Switch 2 Mouse Controls Look Like They Need DPI Settings

Joy-Con mouse controls are one of the biggest innovations in a next-gen console that otherwise looks to be just a bigger, more powerful version of its predecessor. On Monday Nintendo showed off how Switch 2 owners will be able to navigate the home screen with a cursor and it looks neat, but raises the question of just how much the Mario maker will let fans tinker with sensitivity controls.

One of the coolest parts about Joy-Con mouse controls is reportedly how easy they are to activate. If you want the cursor to appear, you flip the controller on its side so the optical sensor can make contact with a surface like a table or, more likely, your leg or couch cushion. Flipping it back to the normal position and using the thumbstick automatically makes the cursor disappear and switches back to conventional controls. A brief demo in the Nintendo Today! app shows the feature in action:

But the preview also makes it look like the sensitivity for the controls will default to something less dramatic than most PC gamers are used to. DPI, otherwise known as dots per inch, measures how far the cursor moves on the screen in relation to the mouse. A high DPI means fast, sweeping movements even with relatively small flicks of the hand. The ideal level of sensitivity is different for everyone, but generally a higher-than-usual DPI is more efficient (and less exhausting) for high-level play.

Will the Switch 2 let players set that number for themselves? That’s one of the things the above demonstration left me wondering. The controller menu on the home screen doesn’t seem to include an option for changing the DPI. Maybe it’s hidden somewhere in the more general system settings? I sure hope so! It would be a shame to see one of the Switch 2’s new features hamstrung by a lack of customizability.

In the meantime, we went hands-on with the mouse controls for Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster over the weekend and came away quite impressed.

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