Daily Debate: Does the New Two-Way Joy-Con Charging Stand Mean Joy-Cons Will Work on Switch Successor?
Posted on August 17 2024 by Leslie Jacobson
Just about a month ago, Nintendo announced that in October there will be a new two-way charging stand for Joy-Cons. Shortly after the announcement, some questioned Nintendo’s decision to release this two-way charging stand so late in the Switch’s life cycle. The Switch is seven years old at this point, and Nintendo has already said they’ll make an announcement about the Switch successor sometime before March 2025. Why would Nintendo release a charging stand for a system that will be obsolete within the next couple of years?
One theory is that the current Joy-Cons will be compatible with the Switch successor, but the next console will not have a way to charge the current Joy-Cons. Perhaps the Switch successor will have Joy-Cons that are not susceptible to the drift problems that plague the current console controllers. Some have even refined this theory, speculating that the next console will have similar Joy-Con controllers, but they way they connect or charge will be completely different and non-compatible with the current Switch. For example, there could be a change in the rail design or even magnetic connection for the Switch successor controllers.
Another theory is that this is just a continuation of Nintendo being late on releasing tech compared to Microsoft and Sony. For example, Bluetooth compatibility with the Switch didn’t happen until 2021, four years after the Switch’s initial launch date. Nintendo Online also has been criticized for lacking a good way for online players to communicate with each other compared to the options on Xbox and PlayStation. Nintendo’s lateness with technology has been a mark against it in the supposed console wars.
What do you think? Does the new two-way charging station hint at the current Joy-Cons being compatible with the Switch successor? Is this just another example of Nintendo’s tendency to be late to the table regarding technology? Let us know in the comments!
Leslie is a mom, a cosplayer, an educator, and a fervent fan of The Legend of Zelda series. She lives in an area of the United States that reminds her of the Akkala region in the fall and Hebra the other 11 months of the year. She owns The Legend of Zelda t-shirts older than most of her students.
