Switch 2 mouse mode (such potential) (www.techradar.com)
from lydon_feen@lemm.ee to games@lemmy.world on 02 Apr 21:16
https://lemm.ee/post/60206762

With the official reveal of the mouse mode for the Switch 2’s controllers there is the potential for so many classic games to flood the console.

Imagine what it could do with graphical adventure games, RTS games, management sims, etc.

We already know CIV VII will use the mouse, and I just hope this is just the beginning for a whole range of traditionally non-console games to finally make it to the platform.

#games

threaded - newest

Darkcoffee@sh.itjust.works on 02 Apr 21:25 next collapse

I mean… A gaming mouse is probably cheaper than the controller alone lol

lydon_feen@lemm.ee on 02 Apr 21:37 next collapse

But that’s an alternative, and the games obviously aren’t made with that in mind.

This is an integral part of the system and obviously games would specifically work with it.

It’s a small game changer (IMO).

Viri4thus@feddit.org on 02 Apr 22:09 collapse

It apes what lenovo already did and will be equally janky if not worse. At least it comes bundled with the console, but, meh.

Darkcoffee@sh.itjust.works on 03 Apr 12:12 collapse

Meh is my reaction, mostly if the games are $80 USD.

Viri4thus@feddit.org on 03 Apr 13:10 collapse

Predicted to hit 90$. That is batshit insane.

Darkcoffee@sh.itjust.works on 03 Apr 13:24 collapse

And I’m Canadian, so it’s already almost $105… We’re talking $120 if it goes to 90 USD. Noooo thanks.

SkunkWorkz@lemmy.world on 02 Apr 22:45 collapse

But that controller comes with the console.

kratoz29@lemm.ee on 03 Apr 03:56 collapse

I swear people (not you) comments just because lol.

We get it boys, Nintendo doesn’t do anything right.

Skyline969@lemmy.ca on 02 Apr 21:26 next collapse

Could be useful for RimWorld. Factorio maybe.

lydon_feen@lemm.ee on 02 Apr 21:37 next collapse

Oh absolutely

warm@kbin.earth on 03 Apr 01:03 collapse

At that point they might as well let you plug in a mouse to the console and then you might as well just buy a Steam Deck anyway.

NuXCOM_90Percent@lemmy.zip on 02 Apr 21:43 next collapse

Eh?

Conceptually I like the idea.

But even if it isn’t uncomfortable to use and has decent DPI? It is going to have the same problem the OG steam controller or even the PS5 adaptive triggers have. If only one platform is going to use an input type then it is not going to be used by any third parties.

Yes, in this case it is two platforms: Switch and PC. But the number of developers who will say “I can make a switch port and only a switch port of my game” are few and far between. They’ll once again focus on how to make gamepad work because that gives them ALL the consoles, the Steam Deck, and even helps us olds with RSI.

lydon_feen@lemm.ee on 02 Apr 21:58 collapse

First, if they already have a PC port your point is moot. They would still need to make a controller version for the Xbox and PS5, but the switch can use both.

Secondly, some games are simply not released on consoles because it simply doesn’t translate well without a mouse, like RTS games, for example.

NuXCOM_90Percent@lemmy.zip on 02 Apr 22:09 collapse

You DO realize that a port is not just as simple as picking the dropdown in your editor to compile for switch versus xbox versus PC, right?

There is a substantial amount of effort to do any kind of port. And for one where the default experience is a 1080p handheld display? The kinds of games that only have M+KB support (because people are also forgetting the “KB” part…) are not the ones that run the best on tiny screens. And where the default use case is having both joycons still connected to the device.

Don’t get me wrong. There are definitely corner cases. But we literally went through this with the Steam Controller a decade or so ago (15 years?). Consoles are a giant part of the market and targeting xinput gets you an interface that works on all of those AND improves the experience for a lot of users on PC. Versus finding a way to downscale your input to just a mouse and 8-10 buttons?

The number of third parties that meaningfully benefit from the switch-mouse are going to be very small. And most, if not all, of them will also have gamepad support for people who don’t want to have to sit at at a table with a surface that is compatible with said switch mouse.


OH! If studios were really going to specifically target switch ports for RTSes and Grand Strategy games, we would have seen a lot more that took advantage of the motion controls of the Switch 1. That shit was wild.

LodeMike@lemmy.today on 02 Apr 21:49 next collapse

Glad to know that Nintendo admits PCs are the best way to game lol.

kratoz29@lemm.ee on 03 Apr 03:55 collapse

Do you think that? I just think their approach is not getting inventive with games that are better suited for mouse gaming, because I can tell playing those games with traditional controllers seems like a chore.

