New Nintendo Switch Patent Reveals Big Feature May Be Coming to Joy-Cons

Nintendo may be making some big changes to the Switch's Joy-Cons, or at least that's what a new patent suggests it's flirting with doing. More specifically, a new patent filed by Nintendo and published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, reveals that the Japanese company has been looking into adding a pen attachment to the Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons. According to pictures that accompany the patent, the pen attachment looks like it clicks right into a detached Joy-Con. And it looks pretty basic expect for the little pen-looking nub at the top of it, which probably is where it touches the screen.

As you may know, many Nintendo owners have been asking for the company to add more stylus options to the Nintendo Switch. Obviously, using a regular stylus works fine, but you can't hold both Joy-Cons while using it. With this new design, you could hold both Joy-Cons while using the stylus, which opens up a ton of gameplay capabilities. Further, when combined with HD rumble, you can get direct feedback from the stylus attachment, which a normal stylus can't provide.

That said, not a great deal of games make use of the Switch's touchscreen capabilities. So, unless Nintendo plans on releasing its own games that utilize the tool more, I'm not sure how popular this addition will be.

Of course, just because Nintendo patents something doesn't mean it will ever see the light of the day. Hardware makers -- especially hardware makers as experimental as Nintendo -- file patents all the time that never come to the consumer market. However, unlike some other patents, it's easy to imagine Nintendo releasing this given the practical usage of it. That said, even if it's coming to the market, who knows when it will. It could be something Nintendo saves for the inevitable Nintendo Switch Pro, or whatever Nintendo winds up calling the more powerful Switch it's said to be working on.

For more news, rumors, leaks, media, and information on the Nintendo Switch, be sure to peep all of our previous and extensive coverage of the console by clicking right here. Meanwhile, as always, feel free to leave a comment or two letting us know what you think or, alternatively, hit me up on Twitter @Tyler_Fischer_ and let me know over there.

H/T, Siliconera.