Nintendo Joy-Con 2 Controllers (L/R)

Hardware Type: Controller

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Review:

The Nintendo Switch 2 is in many ways an extension and expansion of the ideas we saw in the original Nintendo Switch, from the device’s core identity as a hybrid console to the dock to the Joy-Con controllers. And as a result the Joy-Con 2 controllers that come with the Nintendo Switch 2 serve much the same purpose as their predecessors – when attached, they function as built-in controls for the Nintendo Switch 2 while it is played in handheld mode, but once detached the pair of controllers function as a single controller (with or without the Joy-Con Grip to latch onto), or each individual controller can function as a single controller for more simple games, meaning that like the first Nintendo Switch, the Nintendo Switch 2 technically comes with two controllers.

However, as ingenious as this idea is, players eventually grew to see the original Joy-Con controllers as a mixed bag, a concept that’s great in theory, but lousy in execution, with numerous problems. Many would naturally wonder, with the Nintendo Switch 2 seeking to correct issues present in the original Nintendo Switch, would round 2 of the Joy-Cons fix the issues with those controllers as well?

That is of course not even mentioning the new features of these controllers. Most notably, the Joy-Con 2 controllers each have a built-in mouse sensor on their side, allowing players to rotate their controller and place it on a surface (even the knee of their pants as they’re sitting down) and use these controllers as an optical mouse, both in the Nintendo Switch 2’s menus as well as select games.

This function is a marvelous idea, opening up game types that generally skip consoles or release in compromised form, and overall giving players more game options. However, the Joy-Con 2 controllers are fairly slim, and aren’t very comfortable to use as mice. What’s more, games often require players to reach over with their thumb to use the analog stick and face buttons for functions that don’t feel stable when you’re holding controllers like this, making you feel like you have to clutch onto the controller while doing this in a way you never have to do with a mouse.

I suppose I’d still rather have this feature than not, as it means that developers for Nintendo Switch 2 can be assured that every Nintendo Switch 2 owner has a mouse so they’re more likely to add mouse controls. But this is definitely feeling like another case of “great idea, poor execution”.

I should also mention that every pair of Joy-Con 2 controllers comes with a pair of Joy-Con 2 straps. These wrap around the colored ends of the controllers, and while they may seem like they do little more than add straps for when using motion-controlled games, they actually add additional smooth “feet” for using mouse mode, to make for a smoother experience. It’s a nice inclusion, if a bit niche in a way that I suspect most players aren’t likely to use.

Another new feature here is the new method for latching the Joy-Cons onto the Nintendo Switch 2 or Joy-Con Grip – these controllers no longer attach via rails, but instead have metal SL and SR buttons that are magnetically attracted to the main console or grip. This magnetic attraction is surprisingly strong – I can force the Joy-Con 2 controllers off if I pull hard enough, but the amount of force it takes is pretty significant, and I do not see anyone removing these things be accident.

Rather, the Joy-Con 2 controllers detach with a sideways trigger-shaped button in a similar spot to where the release button on the Nintendo Switch 1 Joy-Cons was, on the back of the controllers near the top. These release triggers press out of the controller to push the Joy-Con 2 away from what it is attached to, weakening the magnetic pull and allowing for easy removal of the controller from what it’s attached to.

There is a lot that I love about these. The trigger buttons are bigger in a way that is far, far more comfortable to press than the release buttons on the original Joy-Con controllers, and yet they are positioned in a way that doesn’t seem like you’d accidentally hit them when playing – they’re not hard to reach, but they’re not where your fingers would naturally fall. When detaching from a Nintendo Switch 2, this feels natural and easy. The Joy-Con 2 Grip, not so much, but I think that’s more due to the construction of those grips and how there’s a part that juts out right near those release triggers.

In addition, the way the Nintendo Switch 2 was designed so either controller could attach on either side, and even backwards (albeit without being able to charge when doing this) means there’s no more accidentally putting Switch Joy-Cons on the wrong side and having to get them un-stuck.

The other major new technological enhancement in the Joy-Con 2 controllers is the new HD Rumble 2 feature. You may be tempted to dismiss this – after all, I still can’t say for the life of me which games utilized the HD Rumble feature on the original Joy-Con controllers outside of a few outliers like 1-2 Switch. However, already I’m seeing this feature being put to great use in Nintendo Switch 2’s launch games, with it really making a difference in games like Mario Kart World, Fast Fusion, and Hogwarts Legacy, so there’s reason to hope that this feature will see more frequent use on the Nintendo Switch 2. And even just in terms of sheer power, the higher potential force that HD Rumber 2 can output should enhance this feature’s use in Nintendo Switch games played via backwards-compatibility.

There are other improvements here, though they’re less technological and more simple function – the SL and SR buttons are much, much larger, making them far easier to use. The controllers themselves are larger, and more comfortable to hold in the hands when holding a pair to use as one combined controller. And there’s the new “Chat” button, which… well, I suppose if that’s a function you’re interested in, you’ll be glad to have that handy… and if not, then you’ll grumble every time you accidentally press it when reaching for the home button.

