Both controllers have optical sensors (visible in the trailer), confirming the rumors that they'll have mouse like functionality. Remains to be seen if games will actually bother to implement it or if it'll remain a curiosity that only a handful of titles support.

For action games doesn't look like a good option. But i think it will be used if it works well on any surface.

Probably there will be a resurgence of point and click adventure games pushed by the new mouse functionality (or even republish some old sierra/lucas arts stuff with mouse support).

Also may be useful for pc ports like simcity clones and strategy games (i could use that in civ).

Some propietary nintendo stuff will use it like mario maker or wario ware, some zelda dungeon probably will have a gimmick around it. And also some small indy third party stuff, like i don't know, mini motorways, things like that, will be built arround it.

It could be nice for FPS.

The current motion controls for the pro controller work well, but a mouse + single hand controller setting could work as well.

It would be great if games implemented it for aiming, but I am not sure that they will for sure. Given how few third party developers add a gyro-aiming option when they release a game on the console when most first party games have it in some way.

It will make for an interesting dynamic for games with cross-play with other consoles where implemented though.

We could hope that Nintendo exposes a mouse like interface when it's in mouse mode, which could help a lot for adoption for cross platform third-parties.

Dealing with Switch specific gyro info, sometimes coming from two sources sometimes from one must have been a PITA, especially for games using a cross platform engine.

I'm hoping for an RTS comeback.

that would be cool.

I would like the command & conquer/red alert remaster on switch.

Maybe Microsoft releases aoe2 since they are open to release games on other platforms now?

All it does it confirm that they have something there. The Wii used a sensor to detect where it was pointing, the Switch had an IR camera for a variety of weird gimmicks, the NES and SNES had light-detecting "guns". Hell, it could even be an IR blaster like the Wii U Gamepad had, and not a sensor at all. We just don't know yet.

The trailer shows the joycons sliding on that side with an additional attachment (see: 1:10). It seemed pretty obvious they were trying to hint at some kind of mouse-like optical tracking on a flat surface.

https://youtu.be/itpcsQQvgAQ?t=70

That could well be what those are, but to me they just looked like the wrist-straps, like the original Switch has. https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/joy-con-strap-gra...

They're both.

> confirming the rumors that they'll have mouse like functionality.

The idea of controlling a game with two mice is suddenly interesting to me.

The Steam Deck has two trackpads, tho obviously games don't support them specifically, they get mapped to existing controls

I remember how fun it was to use that in Wii based Metroid Prime games. Hoping they return this feature in creative ways!

RTS and 4x could be way better with the use of a mouse.

It's probably too much to hope for to get more Labo sets, but a guy can dream, can't he?

Forgot all about Labo. The amount of wild experiments Nintendo has shipped is admirable.

Yeah, definitely—it's my favorite thing about the company. Well, maybe second to their consistent level of quality. But seriously—the Labo piano used the IR camera to scan in waveforms to create new instruments. The VR kit had an elephant trunk mask to let you move around parts in a marble run game. Nintendo has a lot of wild experiments, and Labo takes that all to the next level.

And that's not getting into the quality of software for building the kits—way beyond any instructions that Lego has ever put out.

Innovation is their way, but they're still burned a LOT by the Wii U. Now they've managed to find something that works, I think they'll stick with it for at least the Switch 2, maybe the 3 as well.

The Switch wouldn't exist if they hadn't first experimented with that form factor with the Wii U. The innovation and risk of the Wii U paid off for them in the long run.

True, but I think they still wanted the U to actually sell better than it did. It was a case of too much innovation too soon, IMO — having an alternating "evolution/revolution" cycle makes a lot of sense.

Every company wants a product to sell better than it did, but it's pretty obvious that the WiiU didn't meet expectations.

It sold 13m units, but the clearest sign of it not doing "as well as expected" is that they discontinued it as soon as possible as they could once the Switch was out.

From my experience both with "gamers" and "non-gamers" - it was too similar in name for the latter and not exciting enough for the former.

Another sign of it not having done well is that they re-released a bunch of Wii U games on Switch - for example, Mario 3D World and Mario Kart 8.

...there was also the GBA long before the Wii U. Less buttons but same form factor.

The innovation was a handheld console that works on both the TV and the tablet, the GBA is a much different thing.

Wii U seems like it was a useful stepping stone to the Switch.

Looks like the sliding controllers bit means that they will work like a computer mouse.