Although we now know for a fact that the Nintendo Switch 2 will not include Hall Effect sticks on its Joy-Con, it's an aspect of the Nintendo Switch 2 reveal that felt like it was up in the air for quite some time, something that everyone was waiting with baited breath to know about.
Indeed, the importance of this one part of the console in the eyes of any potential customer is no surprise given the seriousness of Switch and Switch Lite's stick drift issues. Class action lawsuits were all part and parcel of that nasty saga.
And so it's no wonder that even the likes of the mighty John Romero, the original Doom Guy himself, has been expressing concern over what we've got as a replacement for a good old reliable Hall Effect stick upgrade.
Speaking to Gamesradar as part of a developer roundtable on the Switch 2, the co-founder of ID Software and designer on little-known franchises such as Wolfenstein, Quake, and Hexen (reboot please) briefly gave his thoughts, saying:
"A stronger and more premium-feeling console with better analog sticks would be great, as Joy-Con drift is a known issue for some people...more RAM, faster CPU+GPU, and 1080p handheld would be nice."
Of course, we now have an overview of the must-know console specs, so we can assure John that besides his stick concerns, his wishes are being met with regards to the resolution, GPU, CPU and RAM. And although we're impressed with the sticks, only time will tell how the brand-new Joy-Con will hold up under extended use.
Gamesradar also spoke with Romero Games Studios director and CEO, Brenda Romero, who said that she was looking forward to seeing Nintendo's new hardware, although she does seem to be a big fan of one other popular game of 2025:
Nintendo consistently sets a 'Game of the Year' bar with its launch titles, and I’m hoping Switch 2 is no exception," though "good luck with Blue Prince out there."
Romero Games lead producer Alex Mann also added that he hoped the Switch 2 would lead to new advances within the handheld gaming space:
"With the likes of the Switch and the Steam Deck pushing the limits in terms of what’s possible on the go, it’s exciting to think how other areas of the industry will innovate to cut the cable to the big home setups."
One thing's for sure, with plenty of DOOM games playing well on Switch, we are sure as hell looking forward to putting the new Switch 2 Joy-Cons through their paces once we upgrade next month. We shall report back with our findings, John. If they rip and/or tear, we'll be the first to let you know.
Are you still concerned about stick drift? Should Nintendo have included Hall Effect sticks or are you confident they've addressed this problem? Let us know how you feel.