Noobenheim News for Nerds Joy-Con Hardware
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The Joy-Con controller was the biggest surprise to me. It seemed rather lackluster in the reveal, but it is packed full of technology and features.
Of course it has all the standard buttons: two analog sticks (each can be pressed as a button as well), A/B/X/Y buttons, shoulder buttons, and the -/+ and HOME buttons that started with the Wii release. It also contains ZL and ZR buttons in the back and a release button to undock from the grip and console. The legendary D-pad has now been replaced with four buttons. When disconnected and each side used solo for multiplayer, each controller contains SL/SR buttons for rotated shoulder buttons.
The Joy-Con controllers will come in various colors on launch. There’s the grey color we’ve all come to know, but also Neon Blue and Neon Red which you can get instead of the grey color included with the system (there will be one of each color in the box).
The right Joy-Con controller (possibly the left as well, but displayed was the right) has an NFC reader which will allow Amiibo usage on the new console.
Each Joy-Con can attach to a Joy-Con wrist strap so you don’t go breaking TVs like the epidemic with the Wii release. It slides onto the Joy-Con just like the controller would attach to the console or the grip controller. Notably, it extends the Joy-Con a bit which seems like it could be a more comfortable handle.
The biggest surprise I had was the inclusion of the Capture button, a dedicated button allowing you to capture screenshots and (in the future) game video to share with friends via social media. It’s refreshing to see Nintendo embracing the social aspect of gaming, and we can always hope there will be a dedicated streaming-to-Twitch feature in the future.
Internally, each side has its own accelerometer and gyroscope, but a huge surprise was the inclusion of an IR Motion Camera located on the bottom of the right Joy-Con controller. This allows the controller to sense the shape, motion, and distance of objects in front of it. During the presentation, it was mentioned the sensor could have a player play a game of rock, paper, scissors and the sensor could tell the shape and distance of your hand.
Another surprise came in the form of what Nintendo calls HD Rumble. It’s rather hard to explain, so just check out this video instead:
It seems like the next big step in rumble technology and pretty immersive.
You can buy the Joy-Con separately from one another for $49.99 MSRP (left or the right), or packaged together for $79.99 MSRP.