Unfortunately, not every problem of the Nintendo Switch’s Joy-Con controllers was fixed in the transition to Nintendo Switch 2.

The most notable issue here is stick drift – by all reports, the analog stick technology in use in the Joy-Con 2 controllers is very similar to what’s in the original Joy-Con controllers, no Hall effect sticks or TMR sticks, meaning that stick drift is a very real possibility. It is quite simply astounding that Nintendo would risk repeating the greatest controversy of the Nintendo Switch generation in the Nintendo Switch 2 generation, yet here we are. The sticks are a bit bigger this time, and once again feature a convex top with a rim (not my preference).

The Joy-Con 2s’ asymmetrical layout and additional function as individual controllers means that once again there’s no connected D-Pad on the left Joy-Con 2 controller. The buttons are at the very least once again a decent balance between “squishy” and “clicky”, while the L and R buttons are once again clicky, all of which work perfectly fine. The ZL and ZR trigger buttons are also clicky, which… once again means that we have a Nintendo Switch platform not built to support analog triggers. With the Nintendo Switch 2’s “killer app” being a Racing Game, and two other Racing Games launching with the console, this seems like a massive oversight.

Sadly, with the exception of the SL and SR buttons, all of the problems I had with using solo Joy-Cons turned sideways as individual controllers returns here. The offset button and stick placement means that each of the two Joy-Con 2 controllers will require an awkward reach – one for the analog stick, and one for the face buttons. Plus, since they’re not really built for this sort of thing, neither will let you use a D-Pad or even face buttons arranged as a D-Pad when using them in this manner. And since one Joy-Con has the minus and screenshot buttons, and the other has the plus, home, and chat buttons, you won’t be able to use all of the functions of the Nintendo Switch when just using one.

What’s more, the analog sticks are so close to the face buttons they can get in the way when you’re trying to press the up and B buttons, an issue I found both when using these controllers sideways and when using them as a pair.

I suppose I should mention that the right Joy-Con 2 no longer features the original Joy-Con controllers’ infrared port, though this is no great loss, as very few games on Nintendo Switch used it. Having said that all the other functions of the original Joy-Cons return and work just fine – both gyroscopic motion control and Amiibo scanning function properly without complaint, or at least, they work as well as they ever did on the Nintendo Switch.

Another function removed from the Joy-Con 2 controllers that I suspect many didn’t realize the original Joy-Con controllers could do is the ability to sync with Android devices. Yeah, you can do that with the original Joy-Cons and use them to play games on your phone or tablet device – I only just discovered this earlier this year. But the Joy-Con 2 controllers? Nope.

Comparing to other controllers on the market, the Joy-Con 2 controllers lack a turbo button, any sort of macro button, or even the GL and GR custom mappable buttons that are present in the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller, though you can add these by getting the Nintendo Joy-Con 2 Charging Grip (not the standard Grip that comes with the Nintendo Switch 2, though). I mention all of this because for a set of controllers that costs a whopping $95, you would hope that they would have some common features found in much less expensive controllers.

Finally, let’s talk about the superficial. I think it’s fair to say that the Joy-Con 2 controllers look classy compared to the original Joy-Con controllers, with their matte black casing and light blue and salmon highlights. Though that’s another issue – these are the only colors currently available, which may cause some confusion when using them in multiplayer games.

Okay, so after saying all of that, what do I think of the Joy-Con 2 controllers? I think they are certainly improved over the original Joy-Con controllers in multiple ways. In particular, HD Rumble 2 and the new magnetic latching system are both excellent, the new SL and SR buttons are much better, and mouse mode functionality is extremely promising, if somewhat poor in execution.

The problem is, for every great feature here, there’s a disappointment, and many of those disappointments carry over from the original Joy-Cons unchanged. The extreme discomfort of playing with these controllers as solo controllers when turned sideways, the lack of analog triggers, the high price, the lack of some common controller features, and for goodness sakes, the return of analog sticks susceptible to stick drift! As much as I want to applaud Nintendo for everything they did right with the Joy-Con 2 controllers, I feel like I have to take them to task for these sorts of boneheaded, greedy, shortsighted decisions. So while I do think the Joy-Con 2 controllers are better than the original controllers, I can only give them a marginally better grade than I gave the original Joy-Con controllers.

tl;dr – The Joy-Con 2 controllers do for the Nintendo Switch 2 much the same thing that the original Joy-Con 2 controllers did for the original Nintendo Switch, but with some nice upgrades like HD Rumble 2, magnetic latches, improved SL and SR buttons, and the promising new mouse mode. But for every great feature, there’s a massive disappointment, such as once again using sticks capable of stick drift, and once again refusing to use analog triggers. As a result, while this is an improvement, it is in many ways also a massive disappointment.

Grade: C

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