Wider Joy Con
Image: LetsGoDigital

Prior to the release of the Switch, Nintendo filed a series of Joy-Con patents with the Japanese patent office in August 2016. Some had buttons in different locations, D-pads, no control sticks and there was even a wide design in consideration.

Although we already know the one Nintendo prefers (see the first image below), LetsGoDigital decided to create some mock-ups of these other patents, to see what they would potentially look like if they were ever released. Here's each one:

Nintendo Switch Patents
Image: LetsGoDigital

The wider Joy-Con model is possibly the most fascinating of the lot, presumably offering a better grip for larger hands and potentially fewer cramps during prolonged gaming sessions. According to LetsGoDigital, it even had analog triggers instead of digital ones.

This is followed up by more regular-sized Joy-Con, replacing both analog sticks with D-pads. While the left control pad would be great for fighting games, genres like racing, FPS, 3D platformers and open-world sandbox adventures would not have been quite as enjoyable.

Last of all is a pair that includes two control sticks, two control pads, and two buttons on each side. It all seems a bit crowded, and if you look at the patent, the control sticks appear to be more like the ones on the 3DS models.

What do you think of these controllers compared to the Joy-Con currently available? Share your thoughts below.

[source nl.letsgodigital.org]