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The Switch’s Joy-Con Controllers Have Secrets

The Switch’s Joy-Con Controllers Have Secrets

The Nintendo Switch’s Joy-Con controllers are crazy. And I’m not talking about the color scheme, now that we know there’ll be standard black, neon blue, and neon red options. I’m referring to what they can do. There are so many things packed into them. Perhaps too many! I mean sure, they have the basic control functions. There’s even a Share button similar to the PlayStation 4’s, which allows for screenshot capturing and video recording. But the other specialties go above and beyond.

Some of the things are expected. The Switch’s Joy-Con controllers have an accelerometer and gyroscopic sensors built in for motion control. You know, like the Wii Remotes. The right one will also have an NFC reader built in, so they work with amiibo.

Now, let’s go into the odd stuff. The left controller has a motion IR camera in it. When you have it down, it can recognize hand gestures. It can also determine how far the hand is from the controller when making these moves. There will be “HD Rumble” in both controllers, offering a new sort of haptic feedback. In the example shown during the presentation, it was noted that it can feel like holding a glass of water, with a player even able to tell how many ice cubes were in it.

I’m rather excited about the HD rumble feature and share button. Being able to directly share screenshots and video on the PlayStation 4 is one of my favorite things. And the HD rumble feature seems promising for games like 1-2-Switch . I just hope they’re sturdy and comfortable, because they look a little small.

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