Switch 2's Magnetic Joy-Con Connection Was Originally An Idea For Switch

Speaking about magnet, don't you think it's not a good idea to have magnet near of electronic devices especially near of electronic screen like TV?
And what about magnetic field near of your game cartridge?
Does it safe?

Would’ve been nice to have back then…

Oh well- onward and forward.

@Anti-Matter Don’t TVs produce their own electromagnetic field?

Cost cutting led to the rails. Now Nintendo can use more premium designs

Well, just goes to show that the magnet additions weren't haphazardly slapped onto the console for the sake of changing it up. Nintendo's had the whole generation to consider how to get it right. Of course, there can always be oversights and hiccups. I'd be beyond surprised if we didn't encounter any throughout the next generation. But I think this right here should help ease people wary about the magnet attachments at least a little. Seemingly, Nintendo has been carefully considering the best possible implementation. We can at least take a little solace in that.

@Anti-Matter doubt it, it would be a similar style to the magnets on the back of Apple products like IPhones and even back in 2010 when the iMacs (27inch display for example) used magnets to hold the display in place. So I doubt it will be to much of an issue. It will still probs cause issues with some products I would say but I doubt it will be to much of an issue.

It seems an idea at Nintendo is never truly dead, just a little early. The 3DS was years in the making with Nintendo's last attempt at glasses-free 3D having been a Gamecube addon.

@Anti-Matter Maybe in 1990, but MagSafe and Qi2 has us having rings of magnets in our smartphones. They are harmless towards most electronics in this day and age.

@Anti-Matter As long as you keep it away from your VHS tapes you should be OK.

@Anti-Matter This isn't 1995.

@Enigk would it be ok with HDD? Because i have 5 HDDs near the TV (Xbox One, Wii U, PS4) and many times i leave the joycons next to them!

Magnets, how do they work? And I don't want to talk to a scientist.

My Switch is having problems connecting to my joy cons as if they weren't connected...
Also I hope no drift.

@PokemonDMG The rumor is Hall effect sticks, which would be nice.

I’d probably rather keep latch rail.

Though just changing something (even if gimmicky) can still be selling point.

Oh well.

Just gotta make sure they don’t get wet b/c then magnets don’t work. 🙄

We live in the stupidest timeline. 😩

hope they snap nice
my joycons just stopped clicking

@rjejr IKR I half expect a movie to be released that is two hours of a butt tooting and people thinking it's the most hilarious thing ever. For those wondering, yes I AM referencing a certain movie.

@Anti-Matter I'm sure Nintendo know what they are doing lol. Jeez.

I do have some concerns about the durability of this idea. Magnets tend to lose some power over time and grow weaker.

I hope this was tested extensively…

Are the magnets in these new Joy-Con gonna be powerful enough to stick on a fridge?

I'm just hoping hall effect sticks will be used because that seemingly tackles the drift issues from what I've read.

I'm sure it will be ok but I am wondering about how attached the joycons will be. Would an overenthusiastic pull in gameplay be at risk of your tablet falling to the floor? Hmm. Don't know. You can get rediculously strong magnets but they would likely be finger traps. Intrigued overall and from a viewpoint that the rails where fine.

8+ years in the making so there's a degree of confidence in my thinking and as always, Nintendo's R&D are the wizards of the industry.

@rvcolem1 It's to do with the spin of electrons in atoms. Some materials like iron, the electrons all spin in the one direction, say north or south. If they're spinning north, they're attracted to material they're spinning south. If spinning the same direction, they repel each other.

@OorWullie You’re lying! And getting me pissed!!

@rjejr Do you often get your controllers wet?

@Synecdoche he probably lives on a boat.

@larryisaman Is this some sort of magnet humour that I'm missing?

Or is my explanation off?

A reassuring reminder indeed - if they discarded the idea after experiencing the concern for the concept first-hand, revisiting it next gen can be assumed to mean they found a solution over the years. Hopefully heated sessions are also accounted for, especially if people fancy playing Elden Ring on the thing.😆

@OorWullie I think both comments jokingly emulate the attitude of flat earthers and other conspirologist dodos in regards to basic natural science.

@Anti-Matter 35 years ago, maybe… its only problematic with magnetic storage or old TVs.

