Switch 2 leaks point to controllers that work like computer mice

We at Ars choose wisely which of the many Switch 2 rumors we decide to highlight on this page. For every report about hardware power or magnetic Joy-Cons that we share, there are probably five more that we see and decide are too unreliable, too improbable, or just too obscure to spread here.

But when we started hearing reports that the Switch 2’s Joy-Cons could be cradled on their side and manipulated like a full-fledged gaming mouse, we knew the concept was one you’d want to hear about.

Rumors of mouse-like functionality on the Switch 2’s included controllers intensified over the weekend when a Reddit poster shared detailed photos of the purported Switch 2 Joy-Cons, sourced from an anonymous Chinese social media user. Between the longer shoulder buttons along the inner edge of the Joy-Con (SL and SR) and a new central connector port, eagle-eyed viewers have noticed what looks eerily similar to the optical sensor that sits on the bottom of virtually all mice these days.

This might suggest a mode where you place the controller vertically against a hard surface and drag it like a mouse. The layout would even allow a user to put a thumb on the face buttons and an index finger on the shoulder buttons for various “click” functions.