BODY: Bethesda quietly slipped one of the more interesting control experiments of the year into the Switch 2 launch window. The Japanese release of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on May 12 supports not just standard controller input and six-axis gyro aiming, but also the Joy-Con 2's new mouse mode โ and crucially, you can use them all at the same time.
The setup leans on the Joy-Con 2's redesigned optical sensor, which lets the controller function as a desktop mouse when laid flat. In Great Circle, that means a player can hold the left Joy-Con like a traditional grip while sliding the right unit across a tabletop to aim Indy's revolver or crack a whip. Drop the right Joy-Con and tilt instead, and the game seamlessly hands aiming back to the gyroscope.
This isn't just a toggle buried in the options menu. The two input methods coexist live, which is unusual โ most games that support both force players to commit to one scheme per session. Bethesda's implementation suggests close coordination with Nintendo's hardware team, since the mouse functionality is one of the Switch 2's headline differentiators and few third-party titles have leaned into it this aggressively at launch.
For a game built around precise aiming, environmental puzzles, and the iconic whip โ which demands both flicks and sustained pulls โ the hybrid scheme is more than a novelty. It's arguably the most ergonomic way to play the game on a portable platform.
The insider take
Japanese coverage of the Switch 2 launch has been heavily focused on Nintendo's first-party showcase, so a Bethesda port quietly nailing the mouse-plus-gyro hybrid is the kind of detail that flies under the radar outside of enthusiast outlets like GAME Watch. Domestically, MachineGames' Indy game has been a slow burn โ it shipped on Xbox and PC last year to strong reviews but limited Japanese visibility. The Switch 2 release, with its tactile control gimmick, may end up being the version that finally gets it noticed here.
Originally reported by GAME Watch (Japanese).