Are you excited about new Joy-Cons that might double as a mouse on the Switch 2? Or are you skeptical and wondering which games will benefit from this new feature? As a sequel to one of the best-selling handheld consoles, the Switch 2 is going to be bigger, better, and more powerful. But one of its new and unique features is going to be turning your Joy-Cons into mice.
We are expecting a whole new collection of games designed to take advantage of this new feature, but I’m more interested in the classics! Since the Switch 2 is going to be backwards-compatible with most of the original Switch titles, I’m dreaming about revisiting these titles with the new mouse mode functionality.
Here are seven Switch games that would’ve loved having mouse mode from the start!
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1
Splatoon 3 & Most Shooters
The entire shooter catalog could receive a massive upgrade with mouse support on the Switch. Splatoon 3 stands out as the prime example, though its predecessor, Splatoon 2, would benefit equally from more precise aiming. That said, the main benefactors would arguably be PC ports of games that were primarily optimized for aiming with a mouse.
For example, Warframe—arguably the best-looking free game on the Switch—would shine with mouse support. Other first-person shooters like DOOM, Overwatch 2, and Apex Legends could transform from decent portable ports for casual play to genuinely competitive options.
Yes, the Switch does provide gyro aiming to help with precision, but it’s not that accurate. For serious FPS sessions, especially in competitive play, playing without a mouse feels like a handicap. Nothing beats the accuracy of a good old mouse when you’re trying to land those crucial headshots.
2
Sid Meier’s Civilization VII & Most Strategy Games
Civilization VII has found a surprisingly comfortable home on the Switch. It’s definitely one of those titles you’d want to play while laid back on your couch as your empire expands—a playing style the Switch perfectly accommodates. And while Civ VII has excellent controller support, no one can argue that having a mouse wouldn’t be better. Even the Civilization developers admit that the Switch 2’s mouse support is “very cool“.
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The challenge with 4X games like Civilization or other strategy titles—such as Northgard, Into the Breach, or XCOM 2—is managing multiple elements across a complex interface. That level of dexterity practically begs for a mouse. Controller workarounds exist, but they often feel like just that—workarounds! Personally, I’d be thrilled to see the Frostpunk series arrive on the Switch 2 with mouse support. The game’s intricate city-building and resource management systems would be a perfect fit for a hybrid control scheme.
3
Return to Monkey Island & Similar Point-and-Click Adventures
The same argument for strategy games applies to point-and-click adventures like Return to Monkey Island. Granted, these games are well-optimized for controllers, but having mouse support would offer that extra quality-of-life improvement that fans of the genre crave.
Navigating with a joystick often feels tedious and imprecise, detracting from the immersive storytelling experience. Similarly, Disco Elysium, renowned for its deep narrative and extensive dialogue options, would have a significantly better experience with mouse controls.
Other Switch titles like Thimbleweed Park, Grim Fandango Remastered, and The Procession to Calvary would also benefit from the point-and-click mechanics that are simply more intuitive and streamlined with mouse input.
4
Super Mario Maker 2 & Level Designers
Super Mario Maker 2 was designed for the Switch and works brilliantly—as long as in handheld mode. That’s when you can use the touchscreen to build your levels with ease and precision. However, when you dock it (which arguably provides a better canvas for level design), things get a bit cumbersome. Controlling the builder UI using a controller can be painfully slow. Yes, it works, but having a mouse would offer a more productive way to design levels.
I personally only play levels in Mario Maker that were designed by other players. However, if the title gains mouse mode support, I’d love to try my hand at level design. I’m sure there are other players like me out there. Dragon Quest Builders 2 is another title that would benefit immensely from mouse support. Its building mechanics, while functional with a controller, would become much more streamlined when placing blocks and creating structures with the precision of a mouse cursor.
5
Stardew Valley
Stardew Valley is a laid-back game perfect for a handheld like the Nintendo Switch. It’s generally well-optimized for controllers, and I personally enjoy playing it with Joy-Cons—unless we’re talking about inventory management. Managing your inventory is so much faster using a mouse. You can quickly grab items, sort them, and transfer them between chests without fumbling through a grid with analog sticks. Meanwhile, activities like fishing feel more natural with a controller.
This provides a perfect example of how having dual control options could make some titles so much more enjoyable. Players can switch between control methods on the fly, using what works best for each task. Other farming and management titles like Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town, My Time at Portia, and Littlewood would similarly benefit from the addition of mouse controls.
6
World Of Goo
World of Goo, originally released back in 2008, got a revival on the Nintendo Switch in 2017. The premise is simple: you move around Goo Balls to create structures like bridges, pipes, towers, and so on. The game definitely prefers mouse controls because you need to be precise with your Goo Ball placements and quick about it too. This is very difficult to achieve using controllers at the dexterity level that the game requires, especially at higher levels.
Playing on the Switch makes sense because touch-screen controls are fast, but they’re only available in handheld mode. When docked, you can use the right Joy-Con as a pointer controller, but it’s still a bit clunky. If the game isn’t already difficult enough, controllers make it more so. Having mouse support would definitely make World of Goo more manageable and enjoyable to play, particularly in those later, more challenging stages.
7
Astral Chain
Astral Chain was the first game I played on my Nintendo Switch, so I have a soft spot for it. In this game, you play as a member of an elite police force who can control a Legion—an otherworldly, biomechanical creature tethered to you. The game has a unique mechanic where you can use each Joy-Con to control the human and the Legion simultaneously—one for each—during combat. This results in a novel combat experience unlike anything else on the platform.
The problem is that it’s not easy to control both characters, and it feels like a bimanual coordination challenge—where you try to move one hand clockwise and the other anticlockwise. I believe this issue could be solved if we could use a mouse to control the Legion and the Joy-Con for the human character. This would make those complex movements expected of the Legions far easier to pull off.
Mouse support for the Switch 2 isn’t just a novelty—it’s a feature that could fundamentally improve how we interact with many games. From shooters to strategy games, level designers to farming sims, this simple addition would make the Switch ecosystem even more versatile and user-friendly. Not only will it let you play anywhere, but you can play anything and in any way you like.