@8bit-Man you are not going to live enough to notice any fading in their magnetism…

@rjejr if they get wet, the magnets are going to be the very last thing to stop working 🤣
At least we agree about your last statement…

Previously Nintendo had really excellent build quality, but that’s not the case anymore. It won’t surprise me at all if the magnet approach causes problems.

@8bit-Man like to think that the last last 8-10 years of Nintendo trying to incorporate this technology essentially acts as one such consumer test for Magnets potentially losing their grip and/or failing.

That said, I feel it won’t be exclusively held on by the magnet alone. There extra trigger on the back helps with the joy-con disconnection process so I wouldn’t be surprised if there is a secondary latch to help keep it attached.

Feel like I read this a year ago somewhere.

Still a silly gimmick. There is no practical use for the magnet, you can achieve locking the joy cons just as easily and better without it. Lol.

The practical use might be, it is less expensive to produce/assemble some magnets into some plastic, instead of producing a railsystem.

Beside that, You can stick a node to a fridge with a not so often used pair.
Advantage: More magnets and You know where to find them. 😉

Nintendo Switch rails are physical and still can't prevent the wobble. They could have improved and fixed that. What they are saying is that the magnets bring the parts together and the physical connector acts as anchor. Both ideas have their own weaknesses, but I suspect that magnetism was chosen because it's easier to use... and market. Like other users said, Nintendo was known for its build quality. Not anymore. I wouldn't be so sure about Nintendo knowing what they are doing, after all the flaws of the Switch and joy-cons.

Magnets are strong in one direction but will more easily slide off each other. I think they solved that not with stronger magnets but with the shape and depth that the joycons go into the side of the Switch body.

@OorWullie thanks for the answer, but my question was mostly a joke. Those are lyrics from an american hip hop song called "miracles". I was just being silly because every time I here the word magnets this line pops in my head for some reason.

Finally we can stick our Switch to the fridge!

@john_lennon999 The new joy cons themselves aren't magnetic, the magnets are at the side of the screen and the metal buttons on the joy cons attract to these.

magnets?

how about some full sized controls for serious people?

does anyone here ever play 2p in "tabletop mode" with their switch? I literally never have, and i refuse to believe that more than a percentage point or so of switch users bought their switch for this purpose. total gimmick for the rooftop video.

just a reminder, we've given up a proper dpad, for TWO generations (likely 15 years) now, just for "tabletop mode." was it worth it?

do y'all really think the switch is such a great design? beyond being a dockable handheld that runs nintendo games?

EDIT - does anyone know if the magnets actually HOLD the assembly together? or is there a latch and the magnets just ... whatever?

I can't decide which is worse 😂

@-wc- As Nintendo fans, these kind of concessions we (sadly) have to accept in order to enjoy their games.

You're asking for controls for serious people, but that's the issue right there, Nintendo doesn't focus purely on "serious" people anymore. Their device is designed to cater to a group as broad as possible - families, kids, casual players, handheld players and hardcore gamers. As a result, it's a console of compromises.

@Skunkfish good to know, thanx! So I hope the S2 magnets don't have a problem with the nearby consoles! For me its a useless update, I might prefer the original's rails!

What's the good about the magnetic system? "Magnetic" sounds a bit sqishy to me. I like the rails...

@-wc- sounds more of a personal issue you're having with the Switch to me in all fairness, in which case using the word "we" doesn't really apply because it sounds like your problem..me? I've had fun since I got mine in 2017. Maybe I just don't take it all as "serious" as you...it's just games, light entertainment. To each their own.

@8bit-Man

"As Nintendo fans, these kind of concessions we (sadly) have to accept in order to enjoy their games."

until Switch, I/we never did. ✌️ all nintendo controls have been inspired, original, ROBUST designs until this very last console.

I play with my switch docked, with the admittedly VG+ pro controller. but, I reckon I overpaid about 100 dollars for the "pleasure" of owning joycons, all told.

