Change 2 may need been formally revealed, however there’s nonetheless a complete lot we do not find out about it. And whereas Nintendo is staying stubbornly tightlipped till April, a newly surfaced patent seems to substantiate no less than just a few beforehand reported particulars the corporate has to this point solely teased.
Largely, we’re speaking Pleasure-Cons right here, with early studies having claimed Change 2’s removable controllers would come with just a few new methods not seen in these of the unique console. That begins with magnets, with Change 2’s Pleasure-Cons have lengthy been rumoured to make use of magnets to connect to the console as a substitute of the finicky rails system used beforehand.
Which brings us to Nintendo’s newly unearthed sport controller patent, initially filed in August 2023 and revealed right now. “This sport controller is detachably mounted to a physique system that has a recess,” it reads, “that includes a primary magnet and a second magnet on the backside of the recess, and that may execute sport processing.”
Moreover, the patent provides some extra perception into how the magnets have been carried out to keep away from randomly dropping off at inconvenient intervals. “The primary button and the second button are supplied within the longitudinal course within the prime floor of the protrusion,” Nintendo writes. “The primary button and the second button are to be pressed by a person. The primary button is drawn to the primary magnet by a magnetic drive. The second button is drawn to the second magnet by a magnetic drive.”
Admittedly, the inclusion of magnets is not a lot of a revelation – Change 2’s reveal trailer already advised as a lot – however Nintendo hasn’t truly made it official. And it is a related story for built-in Pleasure-Con mouse performance, one other rumoured characteristic for Change 2. January’s reveal trailer definitely lent credence to these earlier studies, what with it together with a controller sliding suspiciously round on its aspect, however, once more, it is a characteristic not but made official.
Again over within the patent, nevertheless, and Nintendo has included a diagram of a proper Pleasure-Con getting used identical to a mouse. Its removable edge is face down on a floor whereas the person grips it mouse-style, one finger on the bumper – presumably for clicking enter – and a thumb on the management stick. Different illustrations present a person dual-wielding two Pleasure-Cons mouse-style, like some type of mouse-using ninja, whereas one other reveals a Pleasure-Con being deployed mouse-like in a single hand and in commonplace formation within the different. Flexibility is outwardly key.
It’s, if nothing else, an fascinating reminder that is there’s nonetheless a lot to study Nintendo’s new console following a reveal that was mild on nearly every thing. Past, that’s, a normal glimpse of Change 2’s Change-but-more-so aesthetic, and a brand new Mario Kart that is managed to illicit chatter as extensive ranging as ‘May this presumably be open world?!’ proper by means of to ‘What on earth have they performed to Donkey Kong?!’.
Sadly, no strong solutions to the various questions we’ve about Change 2 will seemingly come till April’s Nintendo Direct – which is able to hopefully lastly embody the Captain Rainbow revival we have all been ready for. Till then, be happy to direct your gaze elsewhere on Eurogamer for a refresher of every thing we at present find out about Change 2. You possibly can most likely add ‘virtually undoubtedly magnets’ and ‘mouse, eh?’ to that checklist now too.
