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Nintendo Explains Why Switch 2 Controllers Don’t Have Analog Triggers

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On April 11, 2025

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Summary

Nintendo Switch 2 controllers won’t have analog triggers.
Nintendo decided digital triggers were a better fit for Switch 2.
Nintendo also said that some developers prefer digital triggers.

The Nintendo Switch 2’s controllers won’t have analog triggers, and some of Nintendo’s top hardware experts have just explained why. The Switch 2’s Joy-Con 2 controllers have a few upgrades to set them apart from their predecessors on the original Switch. Instead of a rail system, the new Switch 2 controllers connect to the tablet with magnets – something that Nintendo actually considered for the original Switch at one point. There is also a new C Button that controls the console’s new GameChat feature, and the individual Joy-Con 2 controllers can be placed sideways and used as a mouse.

Those who prefer a more traditional gaming experience will be able to pick up the Nintendo Switch 2’s Pro Controller, which was unveiled during the same Nintendo Direct that revealed the console’s price and release date. This too has a few upgrades from its counterpart on the original Switch, such as a 3.5mm audio jack for headphones and GL and GR buttons on its grips that can be mapped to other buttons to the user’s liking.

what microsoft absence at switch 2 direct could mean for xbox showcase

What Microsoft’s Absence at the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct Could Mean for the June Xbox Event

Microsoft was almost entirely absent from Nintendo’s Switch 2 Direct, but that could be because it’s saving some reveals for its upcoming June event.

However, neither of these Nintendo Switch 2 controller options will have analog shoulder buttons, instead keeping the digital triggers of the original Switch. Nintendo Switch 2 producer Kouichi Kawamoto and technical director Tetsuya Sasaki explained why this is in a recent interview with VentureBeat. Sasaki admitted that it was partially due to some “very fussy developers” preferring digital shoulder buttons, while Kawamoto said that his team decided that the instant input of digital triggers was a better fit for the Switch 2 over the brief lag that comes with analog ones.

Nintendo Decided That “Instant Input” Digital Triggers Were a Better Fit for Switch 2

In contrast to both the Nintendo Switch and its upcoming successor, both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S use analog triggers for their controllers, as does Valve’s Steam Deck handheld. Many players prefer the use of analog triggers for certain genres like racing games due to them being able to sense how far back the player is pulling them.

While the standard Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Con 2 and Pro controllers will instead use single-press digital shoulder buttons, the re-released Nintendo GameCube controller will presumably retain the original version’s analog triggers due to how many classic GameCube games utilized them. In other news, Nintendo also recently confirmed that the Switch 2 controllers won’t have Hall Effect joysticks, a disappointing development for some as this would’ve helped avoid the wear-and-tear that led to joystick drift on the original Switch.