Nintendo Switch 2 Might Be Losing One Iconic Element, & New Joy-Cons Are To Blame

Summary The Switch 2 might lose the iconic Joy-Con click, with magnets as a rumored replacement.

Challenges include ensuring stability on the go and possible loss of backward Joy-Con compatibility.

The Nintendo Switch 2 is likely going to have a larger screen that will necessitate new Joy-Cons regardless.

Based on rumors so far, the Nintendo Switch 2 seems to be mostly focused on keeping what people love about the Switch and improving on it, but a new report indicates that one iconic element of the system could be going away with its successor. The long wait for news on the console has been full of ups and downs, dating back to the time when a Switch Pro was expected before a new system entirely. More recently, a presumed 2024 date seemed to slip out the window in favor of a 2025 release, making the wait even longer.

On most counts, it looks like the Nintendo Switch 2 could very well be worth the wait. A hardware upgrade and the addition of Nvidia DLSS upscaling seem to offer the console the possibility to run significantly more demanding titles, which could make for more competitive multi-platform releases. Although it looks like Xbox and PlayStation may also be dipping their toes into hybrid options next generation, Nintendo's extraordinary track record for exclusives should remain a major draw that will be hard to properly compete with.

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The Nintendo Switch 2 Might Not Have The Joy-Con Click

Magnets Could Replace A Key Piece Of Switch Branding

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As reported by VG247, the latest news about the Nintendo Switch 2 comes from the Spanish-language site Vandal, which claims to have picked up some information about the upcoming system at a trade fair involving manufacturers working on Switch 2 peripherals. According to these manufacturers, the rail-based system of Joy-Con attachment is going out the window on the Switch 2. In its place will be a magnetic solution, a process that could be even quicker and easier than the already efficient solution that the original Switch uses.

If the Nintendo Switch 2 really is using magnets, however, it's going to miss out on a huge part of the Nintendo Switch's iconography. The satisfying click that happens when the Joy-Cons lock into place after sliding on played a huge part in the console's marketing, and most people will probably imagine the sound in their head when seeing even a still image of the logo. It helped emphasize the sense of clean design that was sorely needed after the awkwardness of the Wii U, calling back to the simplicity that Nintendo previously mastered with the DS Lite and Wii.

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The Nintendo Switch 2 doesn't have to shoulder the same uphill battle with brand recovery this time, and it should be easy to transition the Switch's momentum into a direct successor. Even so, it would be sad to see the click go, and it's hard to imagine what sonic element could reasonably replace it. The click might very well stick around in the context of the logo even if the physical inspiration is gone, or it could be modified to more closely resemble whatever sound the magnets end up making, which might not be too terribly far off.

Making Magnets Stable Is A Switch 2 Challenge

The Switch 2 Needs To be Secure On The Go

Custom Image by Katarina Cimbaljevic.

There's obviously a mechanical challenge in changing the design as well, as the original lock-in-place system was clearly designed to ensure maximum stability. The Switch 2's hybrid quality means that it needs to be durable on the go, especially in the hands of children who might not treat it with the utmost delicacy.

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Meeting the same standards with magnets seems like a difficult task, although there's no way that Nintendo hasn't put the system under rigorous testing to ensure that the solution is adequate. There's also a possibility that either Vandal or the assemblage of manufacturers that the outlet spoke to is misreporting the removal of the rails, and the magnet is simply replacing the snap mechanism while the slide function is maintained. Fully embracing magnets as the only point of connection could make for a satisfyingly easy arrangement if done well, however, so it's definitely an idea with potential.

The Switch 2 May Not Work With Original Joy-Cons

Complete Backward Compatibility Is A Pipe Dream

The other side effect of the switch to magnets is that backward compatibility with the Switch's Joy-Cons will presumably be affected, but this might have been the case even if the old system was kept in place. The new report also mentions that the system will be somewhere in between the size of the original Switch and the larger Steam Deck, which tracks with earlier indications of an 8-inch display. This is larger than the 7.2-inch screen of the Steam Deck, but it's presumably accompanied by an overall sleeker design that employs less bulk elsewhere.

A larger screen would mean new Joy-Cons need to be a bit bigger to accommodate. The OLED Switch model expanded the screen size a bit while maintaining the overall form, but there isn't enough room left to bump up to an 8-inch screen, even when further minimizing bezels. Even if the Switch 2 stuck to a rail mechanism, it would be longer and possibly wider than before, leaving older Joy-Cons out of the picture.

Joy-Con analog stick drift has been a blight on the Switch's generally excellent hardware, so the Switch 2 also needs to take the opportunity to build more durable successors.

Although controller backward compatibility is always nice, it's not a bad thing to not be overly beholden to it. The Wii U's compatibility with Wiimotes leveraged one of the most popular controller designs of all time, but the need for games to simultaneously accommodate the vastly different gamepad and Wiimote experiences had plenty of repercussions. The Switch 2 should still support the Switch Pro Controller and possibly detached Joy-Cons, so the lack of a way to attach them isn't the end of the world.

If the reports of a magnet system for Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Cons do end up being accurate, it's still too early to say exactly how this will look in practice. It's definitely a neat concept, and it's nice to see Nintendo still trying new things when the company already has a winning formula on hand. All the same, the click helped define the Nintendo Switch era, and if it's on its way out, it deserves a small moment of mourning before it goes.

Sources: VG247, Vandal