LodeMike@lemmy.today on 03 Apr 04:12 collapse

With a PC you get both

kratoz29@lemm.ee on 03 Apr 04:19 collapse

Well, PC ain’t a handheld, unless you add streaming (local or externally) or a dedicated machine like the Steam Deck to the equation, that would definitely be something about the 450 bucks Nintey asks.

LodeMike@lemmy.today on 03 Apr 04:22 collapse

PC = personal computer

acosmichippo@lemmy.world on 02 Apr 21:57 next collapse

i can’t imagine that will be comfortable to use for any significant amount of time.

lydon_feen@lemm.ee on 02 Apr 22:01 collapse

Sure, that’s a valid point. But in this case there can be actual mice for the Switch 2 because the games Will support mouse mode.

acosmichippo@lemmy.world on 02 Apr 23:03 collapse

does it support keyboards as well? or how else do you control WASD etc?

magic_lobster_party@fedia.io on 02 Apr 23:14 collapse

Left joycon for movement. Right joycon for mouse.

HelluvaKick@lemmy.world on 02 Apr 22:14 next collapse

Metroid Prime 4 with mouse controls is gonna go so hard

kratoz29@lemm.ee on 03 Apr 03:58 collapse

I want my Metroid Prime Hunters online (I still hop there with Wiimmfi)… Not everything must be Splatoon :/

Beacon@fedia.io on 02 Apr 22:35 next collapse

If you make a game that requires mouse control, then you can't play it when you're away from a desk.

But-

If you make a game that works well with either joycon or mouse, then no one will use the mouse.

VindictiveJudge@lemmy.world on 02 Apr 22:48 next collapse

Turn based tactics or 4x games would absolutely benefit from both, and the touch screen. Being able to play Fire Emblem with any of the three depending on what’s comfortable at the time would be wonderful.

Abnorc@lemm.ee on 02 Apr 23:21 next collapse

I doubt that no one will use it. If you make a good input method that works with a decent variety of games, some will switch to it. Perhaps Nintendo could even sell some sort of tray/mousepad that lets you use the mouse decently well while sitting on the couch. It seems odd, but I think it has potential.

LiveLM@lemmy.zip on 02 Apr 23:23 next collapse

Not exactly?
If they make it work nicely on surfaces that aren’t perfectly straight, you could use it while playing on the couch.
Would be particularly amazing if games support switching between modes instantly, so you could for example be playing a game, open your inventory, slap your joycon on the couch to organize your stuff w/ mouse mode, close your inventory and pick it up resuming play in joycon mode 🤯

Paradox@lemdro.id on 02 Apr 23:50 next collapse

People use mouse on Xbox. There will always be some

catloaf@lemm.ee on 03 Apr 00:18 collapse

From the article:

Though the livestream demonstrated the Joy-Con 2’s mouse function on flat surfaces, a press release shared by Nintendo to Business Wire confirms that sliding the Joy-Con 2 controllers over a pair of pants will also work.

sp3tr4l@lemmy.zip on 02 Apr 23:18 next collapse

So… its $50 more than an LCD, 256 GB Steam Deck (the Switch 2 is also LCD).

A Deck has two touchpads that work as mice.

And you can buy a real mouse with those $50 bucks you saved.

Oh right and it has a bigger screen, can run almost every modern to ancient PC game, and basically every retro game if you can handle an EmuDeck or RetroDeck guided installer, oh and it also just is a computer that does everything a mid tier linux laptop can do.

It can even run Switch games, and probably will be able to run Switch 2 games in… what, 2 years? 3 years?

I’m really not trying to rain on the parade here, but uh… yeah I do not understand the cost benefit analysis on a Switch 2 vs a Deck unless:

You really, really want to play Switch 2 games soon

OR

The Switch 2 somehow has vastly superior performance to a Steam Deck

… I kinda doubt that last one being the case, but the specs aren’t out yet (afaik) so I guess it is possible.

EDIT: Ok, so uh… tariffs just happened.

Switch 2 may now be $600.

www.tweaktown.com/news/104409/…/index.html

Preorders have been delayed.

Steam Decks are manufactured in Taiwan… so they’ll likely jump in price too… but that could possibly be delayed for at least a bit…

I think Valve has warehouses in the US full of them, and they are also a private company with absurdly deep pockets, and thus don’t have the ‘maximize shareholder profit in current/next quarter’ mandate… so they may be able to keep their costs to consumers from raising, by just internally subsidizing them…

But I really have no idea.

