Rumours surrounding the Nintendo Switch 2's Joy-Cons have been swirling since last month's teaser video, which showed the controllers skidding across a surface like mice. Now, a newly discovered Nintendo patent seems to confirm the speculation: the Joy-Cons will indeed have mouse-like capabilities.
The patent, titled "Input Device and System," describes the Joy-Cons as including "a sensor for mouse operation." This sensor will detect reflected light from a surface, changing as the Joy-Con is moved, similar to the optical sensors found in most PC mice. This feature could open up a range of new gaming experiences, particularly for genres like real-time strategy games. The mouse functionality also hints at potential non-gaming uses, such as a painting program or other creative software.
We expect Nintendo to reveal more details at their dedicated Nintendo Direct launch event on April 2.