As the Nintendo Switch 2's release date marches ever closer, we can't help but get intrigued about the console's main new gimmick - mouse controls. We already knew that you can use the Joy-Con 2 controllers as wireless mice, but thanks to Nobunaga's Ambition: Awakening Complete Edition, we now know that Nintendo's forthcoming console has USB mouse support.
Nobunaga's Ambition: Awakening Complete Edition is the enhanced Nintendo Switch 2 version of Koei Tecmo's simulation strategy game. The company recently showed off some new gameplay footage on its YouTube channel, which is already a marked improvement on the original Switch version of the game, which we gave a 6/10 in our Nobunaga's Ambition: Awakening review. As part of this demonstration, we got to see the presenter switching from a set of Joy-Con 2s to a conventional USB mouse while playing the console docked.
Since our Nintendo Switch 2 hands-on experience, we've had our concerns about using a mouse for the handheld, not only due to the limitations of where you can use it, but because of the strange, thin design of the Joy-Con 2 when compared to a standard PC mouse. However, getting to use your preferred peripheral when using the Nintendo Switch 2's mouse functionality could change the game.
Yes, a lot of people have argued that if you wanted to play games at a desk, you would buy a gaming PC instead, but this doesn't take into account the wealth of Nintendo or console-exclusive titles like Nobunaga's Ambition: Awakening, and the sheer price difference between the Switch's successor and a mid-to-high end computer. And now that we've seen USB mouse support in Koei Tecmo's launch day title, I can't wait to see which other games have this feature.
If Splatoon 3 gets a Nintendo Switch 2 upgrade - or we get a Splatoon 4 release date - I desperately hope I can play with a mouse. I've always found FPS games easier on mouse and keyboard, so using my favorite mouse in Splatfests would take my gameplay to the next level. Regardless, we'll have to wait until the Nintendo Switch 2 release date to see just how useful this feature really is.