Switch 2 supports USB mouse controls, developer reveals

Nintendo Switch 2 supports USB mouse controls, a launch game developer has confirmed.

Koei Tecmo posted a video on Thursday showing gameplay footage of the Switch 2 version of strategy game Nobunaga’s Ambition: Awakening Complete Edition.

In the video, producer Michi Ryu demonstrated the game in action, using the right Joy-Con 2’s  mouse controls to control an on-screen cursor.

Ryu pressed the SL button on the side of one Joy-Con 2, at which point a message on the screen indicated that the controller was now in mouse mode. By pressing it again, the Joy-Con 2 switched back to controller mode.

“The functionality is the same as the already released Steam version, allowing for left click, right click and wheel operations,” he explained, showing that moving the Joy-Con’s analogue stick up and down in mouse mode has the same functionality as moving a scroll wheel up and down.

Ryu explained that while using the right Joy-Con 2 for mouse controls, he can also use the left Joy-Con 2 for various shortcuts, such as speeding up and slowing down time, or moving to different castles. “For those who get used to it, operating via these shortcuts can make the game flow more smoothly,” he explained.

He then plugged in a standard USB mouse, confirming that these can also be used with Switch 2 hardware. When the mouse is plugged in, a message on the screen shows that the mouse is connected and takes priority over the Joy-Con 2’s mouse controls.

Ryu then showed that it was possible to use the USB mouse with the right hand, but continue to use the left Joy-Con 2 with the left hand, meaning all the controller shortcuts are still available even when using a standard mouse.

USB keyboards and mice can also be plugged into the original Switch, but because not many Switch games feature keyboard or mouse support their use is limited. Because Switch 2 includes mouse controls built into the Joy-Con 2, the number of games that support mouse controls – and therefore a USB mouse – is likely to be significantly higher.

VGC’s Chris Scullion recently wrote an opinion piece on the Switch 2’s mouse controls, suggesting that although they were perfectly accurate and intuitive, the fact the Joy-Con 2 controllers are much smaller than a standard mouse means it could prove uncomfortable over longer periods, especially for players with larger hands.

“I can’t help feeling like there’s money on the table waiting for either Nintendo or a third-party peripheral manufacturer to come up with something that will make the set-up more comfortable for players who plan on playing certain games with mouse controls for extended periods of time,” the article says. “I can’t imagine playing Civilization 7 for hours on end with my hand like a claw and not suffering for it the next day.”

The confirmation that Switch 2 supports USB mice will likely go some way to addressing this issue, although some Switch 2 games have more advanced mouse functionality which may not support a standard mouse.

For example, Metroid Prime 4 still requires the use of the right Joy-Con 2’s various buttons while it’s in mouse mode, while some of Super Mario Party Jamboree: Switch 2 Edition’s new mouse-based mini-games make use of the Joy-Con’s HD rumble at the same time, something a standard mouse can’t provide.