Switch 2 Now Works with a USB Mouse, and It Actually Makes Sense

It’s official—Switch 2 supports USB mouse controls. This isn’t just a one-off dev hack or some vague third-party accessory rumour. Koei Tecmo confirmed it outright during a gameplay showcase for Nobunaga’s Ambition: Awakening Complete Edition, and it’s already working just like you'd expect from a proper PC port.

Producer Michi Ryu took the time to walk through how the mouse setup works in the video. First, there’s a native “mouse mode” baked right into the Joy-Con 2. When you press the SL button on the side of the right Joy-Con, it toggles into cursor mode, letting the analogue stick act like a scroll wheel. The stick controls vertical scrolling, while the buttons map to left- and right-click.

But here’s where things get interesting: Ryu plugged in a regular USB mouse, and the Switch 2 immediately recognised it. A message popped up showing the mouse was connected, and the game instantly shifted to prioritising the USB input over the Joy-Con’s built-in mouse mode. It wasn’t a clunky handoff—it just worked.

"The functionality is the same as the already released Steam version, allowing for left click, right click and wheel operations," Ryu explained.

This means you can use a real mouse in your right hand, while still using the left Joy-Con 2 for shortcuts—just like a weird hybrid PC controller setup. And weirdly enough, it kind of rules? For games like Nobunaga’s Ambition, which are built around menus, tiles, and clicking through dense UI, this kind of control setup makes way more sense than trying to slog through everything with sticks and face buttons.

Here’s where things really open up: the original Switch did technically support USB keyboards and mice, too, but almost no games took advantage of it. Switch 2 is different. Because the Joy-Con 2 now has native mouse support, developers are clearly building games with mouse controls in mind. That means more games will likely enable USB mouse support by default, especially strategy, sim, and creative titles.

The idea of plugging a mouse into a Nintendo console might seem like a throwback to the old GameCube keyboard or the Super Famicom’s mouse for Mario Paint, but this time it’s less gimmicky and more functional. And yeah, it’s a little surreal using a Logitech or Razer mouse to play a Switch 2 game on the couch—but it works, and it might become a serious option for certain genres.

There’s also a comfort argument. Chris Scullion from VGC pointed out in a recent op-ed that the Joy-Con 2’s mouse mode, while responsive and accurate, just isn’t comfortable for long sessions. The controller is small, and holding it sideways to click around for hours feels like turning your hand into a claw. Strategy game fans already know the pain.

"I can’t imagine playing Civilization 7 for hours on end with my hand like a claw and not suffering for it the next day," Scullion wrote.

USB mouse support addresses that immediately. You can plug in a full-size mouse and play games like Civ, Nobunaga, or Cities: Skylines (if that ever makes the leap) without turning your wrist into a pretzel. This could also open the door for new peripherals. If Nintendo or third-party manufacturers see this take off, we could be looking at official mouse mats, armrests, or even dockable keyboard+mouse combos made just for Switch 2.

There are some limitations, though. Certain games—like Metroid Prime 4 and Super Mario Party Jamboree—rely on extra Joy-Con features like button inputs or HD Rumble while still in mouse mode. A standard USB mouse obviously can’t replicate that. So don’t expect every game with cursor control to feel better with a mouse, at least not without losing some unique gameplay elements.

Still, this is a huge step for Nintendo. After years of sticking with unique control schemes, it’s nice to see them support a dead-simple, universal input. It also signals that Switch 2’s game library could expand to genres that traditionally only worked well on PC—think point-and-clicks, CRPGs, and heavy sims.

And yes, it’s very funny to imagine someone playing Animal Crossing or Mario Maker 3 with a Razer DeathAdder and a speedrun spreadsheet open on the side.

So if you’ve got a spare USB mouse lying around and you’re planning to pick up Switch 2, you might want to dust it off. Because for once, Nintendo might actually let you play the way you want—even if it’s a little weird.