A patent for a new Nintendo Switch controller has reportedly leaked, causing rumors of a Switch Pro or the alleged Nintendo Switch 2 to once again surface. Multiple reports have claimed a new Switch console was in the works at Nintendo, but the rumors slowed down following the announcement and release of the Nintendo Switch OLED last year.
A new Switch model is highly-anticipated, as many Nintendo Switch fans have been having issues with the console’s Joy-Con controllers due to infamous stick drifting issues. Drift is when a controller reads an input from the analog sticks without them being moved by the player. This can cause issues with gameplay as it can cause the character or a targeting reticule to move independently, which can be particularly frustrating in games that require a level of accuracy such as shooters or platformers. As a result, Nintendo fans have long hoped that a new and improved controller, if not console, would be on its way. When Nintendo issued a statement that the latest OLED version of the Nintendo Switch would use the same controllers for the sake of compatibility, fans’ attention turned to the long-rumored Nintendo Switch Pro or Nintendo Switch 2 consoles as the next possible option for getting redesigned controllers.
Twitter user SillyTweet5 (via ComicBook) has seemingly discovered and shared a patent for a new Nintendo Switch controller that was filed in 2021, published in January 2022, which appears to have come straight from Nintendo itself. More akin to the current Switch Pro Controller than the console’s Joy-Cons, the screenshot shared shows an illustration of a more rounded design with a description of the controller’s housing design, revealing how it’s structured to house its internal components, allowing for more flexible circuits, which could prevent some of the drift issues that the current model has. However, some Twitter users such as Breno Angelotti seemed skeptical and said it looked like it could be: “a home version of some sort of arcade controller, like the Pokken fight pad.“
Over the years, Nintendo has filed many patents for new hardware and software. In the case of hardware, in particular, most of these patents graduate past the conceptual and prototypical stages into an actual consumer product. Sometimes these patents are filed more for a concept or a particular mechanic rather than a final design, and in this case, it was potentially filed for its new housing structure and circuit layouts which could be carried over into the next generation of Nintendo devices, whenever they may arrive.
If one thing’s for sure it’s that fans are still clamoring for new Nintendo Switch products, and Nintendo’s regular filing of patents does indicate that the company seems to be working on new designs and improvements constantly. Whilst many are likely still disappointed that these improvements haven’t been integrated into any products that are currently on the market, it does offer some hope that when the Nintendo Switch Pro or Nintendo Switch 2 does eventually release, it should avoid repeating some of the problems seen in its predecessor.
