Nintendo Switch 2’s Hidden Musical Easter Egg Turns Controllers into a Tiny Symphony

27 May 2025
Nintendo Switch 2
5 min.
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Nintendo Switch 2’s Hidden Musical Easter Egg Turns Controllers into a Tiny Symphony

Summary:

Nintendo’s flair for playful surprises lives on in the Switch 2. Buried inside the familiar “Change Grip/Order” screen is a tiny musical secret: every connected controller chimes a different pitch whenever you tap L or R. With up to four controller sets, you can string together eight distinct tones—enough to pick out simple melodies or liven up a party with improvised jingles. This piece shows you where to find the Easter egg, how the notes are arranged, and why it matters to Nintendo’s long-standing tradition of turning system menus into playgrounds. Expect practical tips, community examples, and a look at how the feature fits the console’s June 5 2025 launch window.

Sneak Peek at the Musical Easter Egg

The Nintendo Today app loves sprinkling tidbits ahead of release, and its latest snippet revealed a whimsical sonic treat hidden in the Switch 2’s controller settings. Open the “Change Grip/Order” screen, tap either shoulder button, and the console chimes back with a perky tone. Stack four controller profiles in a row and each one plays a different pitch, forming a tidy major scale that invites quick bursts of creativity. Whether you’re synchronizing Joy-Con 2 pairs or the updated Pro Controller, the effect is the same: the machine sings every time you press L or R.

How to Access the Hidden Scale

You won’t need a secret code or a firmware hack—just head to System Settings ► Controllers ► Change Grip/Order. Once the pairing screen appears, press L or R on any connected pad. The Switch 2 assigns a note based on the order in which controllers appear from left to right. Pad 1 sounds the tonic, Pad 2 steps up a major second, and so on, delivering up to eight unique pitches if you connect four full controller sets (Joy-Con pairs still count as individual “players” here). Nintendo showcased the trick in a brief social clip, hinting that the tones remain locked to the default key for consistency—ideal for impromptu jams without worrying about sharps or flats.

Note Mapping Across Multiple Controllers

Each “player slot” corresponds to a note on a major scale. Slot 1 = Do, Slot 2 = Re, Slot 3 = Mi, Slot 4 = Fa, Slot 5 = Sol, Slot 6 = La, Slot 7 = Ti, Slot 8 = the higher Do. If you only pair two Joy-Con, you’ll hear Do and Re; add a third device and Mi joins the chorus. Because the tone fires every time you hit L or R, rhythmic experiments become effortless—pound out eighth-note arpeggios or layer simple call-and-response patterns by handing controllers to friends. The trick even works while detached Joy-Con blink in search mode, meaning you can turn a dull pairing ritual into a mini jam session.

Nintendo’s Long Tradition of Playful Menus

This isn’t the first time a Nintendo console snuck music into an interface. GameCube owners fondly remember the twangy memory-card jingles, while the 3DS Home menu let users pitch-bend its background hum by tilting the system. Even the original Switch rewarded shoulder-button presses on its lock screen with randomized percussive pops. By planting a bona-fide scale in Switch 2’s pairing screen, Nintendo nods to that lineage—embracing whimsy without compromising function. The feature serves a practical role, too: unique pitches help players confirm which pad belongs to whom during chaotic multiplayer sessions.

Real-World Uses: Party Tricks, Teaching, Accessibility

Beyond novelty, the Easter egg has real utility. Picture a couch co-op night where each player’s connection tone doubles as a roll call. Teachers could harness the feature in music class, letting students explore intervals with nothing more than a console and four controllers. For gamers with visual impairments, audible feedback offers another cue that their pad is properly assigned. And of course, streamers are already challenging themselves to perform iconic themes—expect Zelda’s Lullaby or Mario’s overworld melody to pop up on TikTok any moment now.

Viral Clips and Community Reactions

In the hours after Nintendo’s teaser, social feeds lit up with quick videos: one user harmonized the first three notes of “Koji Kondo’s Underground Theme,” another demonstrated a swing-time blues with nothing but shoulder taps. Fans joked that Switch 2 may ship with a built-in “Joy-Piano,” while skeptics argued it’s not a true Easter egg if Nintendo advertises it. Either way, the conversation shows how a tiny design flourish can dominate discourse in the ramp-up to launch.

Quick Tips for Composing Simple Melodies

Want to impress friends before “Just Dance 2026” loads? Try these lightning-fast tricks:

• Use two controllers for a call-and-answer pattern—play Do Do Re Do on Pad 1, then let Pad 2 answer with Mi Re Do. • Connect four controllers and assign each to a friend; rehearse a bar of “Twinkle, Twinkle” by tapping in unison. • Experiment with controller order—you can reorder devices by backing out and reconnecting, effectively transposing parts of your scale. Master these basics and you’ll craft catchy riffs long before the loading screen disappears.

Comparing Switch 2’s Easter Egg with Past Consoles

The original Switch limited its shoulder-button clicks to percussive pops, but Switch 2 graduates to pitched notes, widening creative potential. Sony flirted with melodic UI cues on PSP but never exposed them this directly to users, while Microsoft’s Xbox Series X keeps menu sounds subdued. By contrast, Nintendo turns a routine interface into a sandbox. That philosophy echoes the company’s broader design mantra: hardware should invite play at every stage, even in the settings menu.

What Firmware Updates Could Add Next

Could future updates let players swap scales or trigger chords with ZL/ZR? Data miners speculate that additional sound banks may lurk inside the OS, waiting for a seasonal event to unlock them—imagine sleigh bells in December or 8-bit bleeps on Mario Day. Nintendo hasn’t confirmed any such plans, but the Switch 2 ecosystem thrives on iterative tweaks, and the buzz around this Easter egg offers perfect justification for more.

Final Thoughts on Nintendo’s Signature Charm

Nintendo Switch 2 launches worldwide on June 5 2025, and while specs, battery life, and graphical muscle dominate headlines, tiny details like a hidden musical scale remind us why people adore the brand. They add soul, spark spontaneous smiles, and transform even mundane tasks—like pairing a controller—into a moment worth sharing. In the end, that philosophy may be the Switch 2’s greatest selling point: it invites us to play long before the first game boots.

Conclusion

Nintendo’s decision to tuck a full eight-note scale inside the Change Grip/Order screen signals that the company’s playful spirit is alive and humming. From quick co-op roll calls to impromptu living-room concerts, the feature offers equal parts utility and delight. Expect inventive fans to stretch its limits—and perhaps inspire Nintendo to expand the concept in future updates.

FAQs
  • Q: Do I need special hardware to hear the notes?
    • A: No—every Switch 2 controller, including Joy-Con 2 and the new Pro Controller, triggers the sound.
  • Q: How many unique notes can I produce?
    • A: Up to eight, provided you connect four full controller sets or eight single Joy-Con.
  • Q: Does the console change key automatically?
    • A: Currently, the scale stays in one key to keep things simple for quick jams.
  • Q: Can I record these sounds for sharing?
    • A: The built-in 30-second capture function covers system audio, so clips are easy to post.
  • Q: Will Nintendo add more sound sets later?
    • A: Nintendo hasn’t confirmed plans, but past firmware patterns suggest the door is open for seasonal tweaks.
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