SolidShake@lemmy.world on 03 Apr 00:13 next collapse

How well is yuzu on the steam deck to run Zelda games?

iturnedintoanewt@lemm.ee on 03 Apr 01:10 collapse

Not… Great. You don’t reach 30fps often. At least, last time i tried a few months ago.

SolidShake@lemmy.world on 03 Apr 02:37 collapse

that is what my guess would be. 2-25 average. comparing a steamdeck to a switch and touting emulation for the switch is wild because the steam deck isn’t that powerful

catloaf@lemm.ee on 03 Apr 00:13 next collapse

You really, really want to play Switch 2 games soon

Or without having to learn to emulate. Or play coop/multiplayer with the joycons.

CosmoNova@lemmy.world on 03 Apr 07:03 collapse

To be fair, there is no guarantee you‘ll be able to emulate Switch 2 games as soon and easily as Switch games. You just might, but we really don‘t know for sure.

lowleveldata@programming.dev on 03 Apr 00:17 next collapse

The biggest feature of a game console is always the games. So ya, buy it if you think the games are worth it.

dustyData@lemmy.world on 03 Apr 00:43 next collapse

$90 per game. That’s an instant deal breaker.

RonnieB@lemmy.world on 03 Apr 02:03 next collapse

With the added bonus of Nintendo’s notoriously infrequent and shitty sales

sp3tr4l@lemmy.zip on 03 Apr 02:15 next collapse

wait wait wait.

Fucking… what?

… Are they trying to preempt the expected ‘GTA 6 MSRPs for $120, base edition and breaks all video game pricing’ thing?

I’m seeing $80 for Mario Kart World.

puts on eyepatch and peg leg

dustyData@lemmy.world on 03 Apr 03:50 collapse

$80 digital. $90 physical. With the added spite that the “physical” copy is just a cartridge that loads a code for the game download. It’s just a $10 plastic box with an SD card with a download code inside.

CosmoNova@lemmy.world on 03 Apr 07:01 collapse

It‘s interesting they abandoned physical media completely and nobody is talking about it. This makes them a direct competitor to Steam and well… let‘s just say I don‘t see 90% discounts in the Nintendo shop any time soon.

Kelly@programming.dev on 03 Apr 10:04 next collapse

I don‘t see 90% discounts in the Nintendo shop

Not 1st party sure, but there is a weekly deal cycle where 3rd party publishers compete to stand out.

https://www.dekudeals.com/games?filter[critic_score]=70&filter[platform]=switch&filter[format]=digital&filter[discount]=discounted

CosmoNova@lemmy.world on 03 Apr 12:09 collapse

That’s something at least. Now Nintendo needs to actually advertise their shop and those deals instead of yet another wave of retro ports.

Though it’s probably worth mentioning I’m not going to buy a Switch 2 anyway. I’m more of an observer from the PC gaming sidelines.

aesthelete@lemmy.world on 03 Apr 15:04 collapse

Nintendo shop regularly runs deals similar to Steam. Usually at around the same times of year. Same with PlayStation. I run games on all three platforms. You have to be kind of a sucker these days to buy a game at full price when it’s first released. But none of what I said makes $80 games reasonably priced.

CosmoNova@lemmy.world on 03 Apr 06:57 next collapse

Plus the Switch barely had any exclusive games. For a Nintendo console anyway. Perhaps that‘s something Nintendo is working on now, but I doubt it can compete with PC games in terms of bang you get for your buck. There‘s just no way.

tauren@lemm.ee on 03 Apr 12:08 collapse

Yeah… I was thinking about getting my first Nintendo console, but these prices are ridiculous even if it’s “only” $80 for a digital game.

SynopsisTantilize@lemm.ee on 03 Apr 17:09 collapse

Bro, Mario 64 is the same game as Mario Sunshine is the same game as Mario galaxy is the same game as Mario Odyssey. Just get a cheaper console. Done.

[deleted] on 03 Apr 01:20 next collapse

.

tkohldesac@lemmy.world on 03 Apr 02:24 next collapse

I agree with everything except #5. If you want to play couch multiplayer for the switch with two people you’re set with the tiny joycons. If you want any comfort playing those games you’re investing in at LEAST as many controllers as you have couch players and the same can be said about the deck. But the Deck has options and years of hardware options that are far more inexpensive than the $90 joycons or $80 pro controllers at launch. Given time I’m sure there may be options for the S2 but I think the Deck has far more inexpensive options for multiplayer.

That said, the deck dock is expensive so maybe my argument is entirely moot.

[deleted] on 03 Apr 02:47 next collapse

.

sp3tr4l@lemmy.zip on 03 Apr 03:36 next collapse

The offical dock is $80, but you can get the Baseus Dock for between $30 and $40.

