The Switch 2 has a number of tricks up its sleeve compared to the original, and one of the most surprising is the ability to convert those new Joy Cons into mice by simply flipping the controller on its side.
This is pretty OK in a pinch when you’re out and about, but it’s not great at all when you’re planning to play for longer stretches of time, such as when docked, for example. So what can you do? Print a solution!
The Switch 2 JoyCons Can Double as (Uncomfortable) Mice
Each Switch 2 Joy Con has a mouse sensor on its side. You can use them as a mouse just by turning them on the side, but Nintendo recommends attaching those little wrist-strap bumpers, which have rubber feet and will prevent your Joy Con from taking damage as you slide it across a surface.
This works really well! I was surprised by how intuitive it all is, and while playing Cyberpunk 2077 it’s a big improvement compared to aiming with the right stick, or even the gyro. The problem is all about ergonomics. Trying to use this little sliver of a controller as a mouse makes my hands cramp after 15 minutes. I don’t have the world’s smallest hands, mind you, but I’m usually OK even with dinky travel mice. It’s just that the Joy Con is too thin so I get cramps from gripping it.
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Modders Have Attachments for Them Already
Let’s be real—most Switch (and now Switch 2) accessories for Joy Cons are just pure plastic. The original (non-charging) grip is just a plastic thing. The Mario Kart wheel is just a plastic shell too. So if you have a 3D printer you can just print out your accessories for a few cents a pop.
It took the community negative time to start making Switch 2 stuff, because there were already some early model files out before the Switch 2 shipped. Specifically, some mouse shell concepts were out and then needed a little tweaking once the modelers had a real Joy Con in hand.
Now the concept of these mouse shells is very simple. It’s a more ergonomic, traditional mouse shape that you simply slip the Joy Con 2 into, and you’ll have more comfort, stability and accuracy.
Of course, there are some unique considerations. For one, in most games you still need comfortable access to the right stick and the face buttons. That’s pretty awkward using the naked Joy Con, so a mouse shell that helps is a bonus.
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I Tried Some!
So, I trawled the web for various Switch 2 Joy Con mouse shells, and found a handful that seemed promising. There are some very different takes on how to make the Joy Con 2 mouse work better, and not all of them are equally successful. I tried all the minimalist ones, with the idea that you could pop these into your case and take them with you, but honestly, it’s not worth it.
The more full mouse style options work great though. The very best one I found is Rewolf’s Mouse Adapter.
The fitment for the Joy Con is perfect, the feel is super-comfortable , and I can totally see myself using this long-term. Also, I picked out some smooth grey PLA filament which I think helps a lot with the tactile feel, so keep that in mind if you want to print one out yourself. You also have the option of sticking rubber feet to the bottom, but that hasn’t been necessary in my experience.
With most of the other options I tried (and I’m not going to list them because I can’t recommend them) there were varying issues. The biggest being that the tolerances were such that you basically have to force the Joy Con 2 into the slot, and the last thing I want to do is scrape up or damage my brand-new Joy Cons.
So, if you have a 3D printer, I highly recommend trying this out. I do still want to try this expansion shell concept, but didn’t have a chance before writing this.
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You Can Also Just Use a Real Mouse
In case you missed it in the storm of Switch 2 information we’ve been bombarded with, you can actually use a normal USB mouse. That includes wireless mice that have a USB dongle, but not Bluetooth devices.
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However, this only works correctly in some games, since in most cases you still need access to the face buttons on the right Joy Con to play the game. If a game was designed with a normal mouse as an option, then you don’t have to worry about it.
In the case of Cyberpunk 2077, you’ll also have to connect a USB keyboard if you want to play with a USB mouse, but luckily the game has native support for this and even the on-screen UI changes to reflect normal PC game controls. How about that!
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