A nifty 3D printed shell is turning the Nintendo Switch 2’s mouse-capable Joy-Con into a genuinely comfortable pointer device, and it’s exactly the kind of grass-roots hardware tweak that can change how people play. Created by a maker in the wild and freely shared, it’s a snap-in shell that offers the right Joy-Con an expanded, mouse-like body that eliminates wrist strain you might experience when sliding a thin controller around on your desk.
While Nintendo hasn’t said anything about a mouse accessory, this drop-in solution fills a real hole. It makes precision-oriented games — like first-person shooters or strategy games, as well as creative apps — feel more natural to play while maintaining a spirit of the classic SNES Mouse bundled with Mario Paint and applying modern ergonomics and materials to its design.
What the shell does for comfort and mouse control
It’s a rounded, unobtrusive housing that the Joy-Con slides into with a nice, snug friction fit. All that width takes an emaciated, wand-like controller and turns it into something you can palm, making thumb-friendly grip constraints less severe so your right index finger rests in place where it should for nifty R and ZR clicks. Most importantly, the base is flat, evenly distributing pressure, so gliding it around a mouse pad or smooth tabletop feels controlled rather than twitchy.
Design details matter here. Its beveled edges, however, allow it to glide across surfaces without catching, and you can optionally affix PTFE “mouse skates” for even less resistance — a popular third-party set of mouse feet typically costs around $10. Face buttons are accessible, but you’ll need to adjust your hand a bit to reach them, which is an acceptable compromise for the grip.
Made by the Community, Not the Console Maker
The model is from a Reddit user by the name of Melt-in, who posted left and right versions as well as playful variations (Koopa shell and Yoshi egg looks are among them) to the Maker World platform. Rather than the more customary parametric CAD, I modelled it in Blender via polygon modelling and careful manual bevels to aid glide/edge feel — an unusual yet effective process for a part where hand comfort and smooth motion are more important than mechanical tolerances.
Printing is refreshingly accessible. On one of the many ubiquitous fused-filament printers (think Creality Ender-3 and kin), the single-piece design releases from the bed cleanly with some isopropyl alcohol before printing, given that you don’t overdo anything. You should expect a few hours of print time (at 0.2mm layer height) and probably just 60–90 grams (or dollars’ worth) of PLA. The friction fit is adjusted close enough that the Joy-Con will slide in and hold, but can easily be removed without needing tools.
Why a mouse mode matters on Nintendo Switch 2
Mouse input frees you up to achieve a level of precision impossible with analog sticks and difficult to realize even with pure motion controls. That’s important for aiming in shooters, micromanaging RTS units, or painting and level editing — situations where historically you saw the benefit of mice on PC and, relatedly, in Nintendo’s own lineage: the SNES Mouse. The Wii era showed how pointer mechanics can change your game feel; here we have native mouse support, which takes things a step further by giving you continuous position tracking instead of an abstracted gesture.
It’s also an accessibility win. Advocacy organizations like AbleGamers have long advocated for flexible input so we can accommodate diverse motor abilities. A desk-bound mouse form factor can be more gentle on hands and wrists than pressing down the thumbstick for hours at a time, especially if you need to make small precision movements. If developers widely adopt mouse mode, a basic shell like this stops being a lark and becomes — well, more than that: a sensible way to crystallize better play for more people.
Practical considerations and important caveats
The shell is a passive piece — there are no electronics, no firmware — so you are not modding the hardware potted in the Joy-Con; you’re just giving it a more appropriate body for mouse control.
We recommend using either a mouse pad or a smooth desk and looking into PTFE skates if you want an even lighter glide. PLA is fine for most users, and PETG can add some durability if you bust keys. Like any community design, these tolerances can vary by printer and filament, so it’s a good idea to do a quick test fit before initiating a high-detail print.
The bottom line on this Joy-Con mouse shell
Occasionally the most important gaming accessory isn’t a fancy gadget, but something that just fills in a hole in a device’s design. This 3D-printed Joy-Con mouse shell transforms Switch 2’s mouse mode from “neat experiment” to all-evening carry. While we wait for an official accessory to come out, the community has already developed the one players actually want.