Nintendo plans to use magnets in a fun new way with its next Switch2 video game console, according to a new report. The magnets will apparently be used to stick the Switch 2's Joy-Con controllers to the device, rather than relying on the rail attachment system that the current Switch has used since its launch in 2016.
The new report, which comes to us via Spanish site Vandal and was translated by Eurogamerclaims that accessory makers have had the opportunity to interact with early versions of the new Nintendo console, which is widely expected to be released sometime next year.
Nintendo representatives did not respond to a request for comment.
New details about the Switch 2's alleged magnetic controllers highlight that Nintendo may be looking to improve and refine the design of its popular Switch console, rather than completely inventing a new gaming device. Previous reports also claimed that the Switch 2's new generation of Nintendo would have more powerful processing chips, a better screen and possibly even replaceable batteries.
Learn more: Nintendo Switch 2 expectations: is it coming in 2024?
Nintendo has long been known as one of the most innovative developers in the tech world. It launched a virtual reality headset in 1995, two decades before Meta released the Oculus Rift. Its motion controllers for the Wii debuted in 2005 waves of investment in motion control technologies. And its 1989 Game Boy handheld gaming console is still as beloved as people have been. calls for emulator applications who can play their games on today's smartphones.
Compared to these innovations, Nintendo's addition of magnets to its controllers may not seem like such a big deal. But magnets have proven to be popular features for consumer electronics.
Apple's MagSafe charger cords for its laptops are widely praised, For example. And the company's decision to add MagSafe magnets to the back of its iPhones became so popular that a variation of this approach has been adopted as part of the broader tech industry project Qi2 wireless charging standard.
It's unclear whether Nintendo will expand its new use of magnets beyond its controllers, but we'll likely find out next year.