Last week the Switch 2 beacons were lit once again as Spanish outlet Vandal reported to have more information regarding Nintendo’s next hardware, specifically to do with a new, magnetic Joy-Con model.
Another report just days later from the Chinese peripheral manufacturer Mobapad seemed to corroborate this rumour, suggesting that the Joy-Con’s current rail system set-up might be a thing of the past once the next console rolls into town (presumably) in 2025.
One thing that is unclear between the reports, however, is whether our current Joy-Con will still work with the next model. If everything is to go electromagnetic in the future, would we want the option to use our OG ‘Con?
This is something that we have been pondering since the reports surfaced. For the past seven years, the Joy-Con has been both a blessing and a bane — in concept, the ultimate solution for hybrid gaming but, in practice, riddled with connection cutouts, drift disasters, and flimsy fatalities. A part of us had always assumed that whatever the ‘Switch 2’ is, it would likely come with an evolution of the central concept. But now that we’re looking at the Joy-Con we have amassed over the years, we can’t help but think that it would be a shame to shut them away in a drawer once a swanky new model is out there.
On a practical level, Joy-Con ain’t cheap. At around £70 / $80 a pop — and more than a few of us have ‘popped’ several times — anyone out there with multiple models is sitting on an investment. Many of us have taken matters into our own hands to replace drifting analogue sticks, too. If these clicky controllers don’t carry over, then the thought of all that money spent is bound to sting, particularly if Nintendo continues to release spicy new designs this year.
And what about the already massive install base? 139 million Switches sold means that there is bound to be a good number of households already set up for a friendly game of ‘Mario Kart 8 Deluxer,’ ‘Super Duper Smash Bros.,’ or whatever other multiplayer title appears in the next console’s release window. If our Joy-Con aren’t sticking around, then these couch co-op experiences are once again limited to two. Doesn’t sound like a great way to keep those after another ‘everyone can play’ family machine, if you ask us.
But then again, as we said, let’s not pretend that the current Joy-Con is a perfect bit of kit. They’re hand-cramping-ly small for many adults, vast numbers have succumbed to the dreaded drift, and things don’t feel the most secure when playing in handheld mode. In short, if a new and improved model were to debut, we’re likely to lap it up and, if necessary, spend the cash to build up our collections all over again.
Of course, we imagine that we’ll still be playing our ‘Switch 1’ years down the line, so it’s not like a lack of controller backwards compatibility would necessarily be the end for our OG Joy-Con, but it might be nice for them to get a shot at a second lease of life, all the same. The rumour is that the current Pro Controller will be compatible with the new console, so perhaps current Joy-Con will also retain wireless compatibility — you just won’t be able to connect them to the console.
But what do you think? Do you want to keep using your current Joy-Con on the ‘Switch 2’ or would you be happy to move on from the controllers for good? Feel free to fill out the following poll with your answer and then take to the comments to share your thoughts.