Nintendo planned a Switch stylus attachment for your Joy-Con Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. Nintendo planned a Switch stylus attachment for your Joy-Con Patent pen-ding. News by Tom Phillips Deputy Editor Updated on 23 Apr 2021 8 comments Nintendo has filed a patent application for a stylus which connects to the Switch's Joy-Con. Proposed designs popped up online this week (thanks, Siliconera) and show a rejigged Joy-Con strap with a pen-like nubbin on top. When attached to a Joy-Con, the device would act as a stylus for the Switch in handheld mode. Examples for its use shown in the proposed patent include as a simple touchscreen input, or to allow more detailed drawing. You can imagine it being handy for things like Dr Kawashima's Brain Training's touchscreen puzzles, or level design in Super Mario Maker 2. The patent application also details interactivity with the Joy-Con's HD Rumble capability, which can give feedback based on what the stylus selects, and with the Joy-Con's buttons, which could be used to quickly toggle between drawing settings. As ever, it's worth remembering Nintendo patents a lot of weird and wonderful things - and while some never see eventual release, it's always interesting to find out what the company is mulling. In this case? Well, this patent application dates back to the summer of last year and this month Nintendo finally released a standalone Switch stylus - a £7 pen-like prodder, available through the Nintendo Official UK Store, which is likely cheaper than this Joy-Con attachment would have been. Or, y'know, you could just poke the screen with your finger for free. Become a Eurogamer subscriber and get your first month for £1 Get your first month for £1 (normally £3.99) when you buy a Standard Eurogamer subscription. Enjoy ad-free browsing, merch discounts, our monthly letter from the editor, and show your support with a supporter-exclusive comment flair! Support us View supporter archive More News Google announces cloud gaming Chromebooks less than a fortnight after Stadia shutdown GeForce Now preinstalled. 4 Atari will hold RollerCoaster Tycoon rights for another decade Ups and downs. 7 Lady Dimitrescu will be a tad smaller in Resident Evil Village's Mercenaries DLC Level the playing field. 1 Overwatch 2 suffers another DDoS attack and character roster bugs Mei Mei. 13 Latest Articles Digital Foundry Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090: a new level in graphics performance The Digital Foundry video review - and how the new GPU champion delivers for 4K 120fps gaming. Google announces cloud gaming Chromebooks less than a fortnight after Stadia shutdown GeForce Now preinstalled. 4 Feature Evercore Heroes wants to wind people up the right way "There's less rage at them, because they didn't end your fun." Genshin Impact Path of Gleaming Jade dates, login event rewards Including other anniversary rewards and how to claim them. Supporters Only Premium only Off Topic: Take a minute to appreciate Cookin' with Coolio's incredible scallops recipe. What a great book. Premium only Off Topic: Reading City of Glass in comic form "Where exactly am I going?" Premium only Off Topic: Il Buco is a transporting film about a really big hole Underlands. Off-Topic Netflix handled Sandman brilliantly It was Dreamy. 9 Buy things with globes on them And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store! Explore our store