TheNintendo Switch 2mouse controlswork incredibly well. In fact, they’re better than I ever expected them to be. This isn’t a fun little gimmick for new hardware destined to fade away a few months after launch, but a new way to play games.
At the Nintendo Switch 2 showcase event in London last week, I tested a number of titles that utilised the mouse controls, ranging fromMetroid Prime 4: BeyondtoBravely Default Flying Fairy, and each one presented distinct ways of implementing them that lend themselves to a feature which developers have plenty of freedom to experiment with. I was taken aback by how quickly you can transition from mouse mode to traditional controls. It’s not a toggle or an option you need to change from the main menu, but a physical action the Joy-Con 2 react to in real time. It feels futuristic, but this implementation is both a blessing and a curse.
Splatoon 4 Is Definitely In The Works For Nintendo Switch 2
If you’re anything like me, when you think of mouse controls, you think of two distinct genres: real-time strategy and first-person shooters. Due to either complicated menus or razor-sharp reflexes, these naturally lend themselves well to mouse and keyboard. Over the years, we’ve seen both try to adjust to controllers - while some titles like XCOM and Halo arguably work better on them, playing with a mouse will always be superior. But aside from titles like Final Fantasy 14 and other rare exceptions, this has never been possible on consoles.
The games I noted as having mouse controls included Super Mario Party Jamboree, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, Civilization 6, Bravely Default, Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, and a small handful of others.
Switch 2 is going to change this, and I wouldn’t be surprised if most Switch exclusives and a large selection of third-party titles decided to implement them as standard. Hell, I doubt we’re that far removed from a keyboard peripheral being announced to go alongside the Joy-Con 2. It’d be a match made in heaven, and one that has already proven to work well in Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and a slew of other titles. But after this weekend’s Splatfest, all I can think about is how mouse controls will work in the nextSplatoon, and whether it risks turning this wholesome shooter into a sweaty nightmare.
With a brilliant expansion now behind us and support being reduced to a handful of updates every now and then, Splatoon 3 is slowly but surely reaching the end of its lifespan. Meaning a sequel is likely in development and bound to take advantage of the new console, which will include mouse controls, whether we like them or not.
But Mouse Controls Risk Turning Splatoon 4 Into A Competitive Nightmare
If you haven’t played Splatoon before, it pits two teams of players against one another as they seek to cover an entire map in their assigned colour of paint, all while defeating enemies and, when it comes to other game modes, completing objectives and taking over key points on the map. It is simple and easy to understand, with three-minute matches allowing you to hop in and enjoy yourself without much pressure. You can focus on your environment and ink every single spot possible or take the fight to fellow inklings to rack up kills and earn yourself some serious points.
A balance of the two is best, since there is nothing worse than someone who sticks around spawn all day trying to paint the same spot over and over and over. Don’t do this.
As for controls, ever since its inception, Splatoon has used traditional controls and gyro aiming. On the surface, this is a very unusual means of playing, but has now become second nature for seasoned players and something that newcomers adjust to. The fun is in the fast pace of matches, customisation outside online play, and the sense of community that forms over Splatfests. There are also killer campaigns for each game that tell great stories with experimental gameplay mechanics well worth engaging with. Much of this will remain if mouse controls are introduced in Splatoon 4, but it may also raise the skill ceiling to heights that will push casual players like myself away for good.
Something I’ve noticed from playing Splatoon 3 years after its initial launch is that people who stick around arereallygood at this game. They have mastered both movement and gunplay to such a degree that daring to step up against them is a recipe for disaster. And this is with traditional controls, so imagine giving them a more advantageous method where you’re able to aim and move with the utmost precision. It will make surviving to ink your base or defeat enemy players almost impossible, and thus alienate the young and casual players that Splatoon has always been intended for. Those fade away with time. I understand that, but if mouse controls are pushed too hard, this could unfold sooner rather than later.
