Firaxis Hints at Nintendo Switch 2 'Mouse' Joy-Con for Civilization 7

If you tuned into the Nintendo Switch 2 reveal video, you might have caught a glimpse of what appears to be a 'mouse' mode for the Joy-Cons. During the trailer, there's a striking moment where a pair of detached Joy-Cons are lowered onto a surface, attachment side down. They connect to a set of connectors with seemingly flat bottoms and then glide across the surface much like a mouse on a mouse pad. A closer look reveals what looks like a slider pad on the bottom of one of the connectors, lending more credence to the mouse mode theory.

Leading up to the reveal, rumors swirled about the possibility of this feature, fueled by speculation about a sensor inside the Joy-Cons similar to those found in computer mice. However, Nintendo has yet to officially confirm or deny these rumors, leaving us in suspense about the potential implications of such a feature.

Nintendo Switch 2 - First Look

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One of the first games that came to mind after the reveal was Firaxis’ Civilization 7. Already confirmed for the original Switch, it’s likely to be compatible with the Switch 2 via backward compatibility. But could there be a tailored version for the Switch 2 that utilizes the new Joy-Con's potential mouse functionality, allowing players to experience Civilization 7 as if using a traditional mouse?

IGN touched on the Switch 2 reveal and the hinted-at mouse functionality in a recent interview with Civilization 7's lead designer Ed Beach and executive producer Dennis Shirk. While Beach stayed silent, Shirk offered a coy response that only added to the speculation.

“It is definitely intriguing,” Shirk teased. “You always face trade-offs with pure console controls. 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 in terms of an opinion. I think it looks awesome and they're not wrong, so it would be cool for something like that.”

Of course, Firaxis isn’t about to announce a Nintendo Switch 2 version of Civilization 7 just yet — that's up to publisher 2K Games. But with a Switch 2 Direct scheduled for April, we might get some clarity soon.

While we remain in the dark about the potential mouse support for the Switch 2 and the purpose of the mysterious new Joy-Con button, we do know that Nintendo's next-gen console is slated for a 2025 release (likely between June and September), and a new Mario Kart is in development for it. You can stay updated on all our Nintendo Switch 2 coverage right here.