The Switch 2’s potential joycon design has leaked, and one feature could lead to a revival of a classic Nintendo franchise.
In early January, photos of what could be the Nintendo Switch 2’s joycon controllers leaked. They ditched the current rail-mounted attachment in favor of a magnetic design, but fans noticed another change.
On the side of the Joycon, there appears to be an optical sensor – like what you would find on the bottom of your favorite gaming mouse – leaving excited fans wondering what features the new hybrid console might have in store.
Fans across social media seem sure that the Switch 2’s controller will have mouse functionalities, but of course, Nintendo hasn’t confirmed anything yet.
If that apparent optical sensor does end up acting as a mouse for the Switch 2, however, it opens up the chance for the revival of an SNES classic.
Switch 2 Joycon design could lead to a new Mario Paint
Released back in the Super Nintendo days, 1992 to be exact, Mario Paint came with a hard plastic mousepad and a mouse accessory that was used to draw pictures on the TV. Since then, though, Nintendo has left the Mario Paint franchise largely untouched.
It was one of the first creative games to launch on a Nintendo console and gave fans the chance to express their creativity through artwork and even music making. There have been plenty of third-party drawing games for the Wii, Switch, and handhelds like the DS and 3DS, but nothing has quite one-upped the Mario-focused franchise.
If the Switch 2 does have an optical sensor that turns one of the joycons into a mouse, it would be the perfect time for Nintendo to revive the more than 30-year-old game.
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How it would work has been a topic of discussion across social media since the leaks first surfaced. Many have mentioned the similarly-designed Lenovo Legion Go, where the magnetic controller can be inserted into a dock and used as a mouse, but it does so by being turned vertically and placed into a dock.
The Switch 2 joycon leak shows the optical sensor on the left side of the controller, however, meaning that side would have to be placed on a table or other surface for it to work.
Twitter/X user Sussybaka posted a now-viral video showing how you would have to hold the controller, and it looks like it would work quite well. The Switch 2 is rumored to be notably bigger than its predecessor, so it should be comfortable for at least a couple of hours.
— SussyBaka (@SussyBaka1337) January 5, 2025
With all the Switch 2 leaks surfacing, fans are growing eager for Nintendo’s formal announcement of the next-gen hybrid device.
When it comes to learning more about its features, software, and overall performance, we’ll have to wait for that reveal to finally happen.
