- The Joy-Con 2 could have shipped without release buttons
- This comes from an interview with Switch 2’s hardware leads
- The original removal method could have been as primitive as simply pulling them away
The Nintendo Switch 2 hardware leads have confirmed that the console’s magnetic Joy-Con 2 controllers may have at one point have shipped without release buttons.
In an interview with Mobile Syrup, Nintendo Switch 2 producer Kouichi Kawamoto shared that the Joy-Con 2 – now connecting to the handheld display magnetically as in place of the original’s rail system – suggested that the original release method was a little more primitive than what we have now.
“Originally, we didn’t have the button that would release the magnet. And so you had to pull,” said Kawamoto. “And then we discussed, ‘Well, wouldn’t the kids pull it apart?’ So my first request was, ‘Please use a strong magnet.’ And the second was, ‘Okay, if you want to be able to pull it, please make sure you can pull it.’
Kawamoto also stated that the hardware team “had several ideas” for how the magnetic Joy-Con 2 could be disconnected, but that “the technology wasn’t quite available” for some of these ideas.
In the end, the solution is a simple but effective one. Both left and right Joy-Con 2 controllers have a release button nestled next to the triggers. As I discovered during my Nintendo Switch 2 hands-on session, it’s as simple as holding these buttons in to safely disconnect them from the handheld unit.
In other news, Nintendo has finally confirmed pre-order dates for the Switch 2 in the US. Shoppers in the region will have a chance to put their console pre-orders down from April 24. The console and its games will have their prices remain the same, but you should expect accessories like the Joy-Con 2 and the Switch 2 camera to have some slight price increases.
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