Nintendo made a surprising revelation when they were asked why they still aren’t adding analog triggers to the Switch 2.
As shared by NintendoLife, VentureBeat interviewed the company’s hardware developers, Kouichi Kawamoto and Tetsuya Sasaki, for more insight.
Sasaki got things started by saying this:
“From the hardware side, we worked on what we were asked to do. There were a lot of, let’s say, very fussy developers around us who wanted to go this route. That’s why we went the route we did.”
Kawamoto then followed up with this:
“In terms of analog buttons on the shoulders, there are positives, but also negatives. You lose a little bit of instancy when they’re analog. We considered it and decided that instant input would be the better option. That’s why we decided to move forward with this decision.”
Now one can argue about the merits of using analog triggers on modern game controllers. We know we’re not the only ones lamenting that it’s now four generations since the GameCube that Nintendo has not brought back analog triggers for their controls. The big elephant in the room here is that racing games in particular can’t take advantage of analog controls because they aren’t available on the Switch.
Notably, Feral Interactive found a way to get around the limitations of the original Switch when they came up with alternate control schemes for GRID Autosport. One control scheme allows you to steer by tilting the console, and then using the analog sticks instead of the left and right bumper buttons for gas and brake.
While these developers were creative, one wonders about the ‘very fussy developers’ who had Nintendo’s ear. We doubt that these were only internal Nintendo studios, since Nintendo themselves keep coming up with new inputs and ‘gimmicks’ even if third party developers don’t use them. On the other hand, since the Switch 2 is set to expand GameCube controller support, one wonders if Nintendo could have a way to open this up for the developers and gamers who want it.
After all, GameCube’s debut on Switch Online + Expansion Pack will require compatibility with analog triggers. Yes, most GameCube games find ways to utilitze that analog input, not just F-Xero GX. Maybe Nintendo will surprise us by revealing that 3rd parties can make analog triggers for their controllers after all. That could even open up the possibility for the likes of Logitech and Thrustmaster to start making sim racing standard wheels for the Switch 2. But for now, this is just hopeful speculation on what Nintendo could do.