@MiltonRoots
I don't consider myself "hardcore," in the modern sense, but I do in the old sense: I'm really into the artform, and into the physical design of hardware. This is all I mean by "serious:" I'm serious about the pure experience: robust controls made for my hands, rather than to fit a gimmick that "casual" people seem to care even less about than I do.

and, I've had a blast with my Switch! But I paid a huge premium for the ability to play in "tabletop mode," which I never have, and now they are asking me to do it again?

ill wait to see what they do with v2. ❤️✌️👍

(btw i mustve openly asked "does anyone use tabletop mode?" about a dozen times on here over the years and I've never gotten an affirmative response. imo, its a waste of money.)

@-wc- Milton! I like it! Might change my username...

@-wc- I can totally relate to your frustration. Though I personally feel like this issue has been present for a longer time. The Wii (U) components for example, weren't exactly high quality either.

I also solely play the Switch docked. The tradeoffs for having the hybrid features aren't worth it for me at all. But that's just the way it is, unfortunately.

@WiltonRoots

LOL the one time I don't use the "reply" button 😅 and, my name happens to be Will anyway 😆

@8bit-Man

"The Wii (U) components for example, weren't exactly high quality either."

mine always worked without a hitch, but what I'm really talking about is "initial quality," I suppose: when I handled a U gamepad for the first time, it was bliss! big, symmetrical sticks on top, hands practically shoulder width apart (lol,) DPAD, large, comfy shoulder buttons, wrists nice and straight, loose yet secure grip, and no creaking or poorly joined parts!

essentially the opposite experience of getting my switch. ✌️

heres hoping for a "switch stick," a nintendo chromecast with a cart slot, basically. i dont even care if it's a "switch 2" at this time, frankly. ✌️✌️

@-wc- OK, I'll answer. When I had only the Switch Lite and before I got the Switch v.2 and more games, I played once in tabletop mode with my friend's Switch, Super Mario Odyssey. I could barely see a thing, let alone play the game. He could because he knew the game by heart. It just doesn't work unless you know exactly what you are doing and sit five inches away from the Switch in an awkward position. I don't know how Nintendo managed to market that so well.

I think the success of this new magnetic design that attach joycons to the switch will rely on how stable the locking mechanism is. I think the magnet is there to get it into the right position and give us the iconic sound that the NSW makes when you attach a joycon, but not really suppose to keep it place and attached in practical use. We’ll also see how wobbly the implementation is…can’t wait to get hands on the nsw2 to answer there questions.

@Banjo-

thank you! it has been like shouting into the darkness lol.

I totally agree with your assessment. i feel like playing p2 with a procon "over p1's shoulder" while they hold the console would overall be better for both players. 🤔

as far as marketing, the only scenario i can imagine is that they thought parents might see tabletop mode and think "oh good, Jimmy Jr. can share with his little sister." and we all know how that goes 😆

(incidentally, a perfect case mod for me would be a switch inside a wii u gamepad, using the gamepad's dock for chg and hdmi 🤤)

Are those really magnets? It seems like the controllers now connect to the console through a "catridge" slot. You even press a button now to detach the new Joy-Cons.

@-wc- For what it’s worth, I’m pretty confident the Joycons exist as a cost saving measure and tabletop mode just happened to be possible by coincidence. They didn’t spend any more or compromise anything else to make tabletop mode possible (aside from whatever fraction of a cent it cost to toss in the world’s worst kickstand, I guess).

With the system, Joycons, dock, and a set of hollow plastic handles, they’re able to include literally everything required for a pretty good handheld experience and a pretty good home console experience without doubling up on controllers. That package even supports two player for docked mode in most party games without buying anything extra. It’s kind of genius in how it squeezes a lot of value in the box without costing very much to make, even after you factor out tabletop mode as an imaginary feature that nobody wants or uses.

@-wc- Tabletop mode lets me and my wife compete at Puyo Puyo Tetris whilst away on trips (camping in France comes to mind).

Also, I was on a packed train with the kids and we set-up an impromptu Mario Kart game on the floor of the train.

That's not exactly regular use though....

@chefgon

this'll probably end up an "agree to disagree," but ill bet that a "conventional" handheld plus a reasonable bluetooth controller (it wouldnt have to be the "pro" model to absolutely beat the joycons in "handle mode" on all counts) would be less expensive when you factor in all the r&d required for the joycons and all their modes, special connection situations physically and wirelessly, bespoke parts, etc etc.

