Nintendo Almost Made a Big Mistake with Switch 2 Joy-Cons

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Summary

  • Nintendo almost omitted the release button from the Switch 2 Joy-Cons.
  • The desire to use a strong magnet while still making the controllers easy to detach eventually pushed the company back toward the idea of a dedicated release button.
  • The Switch 2 Joy-Cons required numerous iterations to perfect.

According to top Nintendo executives, the Switch 2 Joy-Cons initially lacked the release button in their initial designs. However, after numerous revisions, the team managed to incorporate this useful feature into the final design of the Switch 2 controllers.

Initially, Nintendo intended to incorporate magnetic Joy-Cons in the initial Switch design. However, during testing, these prototype controllers tended to slip out during handheld mode, causing the company to reconsider this approach. Consequently, when the Switch was released, it came with side rails for attaching the controllers, which can slide off accidentally while holding a release button on the back of each Joy-Con.

Thanks to technological progressions, Nintendo’s forthcoming console – the Switch 2 – is set to reintegrate magnetic attachments in an innovative way: the new Joy-Cons can now adhere to the console using magnets. However, during this transition, the traditional rail mechanism was considered for removal, which could have also meant eliminating the Joy-Con release button. This revelation comes from Kouichi Kawamoto, producer of the Switch 2, who mentioned this in a recent interview with MobileSyrup. Originally, he explained, there wasn’t a button to disengage the magnet, so users would have had to manually pull it off.

Switch 2 Producer Gave Conflicting Joy-Con Instructions to Engineers

Due to the absence of a traditional release button and instead relying on magnets for connection, Kawamoto feared that children might find it simple to disassemble the console. To address this concern, he directed Nintendo’s hardware engineers to incorporate a “powerful magnet” into the Switch 2 Joy-Cons. However, he also wanted the magnetic bond to be feeble enough so that an adult could still separate the controllers. Aware that this was a tricky demand, Kawamoto admitted it was contradictory, but emphasized that his team had potential solutions for achieving this balance. Unfortunately, some of these ideas were discarded because the required technology wasn’t fully developed yet, as explained by the executive.

Originally, we didn’t have the button that would release the magnet—and so you had to pull.

Nintendo finally opted for a method that preserves the core functionality of the initial Switch Joy-Con release button, yet incorporates changes to facilitate the attachment of a magnetic accessory. Rather than releasing by unlocking a physical mechanism, the revised button extends a tiny plunger which physically propels the controller away from the console, easing its detachment. Takuhiro Dohta, director of Switch 2, mentioned that extensive efforts were invested in perfecting this mechanism, emphasizing the iterative process involved in designing consumer electronics.

Nintendo’s upcoming console, the Switch 2, is planned for retail release on June 5th. After a brief postponement, pre-orders for the U.S. market will become available starting April 24th. Despite potential tariffs from the Trump administration, which are currently held off but may resume in mid-July 2025 unless new trade agreements are established beforehand, Nintendo has chosen to maintain its original price point of $449.99 for the console itself. However, it’s important to note that many Switch 2 accessories will see a price increase ranging from 5% to 25% compared to their initially advertised prices in the U.S. market.

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2025-04-21 20:54