The Switch 2's mouse controls make it the perfect indie gaming platform

After the death of Xbox Live Arcade and the birth of cozy gaming, Nintendo has carved itself a niche in the market as the go-to company for console indie gaming. It started with the Wii U, supporting titles like The Binding of Isaac Rebirth, Shovel Knight, and SteamWorld Heist, and only expanded its indie offerings with the Nintendo Switch. Since the majority of indie games don’t rely on state-of-the-art graphics, the Nintendo Switch 2’s beefed-up resolution and processing power aren’t a huge boon for the industry, but the more I think about it, the more I’m convinced that the Switch successor’s mouse controls are game-changing for console indies. The Switch has already mastered indie games with controller support, but what about mouse-reliant titles? I love indies with old-school mechanics, like point-and-click games and visual novels, but playing them with a joystick is incredibly frustrating. Controlling a cursor with a joystick to search for things creates a mild disconnect in my brain that I don’t experience when I use a mouse on my PC for the same kind of game. Given how strange and thin the Joy-Con 2 is as a mouse, I can hear some of you screaming that this will be just as uncomfortable, but now that we know the Switch 2 can use USB mice thanks to Koei Tecmo’s Nobunaga’s Ambition Awakening video, I’m hoping this is the start of a bright future for indie games on the Nintendo Switch 2. Continue reading The Switch 2's mouse controls make it the perfect indie gaming platform MORE FROM POCKET TACTICS: The best Switch games, The best upcoming Switch games, The best Switch RPGs

Jun 1, 2025 - 03:00

The Switch 2's mouse controls make it the perfect indie gaming platform

After the death of Xbox Live Arcade and the birth of cozy gaming, Nintendo has carved itself a niche in the market as the go-to company for console indie gaming. It started with the Wii U, supporting titles like The Binding of Isaac Rebirth, Shovel Knight, and SteamWorld Heist, and only expanded its indie offerings with the Nintendo Switch.

Since the majority of indie games don’t rely on state-of-the-art graphics, the Nintendo Switch 2’s beefed-up resolution and processing power aren’t a huge boon for the industry, but the more I think about it, the more I’m convinced that the Switch successor’s mouse controls are game-changing for console indies. The Switch has already mastered indie games with controller support, but what about mouse-reliant titles?

I love indies with old-school mechanics, like point-and-click games and visual novels, but playing them with a joystick is incredibly frustrating. Controlling a cursor with a joystick to search for things creates a mild disconnect in my brain that I don’t experience when I use a mouse on my PC for the same kind of game. Given how strange and thin the Joy-Con 2 is as a mouse, I can hear some of you screaming that this will be just as uncomfortable, but now that we know the Switch 2 can use USB mice thanks to Koei Tecmo’s Nobunaga’s Ambition Awakening video, I’m hoping this is the start of a bright future for indie games on the Nintendo Switch 2.

Continue reading The Switch 2's mouse controls make it the perfect indie gaming platform

MORE FROM POCKET TACTICS: The best Switch games, The best upcoming Switch games, The best Switch RPGs