Switch 2’s Joy-Con Redesign Wasn’t Easy – Here’s How Nintendo Pulled It Off

The Nintendo Switch 2 may not look drastically different from its predecessor at a glance, but beneath the surface, the Joy-Con controllers have undergone some serious rethinking. In a recent interview with MobileSyrup, Nintendo’s hardware designers pulled back the curtain on how much work went into reengineering one of the most iconic elements of the Switch platform — and let’s just say, magnets were involved. Literally.

Metal Buttons and Magnetic Mounting

According to hardware design lead Tetsuya Sasaki, one of the most unexpected aspects of the new Joy-Con is the use of metal for the SL and SR buttons. Unlike the plastic designs of most console hardware, these buttons had to stick, quite literally, to a magnet inside the system.

“The buttons themselves are made of metal because they need to stick to the magnet on the inside,” Sasaki explained. “In console development, it is incredibly rare for buttons to use metal. It’s one of those ideas that didn’t come up naturally.” Initially, the team explored other attachment mechanisms before finally settling on a magnetic system. It took multiple iterations and the help of modern tech advances to reach a solution that felt intuitive, durable, and user-friendly.

While magnets might sound like a straightforward answer, Sasaki points out that when there’s no existing industry standard, even the “obvious” can feel radical. “The truth is, when the standard doesn’t exist already, it isn’t actually that simple to come up with.”

From Yanking to Clicking: Why a Release Button Became Necessary

Producer Kouichi Kawamoto added another twist to the Joy-Con development tale. Originally, there wasn’t even a button to release the controller from the magnetic mount. That’s right — early prototypes relied solely on players pulling the Joy-Con off.

Sounds risky? Kawamoto thought so, too. “We discussed, ‘Wouldn’t the kids pull it apart?’ My first request was, ‘Please use a strong magnet.’ And the second was, ‘Okay, if you want to be able to pull it, please make sure you can pull it.’ So I gave that conflicting request to the hardware experts.”

After much back and forth, the design team opted for a release button, which made the process smoother, safer, and more intuitive. This also solved the issue of overly strong magnets making detachment a potential hazard (for kids, or frustrated adults alike).

The Real Challenge: Innovation Without Breaking What Works

What made the Switch’s Joy-Con so revolutionary in the first place was its modularity and ease of use. Nintendo didn’t want to lose that. But adding new tech — like magnetic locking — while preserving backward compatibility and ergonomics was a tightrope walk.

The internal team reportedly went through multiple prototype phases, testing out different magnetic strengths, materials, and grip designs before settling on the current version. The final result, while looking deceptively similar to the original Joy-Con, feels more secure, snaps in with a satisfying click, and eliminates some of the wear-and-tear issues of the previous rail system.

What This Means for Switch 2 Owners

For everyday users, the redesigned Joy-Con translates into:

• A sturdier, more secure magnetic snap-on experience.
• SL/SR metal buttons that feel more premium and click reliably.
• A dedicated release button that makes detachment easier and safer.

The bottom line? Nintendo didn’t just iterate on design for aesthetics; they listened to real-world feedback, explored future-facing solutions, and quietly made one of the most significant Joy-Con overhauls yet.

So when you pick up your Switch 2 this June, don’t let the familiar shape fool you — those little details are packed with the kind of care, engineering wizardry, and good ol’ Nintendo weirdness that only this company could pull off.