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 connectors, allowing them to slide like a mouse on a mousepad. A possible slider pad on one connector further fuels this speculation. Pre-reveal rumors hinted at a sensor inside the Joy-Cons, similar to those in computer mice, enabling this functionality. However, Nintendo remains officially silent on this feature and its implications.
Nintendo Switch 2 - First Look
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The reveal immediately brought to mind *Civilization VII*, already confirmed for the original Switch and likely backward compatible with the Switch 2. The question arises: will a dedicated Switch 2 version leverage the potential mouse functionality for a superior gameplay experience?
IGN posed this question to *Civilization VII*'s 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 likely won't announce a dedicated Switch 2 version of *Civilization VII* (leaving that to 2K Games), the April Switch 2 Direct might shed more light on this possibility. Despite the uncertainty surrounding mouse support and the mysterious new Joy-Con button, we know the Switch 2 is slated for a 2025 release (likely between June and September), and a new *Mario Kart* is in the works.
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