KEY POINTS

  • A newly discovered Nintendo document reveals that the company could be working on a new Joy-Con design
  • The said Switch controller does not have connectors and + and  - buttons
  • Nintendo is also rumored to release a new Switch Pro in 2021

A recently discovered Nintendo document seemingly reveals that the company is exploring a new kind of standalone Joy-Con controller. The patent illustrates the company’s proposed design for the said controller. Nintendo made headlines over the past weeks when reports of a new Nintendo Switch model arriving in 2021 surfaced online.

Filed in May 2018 and registered in April 2020, the newly discovered Nintendo patent features several images of the Joy-Con controller's updated design. It appears that the Japanese gaming giant is planning to scrap the connectors attached to the hybrid console with the new Joy-Con. Another noticeable difference shown in the patent is the + and - buttons, which appear to be missing in the proposed design.

Apart from these, the new design that Nintendo proposed features a lot of similarities with the current Joy-Con. VGC speculates that the design in the patent could just be a prototype. The site also considers the possibility that the Joy-Con could be a supplement to the Nintendo Switch Lite.

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10. Nintendo - Nintendo, the gaming king, struggled to find their niche. They began with handmade playing cards, then taxis, hotels, and food. Finally, they switched to toys and ultimately gaming in the 70s. CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images

It does make sense, however, if the Japanese gaming giant releases standalone Joy-Con sticks. It is worth mentioning that the Switch Lite does not come with detachable controllers and some owners might find it interesting if there are individual Joy-Cons, particularly for local multiplayer in tabletop mode.

The Switch Lite does not come with HD rumble or an IR motion camera. This means that some game features are not available if the player uses the portable console alone. Moreover, games like “Super Mario Galaxy” require detachable Joy-Cons, especially its co-op two-player mode.

It is worth mentioning that this is just a patent and there is a chance that it might not be developed into a commercial product. Meanwhile, Nintendo is rumored to launch the Switch Pro model next year. Bloomberg claimed that while the updated hardware has yet to have its specifications finalized, it could feature upgraded power and support for 4K resolution graphics.

Economic News Daily also reported that a new Nintendo Switch model is arriving in 2021. The said model would feature interactivity and improved display quality, the Taipei-based publication added.

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