Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Cons Will Feature Magnets and Mouse Functionality, Patent Suggests

The Nintendo Switch 2 was revealed in January following several leaks about the hybrid console's design and features. While Nintendo stopped short of detailing the functionality and specifications of the Switch 2, the first-look trailer showed a revamped Joy-Con connecting mechanism. A patent from the company published Thursday suggests the new Joy-Cons will attach to the Nintendo Switch 2 body via magnets, just as previous leaks had claimed.

Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Cons to Feature Magnets

A Game Controller patent filed by Nintendo in August 2023 and published Thursday details Joy-Con features, claiming the controller comprises magnets. While the patent does not mention Switch 2, looking at diagrams we can presume it's for Joy-Cons that will come with the Nintendo Switch successor.

“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 abstract of the patent reads.

Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Cons come with a revamped connecting mechanism
Photo Credit: Nintendo

Nintendo then further details the mechanism of the Joy-Con, including the protruding portion of the controller that attaches with the recess of the Switch 2 body.

“The game controller comprises a first input unit, a protrusion, a first button, and a second button. The first input unit is provided on the front surface. The protrusion protrudes from a first lateral surface, and extends in the longitudinal direction of the first lateral surface. The protrusion is configured to fit in the recess.

“The first button and the second button are provided in the longitudinal direction in the top surface of the protrusion. 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.”

These details match with the mechanism depicted in the first-look trailer for the Nintendo Switch 2. Nintendo didn't specify the changes in the new design, but from the video, it's clear the rail system for connecting the Joy-Cons to the body from the original Switch has been ditched in favour of a snap-on mechanism.

The magnetic mechanism of the new Joy-Cons suggested in the patent and in Nintendo's reveal has been rumoured and appeared in leaks before. A report back in April 2024 had claimed the Switch 2 would come with redesigned Joy-Cons that attach magnetically to the handheld console.

Joy-Cons May Come With Mouse Functionality

Additionally, diagrams present in the patent also point to the Joy-Con being used like a mouse. The image shows a user holding the Joy-Con face down, with two fingers resting on top on the shoulder buttons and the thumb resting on the joystick, just like how one would grip a mouse.

Nintendo, too, has hinted at a mouse functionality for the new Joy-Cons. In the first-look trailer for the Switch 2, the Joy-Cons can be seen sliding face down on a flat surface. These details have not been confirmed by the company.

A Switch 2-focussed Nintendo Direct presentation, however, is set to take place on April 2, where we could learn more about the hybrid console's design, specifications, and features. Nintendo could also showcase new games coming to the device. The Nintendo Switch 2 will launch sometime in 2025.