New Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Con Patents Reveal Magnetic Attachment and Mouse Functionality

While Nintendo remains tight-lipped about the Switch 2's official specs, recently surfaced patents strongly suggest significant Joy-Con upgrades. Reports hinting at magnetic attachment and mouse-like functionality are now largely confirmed by these filings.

The patents describe a game controller with magnetic mounting to the Switch 2 console. Key details include:

• Magnetic Attachment: The Joy-Cons magnetically attach to the console via magnets embedded in a recess on the console body.
• Detachment Mechanism: Two buttons, positioned longitudinally on the top of the Joy-Con, must be pressed simultaneously for detachment. These buttons are themselves magnetically attracted to magnets within the console recess.
• Mouse Functionality: Illustrations within the patent depict the Joy-Cons used as a computer mouse. Holding the controller rail-side down, the R1 and R2 buttons function as left and right mouse clicks, respectively, with joystick movements potentially providing scrolling functionality. The patents even showcase both dual-mouse and single-mouse (one Joy-Con as mouse, the other as a standard controller) configurations.

The magnetic attachment was an early leak, but the mouse function is a more recent revelation, albeit subtly hinted at in a January teaser showing Joy-Cons gliding across a surface.

Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Con patent includes illustrations for the mouse functionality. More images in the link https://t.co/13ZNQtOMqF pic.twitter.com/ey3ufRUWZE

— Wario64 (@Wario64) February 6, 2025

For a comprehensive overview of known Switch 2 features, see our detailed analysis. Nintendo's planned Nintendo Switch 2 Direct on April 2, 2025, promises official confirmation of these and other details.