Several Nintendo Switch 2 leaks that preceded the design reveal from mid-January showed the next-gen console will feature a new button on the redesigned Joy-Con controllers. The mysterious button had a “C” on it, and leakers were not able to explain its purpose or the letter’s meaning. More puzzlingly, Nintendo decided to hide the C label from the button when it released that Switch 2 design reveal video a few months ago.
Nintendo was able to put an end to Switch 2 leaks with the clip. That was the whole point of the video, as the company didn’t reveal any other details about the new handheld.
Then, Nintendo launched a new mobile app last week, and that’s where it first confirmed the Switch 2’s C button. I said that Nintendo might have made an error or that it didn’t care about it any longer, given that we were just a few days away from the console’s launch.
The Switch 2 Directh launch event happens later on Wednesday. That’s where we’ll learn everything about the new console’s specs, games, price, and release date. Nintendo will also explain all the new features and buttons, including the C-labeled one.
The official C button teaser
That’s why it wasn’t surprising to see Nintendo teas the Switch 2 with a new clip on Tuesday. The focus on that mysterious new button was surprising. The teaser was actually posted on the new Nintendo Today app, where Nintendo had already shown the Switch 2’s C button. That clip made it to social media, as seen above.
The video was posted on Wednesday morning in Japan. It’s definitely not an April Fools, even though it might have appeared online to some users on April 1st due to time zone differences. That’s why the clip ends with a “Today!” teaser, suggesting the mysterious button will finally be explained.
Nintendo’s last-minute teaser of that particular button suggests it’s an important addition to the console. Given the teaser above, Nintendo will surely explain what the C button does.
As for the sound you hear when the button is pressed, it’s probably just a special effect Nintendo chose for the clip. I wouldn’t expect the console to make that sound every time you press the C button. That’s assuming you’ll have a reason to use that button a lot.
The exciting last-minute Nintendo Switch 2 leak
This brings us to something more interesting than the Nintendo teaser, a last-minute leak that provides an incredibly cool reason for that C button to exist. It’s also the most exciting leak about that C button, teasing a bigger feature attached to it than previously believed.
A YouTuber recently posted information from a source, with ComicBook translating the clip (via Kotaku). According to that source, Nintendo Switch owners who buy the Switch 2 will be able to use that C button to establish a connection between the new console and a Switch 1.
The older model could become a controller for the new console, allowing the Switch 1 owner to play a Switch 2 game without buying the new console or the game. Here’s an explanation from a leaker provided over the weekend via ComicBook that pertains to Mario Kart 9:
The leaker went on to provide an example of this feature by bringing up Mario Kart 9, which is the only first-party game confirmed to be going to the new system, and mentioned that a friend could take the Switch 1 and have the Switch 2 user hit the C button to connect the system to the game. A single copy of the game can be used via an internet connection to play with others, including those with a Switch 1. While we aren’t sure if this is done through Bluetooth or WiFi, this will allow players to skip out on the need for split screen when playing multiplayer games.
That would be a very cool feature, especially for multiplayer games like Mario Kart 9. Whatever the case, Nintendo will reveal everything about the Switch 2 in just a few hours. Meanwhile, you can watch the leaker’s original report about the purported C button functionality below.
