The most reliable of the Nintendo Switch 2 leakers has revealed another detail, about a welcome feature of the new Joy-Cons.
Nintendo’s official announcement of the Switch 2 was largely undercut by the huge volume of leaks beforehand, especially as the majority of them turned out to be true.
We already knew about the magnetic Joy-Cons, the additional ports, and even the colour scheme heading into the reveal. The mouse functionality teased at within the video was also leaked weeks prior, leaving the new Mario Kart as the only genuine surprise.
While Nintendo has yet to confirm specific details about its next console, one leaker has offered more information on an important aspect of the Joy-Con controllers that Nintendo has yet to discuss.
In the run-up to Christmas, Reddit user NextHandheld made various claims about the Switch 2 which proved to be correct, before releasing images of the dock on Christmas Day.
Among all of his claims, which included the baby blue and orange colour scheme and teases of Mario Kart 9, NextHandheld stated the Switch 2 has Hall effect joysticks, which would eradicate any worries around Joy-Con drift, if true.
Following the reveal of the Switch 2, NextHandheld has reiterated this claim on Reddit, adding that the Hall effect sticks were shown during a hardware ‘teardown’ behind closed doors.
Unlike the joysticks on the original Switch – which rely on physical contact between components to register input – Hall effect sticks detect inputs and movement through magnets, without any physical connection between the stick and the sensor.
As such, they’re not as prone to wear and tear over time,like the traditional joysticks. Interestingly, Hall effect sticks were used in the Sega Dreamcast controllers, so the technology has been around for decades.
Nintendo has yet to confirm what’s behind the Switch 2 Joy-Cons, but considering NextHandheld has been right about everything so far, there’s little reason to doubt that this isn’t true as well.
It also makes sense considering how much of an issue Joy-Con drift became during the Switch’s lifespan, which caused the sticks to move on their own without any input.
After many complaints, and even a lawsuit, Nintendo offered free repairs in certain countries to try and counter the problem, so it’s likely the company won’t want to attract the same kind of negative attention again.
Nintendo is set to reveal more about the Switch 2 during a Direct presentation on April 2, 2025. A release date has yet to be announced, but insiders believe it could launch in June.
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