Earlier this month Nintendo revealed an official stylus for the Nintendo Switch console, but judging by a recent patent filing, the company has big plans to further incorporate the accessory.
Perhaps taking its cue from the Samsung Galaxy Note series of smartphones, Nintendo is planning to build a ‘touch pen’ accessory into the Switch Joy-Con controllers.
Judging by images within the patent, published last week, the stylus attachment will poke out from the +/- sign within the Joy-Con wrist strap, which are used when the Joy-Con’s are detached from the main console unit.
The patent shows how the nib of the stylus sticks out of the wrist strap and can be used whether it’s attached or detached from the Joy-Con. It also points out other possibilities for the accessory, including a HD rumble, when the nib touches the screen.
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Nintendo also explains how the actual buttons on the Joy-Con could be used to change the functionality of the stylus. For example, it could display a drawn line in thick or thin digital ink on the display itself.
Nintendo appears to have filed the patent in June last year, before it announced the official stylus was on the way. Whether Nintendo is still planning on this new attachment or is now settling for the standalone accessory remains to be seen.
Currently listed only on the Nintendo UK store, the peripheral will go on sale on February 3 for just £6.99, which is cheaper than many of the third-party options out there.
The company is advertising compatibility with Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training and Super Mario Maker 2. On the product page, Nintendo said the “stylus is the perfect tool for sketching out the Super Mario course you’ve always dreamed of in handheld mode.”
Given gamers have had to use their fingers to move level items into the perfect position until now, we’d imagine the stylus will be an essential purchase for Mario Maker owners – especially at such an attractive price point compared with other official Switch accessories.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.