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.

You might also like...

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.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

Read more
The Lenovo Legion Go being used to play an FPS game on a tabletop.
The Nintendo Switch 2 might borrow this fantastic Lenovo Legion Go feature
The Legend of Zelda
Will the Nintendo Switch 2 feature AI upscaling? This patent suggests it’s on the cards
Nintendo Switch Joy-Con pastel controllers
New Nintendo Switch 2 leak may give us our first genuine photos of its controller
Nintendo Switch Lite
The Nintendo Switch 2 logo could have leaked, and it's exactly what I expected
Nintendo Switch 2
Nintendo Switch 2: what we know about the next-generation system so far
Super Mario Odyssey played on a Nintendo Switch in portable mode
It's happened again, another alleged look at the Nintendo Switch 2 has leaked online
Latest in Nintendo
The Hori Split Pad Pro attached to a Nintendo Switch OLED and placed on a colorful desk mat.
I've used the Hori Split Pad Pro with my Nintendo Switch for years and it's still great, but there are some better options in 2025
An image of the Nintendo Switch 2
Nintendo Switch 2 patent suggests you’ll be able to use the console upside down for some reason
Monster Hunter Wilds
Monster Hunter Wilds producer discusses potential Nintendo Switch 2 port: 'we'd need to take our time to get to know the exact nature of the hardware'
Nintendo Switch 2 rumored mouse mode
I don't care what the haters say, the Nintendo Switch 2's rumored mouse mode is by far the most exciting feature coming to the new console
An image of the Nintendo Switch 2
Don't worry about the Nintendo Switch 2 price, Nintendo says it will follow the 'affordable prices customers expect'
An image of the Nintendo Switch 2
Leaked listing suggests the Nintendo Switch 2 could cost less than $400, but I don't believe it
Latest in News
A graphic of the PC Gaming Show
Get ready for a bounty of PC games on June 8, as the PC Gaming show is back
A smartphone on a sofa showing the WhatsApp, Telegram and Signal apps
Forget AI – WhatsApp is planning a simple messages feature that could be its most useful upgrade in years
NordicTrack Ultra 1
The new NordicTrack Ultra 1 treadmill looks like it was designed by an architect and costs $15,000
An Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070
Nvidia RTX 5080 stock is so barren that retailers are holding competitions where you can "win" the right to buy one for MSRP
Assassin's Creed Shadows
Ubisoft shareholder accuses publisher of 'misleading investors', plans protest outside Paris HQ
Google Gemini AI logo on a smartphone with Google background
I made an AI version of Bilbo Baggins using Goggle Gemini for free, and shared a pipe with him outside Bag End – here’s what you can now do with Gems