The recent Nintendo Switch 2 reveal sparked excitement, particularly with a glimpse of what appears to be a "mouse" mode for the Joy-Cons. The trailer shows detached Joy-Cons placed on a surface, connecting to what look like flat-bottomed adapters. These then slide across the surface, mimicking mouse movement. A possible slider pad on the adapter further fuels this theory. Pre-reveal rumors suggested this functionality, citing an internal sensor similar to those in computer mice. However, Nintendo remains officially silent on this feature and its implications.
Nintendo Switch 2 - First Look
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News of this potential mouse functionality immediately brought to mind Civilization 7, already confirmed for the original Switch and expected on the Switch 2 via backward compatibility. The question is: will a dedicated Switch 2 version leverage this new Joy-Con feature, providing a mouse-like control scheme for the 4X strategy game?
IGN recently posed this question to Civilization 7 lead designer Ed Beach and executive producer Dennis Shirk. While Beach remained tight-lipped, Shirk offered an intriguing response: “It is definitely intriguing…You always do some trade-offs when you have to deal with pure console controls. And the announcement has some great stuff in it. I love what they're doing with the controllers. It's all very cool. That's about all I can say about it in terms of an opinion. I think it looks awesome and they're not wrong, so it would be cool for something like that.”
AnswerSee ResultsWhile Firaxis is unlikely to announce a dedicated Switch 2 version of Civilization 7 (leaving that to 2K Games), a Switch 2 Direct scheduled for April might shed light on this possibility. Although much remains unknown about the potential mouse support and the function of the new Joy-Con button, we do know the Switch 2's 2025 release window (likely June-September) and that a new Mario Kart is in development.
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