Civilization 7 Dev Firaxis Remains Coy on Nintendo Switch 2 ‘Mouse’ Joy-Con

The recent Nintendo Switch 2 reveal sparked excitement, particularly with a glimpse of what appears to be a "mouse" mode for the Joy-Cons. The trailer shows detached Joy-Cons sliding across a surface, mimicking mouse movements. Close inspection reveals a possible slider pad on a connector, adding weight to this theory. Pre-reveal rumors suggested this functionality, attributing it to an internal sensor similar to those in computer mice. However, Nintendo remains officially silent on this feature and its implications.

Nintendo Switch 2 - First Look

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The reveal immediately brought to mind *Civilization VII*, already confirmed for the original Switch and expected to be backward compatible with the Switch 2. The question is: will a dedicated Switch 2 version leverage the potential mouse functionality? In a recent interview with IGN, *Civilization VII* executive producer Dennis Shirk offered a suggestive response, stating, “It is definitely intriguing…You always do some trade-offs when you have to deal with pure console controls. And the announcement has some great stuff in it. I love what they're doing with the controllers. It's all very cool. That's about all I can say about it in terms of an opinion. I think it looks awesome and they're not wrong, so it would be cool for something like that.”

While Firaxis itself won't announce a dedicated Switch 2 version (that's 2K Games' domain), the April Switch 2 Direct might shed light on this. Despite the uncertainty surrounding mouse support and the new Joy-Con button, we know the Switch 2 is slated for a 2025 release (likely June-September), and a new *Mario Kart* is in the works. For more on the Nintendo Switch 2, check out our comprehensive coverage.