The Nintendo Switch 2 may look familiar at first glance, but it's the Joy-Cons that are set to bring significant changes, as revealed by recent patents. Although Nintendo hasn't officially confirmed these details, various reports have surfaced suggesting that the Switch 2 Joy-Cons will feature magnetic attachments and can even function like a computer mouse. These innovations are now almost confirmed thanks to a series of patents filed by Nintendo, which detail both the magnetic attachments and the mouse-like features.
According to the patent, "This game controller is detachably mounted to a body device that has a recess, that comprises a first magnet and a second magnet at the bottom of the recess, and that can execute game processing." The patent also describes how the Joy-Cons are detached using two buttons located on the top surface of a protrusion. "The first button and the second button are provided in the longitudinal direction in the top surface of the protrusion," it explains. "The first button and the second button are to be pressed by a user. The first button is attracted to the first magnet by a magnetic force. The second button is attracted to the second magnet by a magnetic force."
The patent includes illustrations showing how the Joy-Cons can be used as a mouse. Players hold the controller rail-side down, using the shoulder buttons as mouse buttons. Specifically, the R1 and R2 buttons serve as the left and right mouse buttons, respectively, and there might be a scrolling function when using the joysticks.
Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Con patent includes illustrations for the mouse functionality. More images in the link https://t.co/13ZNQtOMqF pic.twitter.com/ey3ufRUWZE
— Wario64 (@Wario64) February 6, 2025
Further illustrations demonstrate the versatility of this mouse-like function, which can be used in various configurations. Players can use both Joy-Cons as dual mice or use one as a mouse while the other functions as a standard game controller.
The magnetic attachment feature for the Joy-Cons was one of the earliest leaks related to the Switch 2, while the mouse-like function was revealed later and still awaits official confirmation. However, a teaser released earlier in January hinted at this feature, showing the Joy-Cons gliding across a surface like a computer mouse.
For the latest updates on the Nintendo Switch 2, check out our comprehensive breakdown. Mark your calendars for the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct on April 2, 2025, to get all the official details.
