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Title: The Switch 2's best feature is its satisfying Joy-Con 2 "thunk"

Date: Fri, 06 Jun 2025 15:00:31 +0000
Link: https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/the-...

The first thing you do after tearing open the Switch 2's box is snap its Joy-
Con 2 controllers to the sides of the console. But unlike the Switch 1, which
used flimsy rails to connect its controllers, the Switch 2's Joy-Con rely on
magnets. That leads to a visceral "thunk" whenever you snap them on ΓÇö it's
as if they leap out of your hands and right onto the Switch, ready for some
Mario Kart World action. And every time it happens, I can't help but smile.

Even before you turn on the Switch 2, it's clear that Nintendo recognized one
of the biggest issues of the original Switch: Those Joy-Con rails stunk. They
didn't hold the controllers in place well, and they wore down over time,
which could lead to Joy-Cons slipping out mid-gameplay. In my case, one bad
drop just two weeks into owning the original Switch made one of my Joy-Con
gamepads loose for the system's lifetime. The only fix was replacing the
controller's locking buckle, or buying a new an entirely new Joy-Con set for
$80.

So, at the very least, it feels nice to have a new Switch console where the
controllers feel sturdy. With the Joy-Con 2 attached, the Switch 2 feels
almost as solid as the Switch Lite, which doesn't have removable controllers.
To put it another way, the Joy-Con 2's "thunk" is like the satisfying sound
of a luxury car door being slammed shut rather than the sound of a cheap
economy car closing. The "thunk" means security. The "thunk" means quality.

We still don't know if the Joy-Con 2 are completely free of the dreaded
drifting problem that plagued the original controllers. One Reddit user
claimed their launch system arrived with drifting controllers, and Redditor
moshi_yo tore their controller apart and noticed that it uses the same
joystick mechanism. But Nintendo producer Kouichi Kawamoto said in an
interview that the company "redesigned everything from scratch." They added,
"Compared to the Joy-Con controllers for Switch, the control sticks are
larger and more durable, with smoother movement."

Less immediately noticeable than the Joy-Con 2 "thunk" is the Switch 2's
wider kickstand, which I quickly learned to appreciate. That's something
Nintendo brought over from the Switch OLED model, but it's still useful this
time around. As I was playing Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, the kickstand
easily let me balance the system on my lap in tablet mode while using the Joy-
Con 2 to mouse around on my leg. Is that an ideal setup? No. But it's
certainly functional in a pinch.

While the Switch 2 overall feels like a major refinement of the original,
with its larger screen, dramatically faster hardware and more usable eShop,
new issues have cropped up for Nintendo. The console's reliance on expensive
microSD Express cards will make it tough for players to deal with
increasingly large games, and similarly developers seem to be balking at
actually putting games on physical carts. Instead, many titles are taking
advantage of Nintendo's Game-Key Cards, which unlock digital versions of
titles and can be resold like a physical used game. Unlike full-fledged
carts, though, those Game-Key Cards won't work down the line when Nintendo
eventually moves on from the Switch 2 and shuts down its eShop.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at
https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/the-...
satisfying-joy-con-2-thunk-150031872.html?src=rss

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