By now, you and at least 20 million other excited Nintendo fans have seen the Switch 2 reveal trailer. In addition to hiding subtle clues about the Switch 2’s big performance boost, it not-so-subtly teased mouse-like functionality with the system’s new Joy-Cons. The potential for both Joy-Cons to have a “mouse mode” opens up a fascinating range of gameplay opportunities, not to mention a deep roster of compatibility for PC-focused games.
One such game is this month’s Civilization VII, a series with its roots – and the vast majority of its sales – firmly entrenched on PC. Most games in the RTS genre benefit greatly from traditional mouse and keyboard control, although a franchise like Halo Wars is known for its innovative gamepad controls. Civ 7 has also revamped its control scheme to be incredibly controller-friendly, but it’s still going to be enjoyed by millions of people sitting at their desk rocking a keyboard and mouse setup.
So, who better to ask about Nintendo’s apparent plans for mouse features on the Switch 2 than the producer of Civ 7? That’s undoubtedly what IGN was thinking when the outlet asked executive producer Dennis Shirk about it.
When asked directly about the supposed mouse functionality, Shirk began his response with “it is definitely intriguing.”
“I love what they’re doing with the controllers,” Shirk says. “It’s all very cool. That’s about all I can say about it in terms of an opinion. I think it looks awesome and they’re not wrong, so it would be cool for something like that.”
Is the response vague? Yes. Is it somewhat revealing? Also yes.
While we don’t know specifically how IGN phrased its question (the response comes from a forthcoming interview with Firaxis), Shirk’s answer doesn’t do anything to counter the widely held belief that Nintendo developed the Switch 2 Joy-Cons with some kind of mouse-like behavior in mind. If he does know anything, he’s certainly under NDA.
Shirk doesn’t even acknowledge that Civilization VII is being treated to a port that’s enhanced for Switch 2 (the game is already confirmed for the OG Switch), but his enthusiasm suggests it may be coming. I’d be willing to bet Nintendo will use the game in its April 2nd Direct to showcase that mouse functionality.
