Nintendo Switch 2 patent suggests you’ll be able to use the console upside down for some reason

An image of the Nintendo Switch 2
(Image credit: Nintendo)

  • A Nintendo Switch 2 patent suggests you will be able to plug in the Joy-Con controllers upside down
  • This would cause the image on its display to flip
  • The patent suggests this could allow users to access certain ports more easily

A new Nintendo Switch 2 patent filed by Nintendo details some potential features of the new Joy-Con controllers, and one apparently allows the system to be used upside down.

As noted by VGC, the patent suggests that the player will be able to turn the controllers upside down and insert them in the opposite sides. The image on the display of the Nintendo Switch 2 would then flip, much like when you rotate a modern smartphone or tablet.

It seems a little bit weird, but it might actually be quite a useful feature. The patent notes that the player might want to use the system upside down to allow for easier access to the 3.5mm headphone jack, which is positioned on the top in the console's standard orientation.

We also know from the Nintendo Switch 2 reveal trailer that the system will feature two USB-C ports - one at the bottom on the center of the console and another on top slightly to the side. Rotating the Nintendo Switch 2 could allow you to charge the system in your preferred position and might even be necessary for some potential accessories.

A small handful of Nintendo games required the original Nintendo Switch to be played in portrait orientation, so maybe we'll see the company experimenting with more ways to hold the successor.

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Dashiell Wood
Hardware Writer

Dash is a technology journalist who covers gaming hardware at TechRadar. Before joining the TechRadar team, he was writing gaming articles for some of the UK's biggest magazines including PLAY, Edge, PC Gamer, and SFX. Now, when he's not getting his greasy little mitts on the newest hardware or gaming gadget, he can be found listening to J-pop or feverishly devouring the latest Nintendo Switch otome.

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