Switch 2 is made of spaghetti

[Dark Jaguar]

Well the Switch 2 "announcement" trailer hit, and what have we learned?  Nothing really.  But, here's a version I think is more entertaining:



It sure is slightly different!

[A Black Falcon]

We learned something interesting: for the first time since at least the Gamecube and in some ways kind of the Super Nintendo, Nintendo is trying to make an iterative home console which focuses on doing things that their past console did, but with better graphics and a few new features.  Some people seem to be annoyed about this, but given how successful the Switch has been and the level of risk of something totally new, doing the same thing again but better seems like a reasonable decision to me.  We'll see how it goes, but yeah, I like the idea of basically just a 'Super Switch'.

With that said, the one major new feature they hinted at was the Joycons moving around a table.  If they really can be like mice now that's pretty cool and would greatly improve the very lacking motion control on Switch versus the pointer-and-bar design of the Wii and Wii U.  As someone who almost exclusively plays Switch docked, with the Pro Controller, I'd love to have better motion than just tilt.

[Dark Jaguar]

I just thought they were being cute with their animations.  Technically there was a "sliding the thing around like a mouse" minigame back in that 1 2 Switch game (which absolutely should have been a pack in game).  I don't have any clue if there's actually any features to speak of, but using one of the joycons like a mouse will require some sort of mouse pad.  Well, I'll be totally honest.  I use one in bed.  I have an actual mouse when I'm in my bed on my laptop, and the mouse pad is... wait for it... my original SNES Mouse mouse pad... because it's stiff plastic that provides a firm flat surface unlike every other mouse pad I own.

[A Black Falcon]

The mouse thing is technically not confirmed, I believe, but it's a very common rumor that the video corroborates, so I think it is highly likely.  And yeah, it'd be a nice feature improvement for those of us who don't use their Switch in handheld mode almost ever.

As for a mouse pad, the SNES one is handy for being solid plastic, yeah.  I have definitely used it for things other than the Super Nintendo.

[Dark Jaguar]

So what you're saying is your mouse pad is covered in food stains?

[Dark Jaguar]

We've got official confirmation of that mouse mode people were speculating on:
https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/02/n...tion-mode/
They patented it.

[A Black Falcon]

Yeah, I'm interested to hear about how this will work.  I mean, if it's a mouse that means it's meant for a desk or mousepad, right?  But this is a console, most users won't be at a desk.  So is it an air mouse?  That's just a gyro controller like the Switch is, so uh, yeah I need to look up more about how this is supposed to work... but if it means better motion controls thant the Switch has I'm all for it, it badly needs better precision.  To repeat something I have said many times, the Switch is way behind the Wii and Wii U in that regard since it doesn't have the pointer.

[Dark Jaguar]

Well based on both the animation and the patent itself, it looks like it will require a surface of some kind to use it on.

Don't forget that for the most part, Nintendo specializes in "withered technology", so I'm not expecting anything brand new here.