Nintendo’s Magnetic Joy-Con Experiment: A Closer Look at What Went Wrong
Last week, we received our initial glimpse of Nintendo Switch 2, following a barrage of leaks and reports regarding the console’s final design and features. As anticipated, it has been confirmed that the Switch 2 will utilize magnetic Joy-Cons, departing from its predecessor’s mechanical rail locking system.
However, while this feature will certainly be novel for us as Switch 2 users, Nintendo actually experimented with the use of magnets for its original console as well.
A video shared by former employee Krysta Yang showcases Nintendo executive Yoshiaki Koizumi – who she refers to as “the person behind Nintendo Switch” – conversing with Yang and fellow Nintendo veteran Kit Ellis about Joy-Con back in 2017.
“One of the ideas the [Switch] team was really passionate about and what he was keen on was utilizing magnets” to attach the Joy-Con to the device itself, Yang mentions, before cutting to footage from those years ago.
In this resurfaced footage, the Nintendo executive revealed that the company explored numerous approaches to connect the Joy-Con, but regarding the magnets, the concept was viable in theory, yet lacked sufficient actual adherence when put into practice.
“As you would play, sometimes [the Switch] would simply fall into your lap,” Mister Koizumi commented humorously.
Ultimately, as everyone knows, Nintendo opted for the rail locking system, which provided a stable foundation for the Joy-Con while also delivering that “satisfying snap that the magnets would have provided”.
Looking back on this video,