Firipu@startrek.website on 03 Apr 12:00 collapse

A 10usd Chinese knockoff Bluetooth controller works well enough for multi-player. The true little brother experience is to play with the shitty controller.

For the steam deck, you’d have to buy 2 controllers (potentially both shitty), so the benefit for the switch is still there.

Kbobabob@lemmy.world on 03 Apr 15:45 collapse

So buy 2 $10 controllers for the steam deck and still save money since the switch costs $50 more to begin with.

sp3tr4l@lemmy.zip on 03 Apr 03:30 next collapse

Point by point:

1: I mean, I guess? I do not even have a mouse myself right now… but if I needed just a cheapo one for basic use… you can get something functional for $20 or under, a basic mouse you’d get for a work laptop type thing.

2: People have all kinds of ‘unusual’ Deck set ups.

The mouse dongle you just mentioned wouldn’t… really make that much sense, as … you can just hold it… and use the touch pads… or the touch sensitive screen itself…

But its actually not uncommon for people to dock their deck, sync it to a controller or M+K, and then stream it to a smart tv, or a dumb one via a dongle or direct connection to the dock. No, you’re not gonna get true 4k on any non retro game, but a good number of people do something like this.

3: … As compared to…? Your minimum 3x more expensive PC you can upgrade with even more money? Another console/handheld you… can’t upgrade?

Unless the Switch 2 can play Cyberpunk 2077 at better than 45 fps, with graphics basically medium/high, I don’t see how the Deck is ‘showing its age’ compared to other similarly priced handhelds.

Decky FrameGen is pretty neat. I think I managed to tweak mine up to an avg of almost 55 on the benchmark, and thats without mucking around in CET to squeeze out even more.

4: I absolutely understand buying a Switch 2 is your best option if you want a very straightforward, doubleplus legal, and expensive way to play Switch 2 games.

Like, if you’re super dedicated to current era Nintendo games, sure, fine, yep, get a Switch 2.

But if you just like games in general…

5: Pretty much yeah, I agree. Its possible to get it working with a Deck, but its gonna be a lot more hassle, and you’ll need peripherals, yep.

Kolanaki@pawb.social on 03 Apr 03:37 collapse

Mice are cheap. Even Bluetooth ones, which wouldn’t need a dock or dongle to be used with the deck.

[deleted] on 03 Apr 03:40 collapse

.

fuckwit_mcbumcrumble@lemmy.dbzer0.com on 03 Apr 01:43 next collapse

A Deck has two touchpads that work as mice.

And they suck trying to use them for an FPS.

koncertejo@lemmy.ml on 03 Apr 02:12 next collapse

The Switch 2 footage of Elden Ring did look better than what I can get out of my Steam Deck. I wouldn’t be surprised if it has a performance advantage (perhaps thanks to native DLSS and frame generation) for the next year or two.

CosmoNova@lemmy.world on 03 Apr 07:05 next collapse

I mean with those price tags you expect games to look better. Anything else would be ridiculous.

sp3tr4l@lemmy.zip on 03 Apr 17:51 collapse

I suggest you check out Decky FrameGen.

The technicals are … very complex, but the upshot is: It basically injects FrameScaling/FrameGen modes into games that don’t officially support them on AMD hardware.

So… I’ve done this with CP2077, and if I understand this right, basically it injects FSR3, but under the DLSS settings under the game’s options menu… and it works better than the game’s current officially supported FSR 2 for the Deck.

Elden Ring may also be able to benefit from it.

cyberpunk007@lemmy.ca on 03 Apr 03:39 next collapse

In my local pricing, my 512GB LCD deck was almost 300$ cheaper than the switch 2 lol.

Firipu@startrek.website on 03 Apr 11:57 collapse

From my 12y old kids perspective:

The switch 2 plays fortnite and Mario kart. The steamdeck doesn’t.

There is no difficult choice for him.

He doesn’t give a fuck about anything else. Neither do his friends.

HiddenLychee@lemmy.world on 03 Apr 14:06 next collapse

Yeah I think Lemmy often forgets that kids exist and are the target audience for Nintendo games. I say good for them, it might be hella expensive but at least Nintendo appears to be providing a “safe” place for kids to use the internet. There’s really nothing for kids anymore these days other than getting an eating disorder on tiktok.

HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world on 03 Apr 19:06 collapse

We got the nieces and nephews 3DSes, my brother sideloaded some emulators on them and it has been the best

sp3tr4l@lemmy.zip on 03 Apr 14:19 next collapse

Yep, I already said the Switch 2 makes sense if all you care about is playing Switch 2 games.

