Random: Fan Builds Program That Lets Switch Joy-Con Play Music Using HD Rumble

Your new, shiny, expensive Switch controllers may well suffer from the dreaded Joy-Con drift at some point, but boy can they hold a tune.

Reddit user Sarossilli has given the Switch’s cutesy controllers a new lease of life, allowing them to be the musical superstars they always wanted to be by making a custom-built program. The program in question allows MIDI files to be played via the Joy-Con’s HD Rumble feature, resulting in great little performances like this:

OK, sure, some of the notes sound a little off, but considering the Joy-Con don’t have any strings, keys, reeds, or vocal cords (or speakers, we suppose), we think they’re doing a stellar job.

So, how does that even work? Well, the Joy-Con’s advanced rumble tech can be manipulated to such a precise degree that it can hit specific musical notes – all sounds are simply vibrations, after all. Nintendo has actually used this trick in a few official game releases before such as Super Mario Party (where your Joy-Con plays a little tune when it’s your turn), and Kirby Star Allies, which does this: