Nintendo had a huge day today. We knew earlier this year that April 2, 2025, would be the day that Nintendo rolled out the red carpet for the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 console. It was a very hyped-up presentation, and now that it’s over, some new details are still finding their way out to the public online. For instance, we’re finding out now that the original Nintendo Switch was meant to have the magnetic Joy-Con feature that the upcoming console has incorporated.
If you have seen the Nintendo Direct presentation, you might be aware of the Switch 2 Joy-Cons. There’s a new feature where Nintendo ditched the rail system that the current Nintendo Switch has. Instead of sliding the Joy-Cons onto the console, there are magnets inside the system to keep the Joy-Cons secure.
On the Nintendo website, there is a Q&A post in which three developers behind the Nintendo Switch 2, Kouichi Kawamoto, a producer in the entertainment planning and development department; Takuhiro Dohta, a senior director in the entertainment planning and development department; and Tetsuya Sasaki, the general manager in the technology development division, spoke about the process of making the console.
One of the surprising reveals was that the Nintendo Switch was supposed to have a magnetic grip component. Initially, when it was developed for the original Switch, the magnets were not strong enough to keep the Joy-Cons attached securely. There was more of a wobble when players interacted with the system.
Originally when we were developing Switch, there was the idea to attach the Joy-Con controllers to the console with magnets. Using magnets, you’d be able to attach and detach the Joy-Con controllers right away, making it easier to share them. I took the prototypes to Iwata-san, the company’s President at the time, for feedback. But unfortunately, the Joy-Con controllers would wobble when attached to the console using magnets due to the weak connection. We decided to scrap the idea as we were concerned it would make customers uneasy about using the console. Instead, we adopted the rail system for Switch, which allowed for a more stable attachment. But we always wished we could make it easier to attach and detach the controllers. – Kawamoto
After presenting the idea to the Nintendo president at the time, Satoru Iwata, they decided to scrap the project. There was a fear that consumers would be concerned that the Joy-Con would come off when interacting with the console. However, that didn’t stop developers from working on the idea.
We needed the controllers to attach firmly to the console so that they don’t wobble. At the same time, we wanted it to be easy to detach and comfortable to attach even for children. And so…we asked the Technology Development Department’s hardware team the impossible. (Laughs) But they went through a lot of trial and error, and we were finally able to attach it firmly and remove it easily with just a light press of the release button. – Kawamoto
After years of work, Nintendo was able to devise an easy way to use this magnetic feature securely while ensuring that adults and kids could easily detach the Joy-Cons with the press of a button. Of course, fans have yet to get their hands on the device, so it will be interesting to see how this feature holds up over time.
This wasn’t the only bit of interesting news from the Q&A session. Earlier, we reported on how Nintendo developers almost named the Nintendo Switch 2 the Super Nintendo Switch. You can read more about that right here. Likewise, if you missed the Nintendo Direct presentation, you can check out our breakdown of the Switch 2 console right here.