I agree with a lot of what you said, and the idea that tabletop mode couldve been a sort of happy accident is interesting. youve shined a much more positive light on our favorite modern console 😊 i appreciate that ✌️

@Skunkfish

"Tabletop mode lets me and my wife compete at Puyo Puyo Tetris whilst away on trips (camping in France comes to mind)."

that sounds lovely ❤️😊 thanks for chiming in!

(random thought, two switches playing tetris et al in "tate mode" LAN style sounds SO inviting! 👍)

@-wc-

Jimmy Jr. can share with his little sister.

I wasn't born then, but Nintendo did that better 42 years ago with their first proper console, NES. Now they favour gimmicks and marketing, and some ideas are not as great in real life as in the commercials. On the other hand, Wii Sports was just as fun and Wii U was better than it looked.

@chefgon I know that you will probably not agree, but as a counterargument, I wanted to say that Nintendo sacrificed the D-pad and a proper controller, that you need to buy separately, because Switch doesn't support any of the Wii U controllers (that also use Bluetooth). What you really get in the package is a big handheld that runs on an average battery, with very limited power and games that are designed to be played on a big screen (+). In many ways, Switch is the worst of both worlds and has the worst Nintendo controllers included (++), but cleverly marketed. When Switch was revealed, it was pretty obvious to me that it was a Nintendo handheld and Wii U formula, Jack of all trades, master of none.

(+) Example: When characters "speak" (without voice) in a low voice in Tears of the Kingdom (first-party game), I want to know who can read the lines on a Switch Lite.

(++) They can't compete with Wii Remotes nor proper controllers.

@WiiWareWave I don't know what movie you are referencing, something to do w/ emojis perhaps, but I did buy my father the complete Monty Python for Christmas, he's having knee surgery tomorrow so will be laid up for a few days. Planning on going over and watching it with him, I'm sure some of it will seem relevant now. Like the looks on the lumberjacks faces when they realizes what's going on in their song. 😂

@-wc- " does anyone here ever play 2p in "tabletop mode" "

As an adult who only plays docked on my TV, no, never in tabletop. But as a parent of 2 college age kids, yes, they have played a LOT in tabletop mode. Summer vacations w/ their cousins, back seat of the car on many long drives, over relatives homes when I am too lazy to bring the dock.

So while that rooftop hipster video is absurd, I do think tabletop mode is a thing in school cafeterias, and a lot of kids go to school w/ their Switch. At least they did when my kids were in high school. It's for them, not for us. So you were correct in one of your other posts, you were just too sarcastic about it to take yourself seriously.

I'd be more than happy for Switch 2 Home bundled w/ a Pro instead of a pair of Joycon, for $100 less, I think a few million of us would, but it aint' gonna happen, so we gotta pay for Joycon and Pros to play on TV. 🤑 I'm flabbergasted they included that stupid Grip agian, what a waste of plastic. 😂

Well boys, if we thought stick drift was the most of our problems...lmao

But... does it safe?

@rjejr The movie I was referencing is Idiocracy.

@WC
I use table top mode quite a bit. Especially on the plane. Put the tablet part in the device holder and use the joycons. It is great on the plane. You don’t have to worry about your neighbor getting an elbow. It is one of my favorite features of the switch.

I’m sure the internet influencers or Alex will do a video with magnets in a S so use what happened when you put them near a switch screen and a switch game card.

@-wc- Concerning tate mode: I just hope there will be an official flip-grip this time around. Though not an official product, having this option on the current switch makes the joycons absolutely worth it – for me at least. Tabletop mode on the other hand I only used once or twice for especially tricky game sections. Needed to use the pro controller and was to lazy to fire up the home theatre for docked play. Also, the magnet solution (as long as they are strong enough and/or combined with a locking mechanism) together with how far the connecting parts reach into the main body, should help make it a lot more solid than the wiggly rails we have now. I would be really surprised if not – after all Nintendos R&D had eight years to get this right …

Is this a disconfirmation of Hall Effect joysticks? Hall Effect uses magnetism, and those parts would be very close to these rails.

Also, what problem does attaching magnetically solve? This seems like a solution in search of a problem.

@Zequio " At least we agree about your last statement… "

It gets truer every day. 😝

@Synecdoche " Do you often get your controllers wet? "

Define "often". 😉

@WiiWareWave " Idiocracy"

It's on my list.