I am not trying to aruge that the Deck is just hands down, inherently superior in all cases, for everyone.

I hope there’s a way for you to put parental controls on your 12 yo’s Fortnite account’s ability to buy microtransactions, and that you have enough time to teach them how to identify and disregard all the dark patterns in the game that encourage irresponsible spending habits, as well as resist all the social peer pressure that comes with an MTX heavy game.

SynopsisTantilize@lemm.ee on 03 Apr 17:02 next collapse

Problem is, the steam deck plays both of those things. Steam deck just needs windows for fartnight

Jestzer@lemmy.world on 03 Apr 17:06 collapse

It’s not just 12 year old kids either; this is how most people in the console market make their decisions. They prioritize the availability of games on the console over the hardware’s specifications and operating system.

Zoomboingding@lemmy.world on 03 Apr 19:52 collapse

Yup. I want to play Prime 4 and DK Bananza at some point. I don’t need to play them day 1, but I’ll want to play them eventually. And I’ll want to play the inevitable Pikmin 5 and Smash Bros 6.

LiveLM@lemmy.zip on 02 Apr 23:20 next collapse

That looks much less comfortable than the way the Lenovo Legion handles it.

…also the pessimist in me is afraid this will result in less games with gyro aiming support…

theneverfox@pawb.social on 03 Apr 06:54 collapse

I mean…gyro support is such a niche thing. The PS3 controller introduced gyro support - what used it? There’s examples, but not many, because most games are made to be multi platform, and programming in gyro controls is a lot harder than most other controls

Nintendo is an exception because they have a lot of exclusives - gyro support is a lot more appealing to implement if all of the devices have it, plus they probably encouraged it

I wouldn’t worry about it too much, the incentive for exclusives to have it remains, this is a tool for porting to the switch and exploring new control schemes more than anything else

SolidShake@lemmy.world on 03 Apr 00:12 next collapse

The Legion did this and it was stupid. This is just a gimmick at best.

hark@lemmy.world on 03 Apr 03:28 next collapse

I was surprised to see that both left and right joycons have the mouse functionality. Was cool to see it in action with the wheelchair basketball game.

SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone on 03 Apr 03:50 next collapse

Two words: Mario Paint

HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world on 03 Apr 19:04 collapse

Awww yisssss

Vipsu@lemmy.world on 03 Apr 10:21 next collapse

It’s a funny gimmick but all the competitors already have support mouse and keyboard. You can also use them in some games like Sims 4 or Cities: Skylines.

But guess this mouse mode could also encourage 3rd party developers to add mouse and keyboard support for their games on consoles.

AceFuzzLord@lemm.ee on 03 Apr 14:42 next collapse

I can’t wait for it to be a thing that only a small handful of actually good 3rd party titles use that feature and the rest are gonna be 1st party titles shoehorning it in to say “Look at our fancy new feature we swear nobody has ever done before! Trust me!”.

jacksilver@lemmy.world on 03 Apr 17:52 next collapse

Just like the camera!

lydon_feen@lemm.ee on 03 Apr 18:05 collapse

I can absolutely see it happen.

arakhis_@feddit.org on 03 Apr 14:45 next collapse

Am I the only one thinking that a huge chunk of the initial audience are Nintendo adults who already have a pc for main games and a switch on the side?

Feels like this gimmick (although every new Nintendo console gets one) was so forced just to upsell a switch 1 and justify splitting the community with exclusive releases. Really sad to see mk world not playable with a player base on switch 1. Most next gen were happily bought enough with a reasoning in increasing hardware (which the switch 2 really also does well).

Just the predatory move of splitting or even passively force the playerbase to leave behind the switch 1, makes the mouse sensor so MEH… I mean… lackluster in my eyes. Idk

SynopsisTantilize@lemm.ee on 03 Apr 16:59 collapse

Sure but the switch is 10 year old hardware. You know what else was released at that time? The iPhone 6s…do you currently use an iPhone 6s?

arakhis_@feddit.org on 03 Apr 17:10 collapse

yes lol. I also have a 4070ti though

EDIT: I have no clue where this could be a relevant argument

SynopsisTantilize@lemm.ee on 03 Apr 17:50 collapse

Yea I use a 2080ti and currently am playing FTL (2012) I have no room to talk lol

O_R_I_O_N@lemm.ee on 03 Apr 14:59 next collapse

Lol

vane@lemmy.world on 04 Apr 00:31 next collapse

RIP floors and tables.

Hazelnutcookiez@lemmy.blahaj.zone on 04 Apr 01:20 collapse

I’m pretty excited for this feature honestly, I know a lot of games won’t use it but still it’s gonna be fun.