Exciting news: the Nintendo Switch 2 will support USB mice in at least one game, as revealed by a developer commentary from Koei Tecmo for the upcoming Nobunaga’s Ambition: Awakening Complete Edition. This development is a relief for those of us who started feeling wrist strain when watching videos of players awkwardly balancing a Joy-Con 2 controller on its side for mouse mode.
During a demonstration of the game utilizing the Joy-Con 2 as a mouse, producer Michi Ryu plugged in a USB mouse. The Switch 2 acknowledged the connection with a message, allowing him to switch between using the mouse and his left Joy-Con 2 seamlessly—similar to how players can toggle between gyro and mouse control in Metroid Prime 4: Beyond.
As noted by VideoGamesChronicle, the original Switch supported mouse and keyboard input, but only a handful of games, such as the Nightdive-developed Turok port, made use of this feature. If you have that game and haven’t noticed the “Mouse” option in its input settings, plug in a USB mouse and keyboard to experience a new way to play—you might not want to go back!
This time around, Nintendo is leaning into mouse support more significantly. Earlier this month, they shared a video on the Nintendo Today app illustrating how placing a Joy-Con 2 on its edge activates a mouse mode, complete with an on-screen pointer for easier navigation through the system’s menu.
Does the video featuring Nobunaga’s Ambition imply that a standard mouse can be used interchangeably with a Joy-Con 2 wherever mouse control is available? I certainly hope so, but as of now, we don’t have confirmation. Nintendo has not yet responded to The Verge‘s inquiry regarding this matter.
