For Real Though—The Joy-Con IR Sensor?! Scott's Thoughts

$50. That’s how much it costs to buy half a controller in the Nintendo Switch era.

Don’t get me wrong! I like the Joy-Con. They’re packed with a lot of technology with plenty of inputs, HD rumble, NFC read/write, and weirdest of all: an IR camera.

This useless feature was announced in January, and was shown off with the ability to detect rock-paper-scissors motions.
I don’t know about you, but I can play rock-paper-scissors in real life, and I’m not particularly eager to face off against a computer opponent.

Oh, and I can’t forget the 1-2-Switch implementation in Eating Contest, which totally works and no one is ever frustrated with.

Sigh.

As usual, Nintendo went overboard and had one too many ideas with their new hardware. The Wii Classic Controller clip comes to mind.

Infrared has been used successfully on Wii, for pointer controls, and on 3DS for amiibo accessory connectivity. This is not one of those times.

Prove me wrong, Nintendo! Your move.

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Scott

Scott is an author and a lifelong fan of video games. Conqueror of punishing platformers such as Celeste, Super Meat Boy, N+, The Impossible Game, and Super Mario Bros. 2: The Lost Levels. You can find him constantly changing his main character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, stuck inside a VR headset, or helplessly addicted to Fortnite.

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