The Nintendo Switch 2 is pretty light on new games at launch, but its hardware gimmicks could potentially improve a lot of titles that are already out, including my personal Game of the Year for 2024, Balatro. I'm not much of a deckbuilder player, but I got really deep into Balatro shortly after it came out early last year. I love that its straightforward presentation is undermined by an incredible variety of strategies and synergies; it did a lot to alter my perception of what kind of games I might actually enjoy.

I've gotten a Switch 2 and seen what the new hardware can do, I think there's a very clear path for Balatro to get even better with an update.

Switch 2 Mouse Controls Are Perfect For Balatro

Like It Was Designed To Be Played

While the Switch 2 is mostly just a straight hardware upgrade over its predecessor, the redesigned Joy-Cons are a big highlight, and I think they'll be put to good use by making more games playable on the system. The Joy-Con 2 can be turned on its side and used like a mouse, with the bumper and Z buttons used like a right and left click. It's ittedly not especially ergonomic – Joy-Cons never have been – but it does help pick up some slack in an area where console gaming falls behind PC.

Adding mouse controls to Balatro on Switch 2 could essentially bring it up to par with the PC version, which is the definitive way to play. It's simply much easier to navigate Balatro's interface with a mouse pointer, and the game was clearly designed with PC as the primary platform – it had a demo on Steam after all. It's still perfectly playable on a controller; my hundreds of hours on the Switch will attest to that, but it is slightly cumbersome.

I won't pretend to know how easy or difficult it would be to implement the Switch 2 mouse controls, but the console version already has a rudimentary pointer function. If you use the right stick, a cursor appears that you can select cards with it, but I find it not very intuitive. My hope is that this can be converted into proper mouse controls usable on the Switch 2, and that it's as seamlessly accessible as in other games or on the Switch 2 system menus, where all you do is turn a Joy-Con 2 on its side to switch to mouse mode.

I Hope Switch 2 Mouse Controls Are Coming In Balatro's 1.1 Update

Releasing Sometime In 2025

Luckily for me, there's an opportunity for Balatro to adopt the Switch 2's new tech. LocalThunk is developing a major Balatro update, version 1.1, coming sometime this year. A release date has not been set, nor has much information been divulged, but it's expected to bring both balance changes and new content to the game. Teases regarding balance changes have involved reworks of Wild Cards, the Matador Joker, and Blue Stake difficulty.

The new content could be any number of things, including new decks, new Jokers, higher Stakes, or even new card enhancements. I don't necessarily expect the Switch 2 mouse controls to be implemented, nor does the Switch version really need a dedicated upgrade for Nintendo's new hardware, but it would certainly elevate an already exceptional game.

Balatro Is Just One Of Many Games That Can Be Improved On Switch 2

Mouse Controls Are A Huge Feature

Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour uses the mouse controls for some of its microgames, and Drag x Drive is a cool implementation of the tech (even if I'm not convinced it will be a great game), but I think the mouse controls in general will be a great new frontier for Nintendo's latest console. Like I mentioned earlier, using the Joy-Con 2s on their sides isn't really ergonomic, but just the ability to do so opens up so many more options as far as games that can be played on the system.

While they're wildly different games, Balatro is in the same camp as Civilization 7. Despite clearly fitting best on PC, Civ has brought its games to consoles for years now. Like Balatro, Civ 7 is best played on PC, but the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition has at least narrowed the gap when it comes to functionality.

Balatro could also just be the tip of the iceberg for deckbuilders on Switch 2. Games that follow the tradition of Slay the Spire, where you drag your cards to their targets, are a little wonky when using a controller, clearly being originally designed to be played with a mouse. Just like Balatro, Slay the Spire and similar titles are perfectly playable on consoles, but they're noticeably not being played in the optimal manner.

Then there are shooters. Competitive FPS play in particular has centered heavily on PC because playing with a mouse and keyboard is way more precise than aiming with an analog stick. I don't think anyone is going to climb the Counter-Strike 2 ranked ladder using a Joy-Con mouse, but it's another genre that will excitingly close the gap between consoles and PC on Switch 2. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond seems to be the first-party title that will put the Joy-Con 2 through its FPS paces, but I won't be surprised if more shooters find a home on the system.

Cyberpunk 2077 is a notable third-party game that can utilize the Switch 2 mouse controls in first-person.

Unfortunately, the Switch 2 launch lineup has been scarce, and Nintendo itself hasn't provided a killer app that demonstrates the mouse controls. Drag x Drive is the first-party game meant to show off the tech, but it's not out yet. Nevertheless, there's a lot of potential in the new control scheme, especially for already excellent games like Balatro. The original Switch became a haven for indie games, many of which release on PC first, so I think the Nintendo Switch 2 will continue that trend, with even greater playability thanks to the Joy-Con 2 mouse controls.