Switch 2 with a mouse and 120 FPS? Here’s what we know ahead of Nintendo Direct

Switch 2 Joy-Cons with a mouse feature and more FPS – what can we expect this time? Let’s see what we can uncover before the next Nintendo Direct in April.

Olga Racinowska

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Source: Nintendo of America

The Nintendo Switch is capable of many great things, but let’s be honest, an 8-year-old console is considered pretty outdated by today’s standards. The Switch 2 announcement didn’t reveal much about its hardware, but by taking a closer look at the trailer, we can speculate on its potential power and new features.

New Joy-Con for Swtich 2 design;Source: Patentscope

UPDATE: Nintendo's latest patent for the Switch 2 is published, giving us a better look at how the new controller works. As expected, using Joy-Cons as a mouse looks a bit awkward. But unless we're getting another Mario Paint or Super Mario Maker, this shouldn't be a big issue.

The more interesting part is the designs – potentially a Pro Controller for the Switch 2 and what looks like an upgraded version of the original Switch's Joy-Cons.

Joy-Con Mouse for Switch 2

Rumors about Joy-Cons working as a mouse started popping up in early January, and the reaction was pretty mixed. A lot of people were skeptical, but the trailer seemed to suggest Nintendo is considering it. It showed Joy-Cons with special attachments that let you slide them across a desk or table, turning them into a mouse.

Prototype of a mouse case made by BalintCsala;Source: subreddit r/NintendoSwitch2

Cool idea? Maybe. Convenient? Not so much. Joy-Cons are pretty narrow, and it’s hard to picture using them like this for long without it getting uncomfortable. That said, some fans aren’t waiting around for Nintendo. On Reddit, user BalintCsala shared a concept for a more ergonomic design that could make the Joy-Cons feel more like a real mouse.

I bet that this mouse-like feature is intended just for some new Nintendo titles, which we’ll hopefully get a glimpse of during the Nintendo Direct on April 2nd.

Is 120 FPS in Switch 2 possible

Hitting 60 FPS in Nintendo Switch is usually out of reach. While some popular games like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate or Splatoon 3 manage to get that smooth 60 FPS, many other games can’t quite keep up. Now that Switch 2 has been announced, everyone’s wondering: Will it finally deliver more?

According to recent leaks, Switch 2 is rumored to feature an NVIDIA Tegra SoC, 12 GB of LPDDR5 RAM, and an Ampere-based GPU. The GPU is expected to clock in at 1000 MHz, a significant upgrade from the current Switch's 768 MHz, delivering 3.1 TFLOPS of performance. In handheld mode, the GPU clock is expected to drop to 561 MHz, resulting in 1.71 TFLOPS of raw performance.

To sum it up, 120 FPS on Switch 2 seems unlikely. My guess is we’ll see 60 FPS in most games, if we’re lucky. Perhaps new Mario Kart or other Nintendo games will get better results.

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Olga Racinowska

Author: Olga Racinowska

Been with gamepressure.com since 2019, mostly writing game guides but you can also find me geeking out about LEGO (huge collection, btw). Love RPGs and classic RTSs, also adore quirky indie games. Even with a ton of games, sometimes I just gotta fire up Harvest Moon, Stardew Valley, KOTOR, or Baldur's Gate 2 (Shadows of Amn, the OG, not that Throne of Bhaal stuff). When I'm not gaming, I'm probably painting miniatures or admiring my collection of retro consoles.