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The Switch 2 Nintendo Direct has finally given us our first taste of what Nintendo's new system can do, and one of it's biggest draws could be mouse controls — one more revolutionary way to play.
The control scheme (as the name suggests) mirrors the way a PC mouse works, where you put both Joy-cons on a table or surface and roll it to control whatever is on the screen. There's also elements of motion controls similar to what we've already seen on the original Nintendo Switch, where you can jerk your wrist with the controller in-hand to toss a ball, or something similar.
Announced alongside the mouse controls was a new game slated for debut on the Nintendo Switch 2, aptly titled Drag x Drive. The game mirrors Rocket League, where you control in-game wheelchair-bound basketball players with the new control scheme, by rolling the Joy-cons on a surface and jerk the controller in-hand to toss the ball into the basket or pass it to other players.
In Nintendo's continued novel approach to game design, as seen in the likes of the Wii and Nintendo Labo well before, this new control scheme could lend itself to a bevy of titles. How many is still yet to be determined and if the mouse controls will only be available on select games designed specifically for them, or if it's available across the board.
While totally new to Nintendo, these mouse controls are anything but new to on-the-go-gaming. In fact, we've already seen a similar concept on the Lenovo Legion Go, one of the best handheld gaming consoles, which has detachable controllers on its sides just like the Switch and Switch 2. One of these controllers can be placed inside of a small cup and used like a mouse either in desktop mode or in FPS games, like Call of Duty.
It's unclear if Nintendo will have similar functionality here, or if the mouse controls will only be used facing downward on a surface as seen in the Switch 2 Direct. But one thing is for certain, they will prove game-changing for the system and it will be exciting to see what games Nintendo comes up with that might leverage the new mouse control scheme.
More from Tom's Guide
- Mama mia! Nintendo Switch 2 dev kit leak shows no sign of 4K output
- I was going to skip Nintendo Switch 2 because of Steam Deck — but now I’m buying day one
- Nintendo Switch 2 needs these 5 features to be the perfect gaming handheld
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