Latest news with #NintendoPatentsWatch
Engadget
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Engadget
Nintendo designed a Playdate-like crank for the Switch 2
Nintendo has eyed adding a Playdate-style crank to the Switch 2, according to a recently spotted patent from Nintendo Patents Watch. The hypothetical accessory would add tracking rotational movement to an existing bag of Joy-Con 2 controller tricks that includes motion and mouse controls. Based on the patent application, the crank accessory attaches to the side of a Joy-Con 2 magnetically, not unlike the controllers' wrist straps. Whichever game supports the accessory can use the Joy-Con 2's mouse sensor to track the rotations of the crank as an input. Fishing games or games with dedicated fishing mini-games, like Animal Crossing: New Horizons , seem like the obvious contenders for an accessory like this, but knowing Nintendo there are weirder possibilities, too. A patent illustration that shows what looks like a click wheel attachment on a Joy-Con 2 controller. (Nintendo) Another patent imagines a similar setup being used for a clickable wheel. The patent illustrations looks like a lighter, but the accessory could just as easily be used while dragging a Joy-Con 2 along a surface. It might even add extra resistance or friction to the Switch 2's mouse controls. Given that these are patent applications, there's no guarantee Nintendo plans on turning either of them into real products. Still, they're a glimpse at the Switch 2's untapped potential for supporting goofy accessories, something that defined a good portion of the Wii's lifespan. The wildest Nintendo got with the original Switch was Nintendo Labo, cardboard accessories that turned the console into everything from a VR headset to a simple fishing rod. A crank might be the first of several adventurous accessories for Nintendo's new console.
Metro
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Nintendo rips off Playdate console in patent for new Switch 2 accessory
Nintendo's latest console might be getting several bizarre accessories, as new Switch 2 Joy-Con patents emerge. The Joy-Cons on the original Switch received several accessories over the years but, other than the steering wheel, most of them were sensible additions like charging grips and wrist straps. You might've expected more, considering how versatile the controllers are, and the same could be said for the Switch 2's improved Joy-Con 2, which possess all the same features but add mouse controls and magnetic connections. While Nintendo has likely experimented with various obscure accessories over the years, we now have evidence of at least two up for consideration – and one of them will look familiar to anyone who has ever clamped eyes on a Playdate. As spotted by Nintendo Patents Watch on Bluesky, Nintendo filed a patent for an attachable crank for the Joy-Con 2 in February last year. The patent, which was made public on August 7, 2025, shows a rotary disc which is tracked by the mouse sensor. It's connected to the Joy-Con 2 via the controller's magnets, much like the mouse wrist strap bundled with the Nintendo Switch 2. The Playdate portable console has a very similar looking crank and various games on the console use it as a controller. Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. It's unclear though, if this does materialise as a product, if it will be used for a similarly wide range of uses on the Switch 2 – or if it will simply become a fishing novelty in the next Animal Crossing. Another patent shows some kind of clickable wheel, where the rotation is tracked by the mouse sensor via a sequence of gears. The wheel itself clicks into the SL button, while a second button is hooked up to the SR button. More Trending The wheel would presumably allow for more precise control when it comes to scrolling with the mouse, but it could also function like a camera where you click in to take photos. The existence of these patents doesn't necessarily mean they will become mass market products, but they certainly feel very Nintendo. As a reminder, this is the same company who released a toy range for the Switch made entirely from cardboard. Beyond potential Joy-Con attachments, Nintendo's focus right now is probably on nailing down release dates for its first party line-up. After two Nintendo Direct presentations over recent weeks, we still don't have dates for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, Kirby Air Riders, or Hyrule Warriors: Age Of Imprisonment. Email gamecentral@ leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader's Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. MORE: GTA 6 cost might surprise fans as Take-Two boss talks 'fair price' MORE: Battlefield 6 already filled with cheaters as beta beats Call Of Duty records MORE: Microsoft kills another Xbox exclusive but Hideo Kojima's OD is still alive
