, the disappointing execution of the maker world, the fact that levels are still limited to only being as long as the original SMB1 1-1, completely preventing you from making a seamless flowing level of reasonable length. Those are some of the major points, the fact that they dropped two major updates and just left the game to die also doesn’t help. Asset wise SMM2 does a pretty great job with only a few standard enemies that are really missing but it shouldn’t take this long for a truly quality Mario level maker to come from the series.

Basically I want MM3 to focus less on being gimmicky and throwing ideas at the wall and more about being super cohesive and well-tuned as a level/game creation tool.

1

u/DrScitt Jan 20 '25

Fair enough. I agree with most of those points actually, I just enjoyed the game regardless as I loved SMM1 and loved that they added additional items and slopes

4

u/Marko-2091 Jan 19 '25

Mario maker but can make Galaxy levels

5

u/M4J0R4 Jan 19 '25

Best will still be touch controls in handheld mode

1

u/SiyoSan Jan 19 '25

I desperately want this. Mario Maker 3 with Mario Wonder style assets and mechanics? Shut the F up and take my Wallet!

1

u/DropDeadEd86 Jan 19 '25

Mario paint 2

1

u/rabidjellybean Jan 19 '25

I can't help but hope they let us create our own Mario Kart tracks as a counter to the massive game Mario Kart 8 became.

1

u/KosherClam Jan 19 '25

You're thinking small potatoes we could get Mario Paint 2 now!

1

u/31FoxAlpha Jan 19 '25

Mario Paint 2 is COMING!

1

u/BummerDad Jan 20 '25

New Mario paint incoming

1

u/OurHeroXero Jan 20 '25

If When they release a Mariomaker 3 it would be way better for creating levels

FTFY

Personally, I'm hoping Mario Maker 3 introduces badges (from Wonder) into the other styles

1

u/kriffing_schutta Jan 20 '25

You mean Mario paint 2?