Nintendo is known for many things; creating outlandish yet colourful accessories for its consoles is one of them. In a recently observed patent, the Japanese company seems to be adding a Playdate-style hand-crank controls to the Joy-Con 2.
According to Nintendo Patents Watch, the accessory can be magnetically attached to the side of the Switch 2 controllers, giving it some rotational movement on top of its mouse controls (literally and figuratively). If the game supports the attachment, the Joy-Cons 2 will use its mouse sensor to track the rotations of the crank and use that as game inputs.
However, that is not the only accessory planned for the controller, as another patent depicts an attachable clickable wheel. Much like the crank before it, this accessory can be attached to the Joy-Cons 2 magnetically but can possibly be used when you’re dragging the controller about while using its mouse functions.
It’s easy to imagine that these attachments are designed for games with fishing mini-games and the like in mind, but it would not be far-fetched to believe that Nintendo might cook up some special titles that come bundled with the accessory (the previous generation’s Ring Fit Adventures and the Nintendo Labo kits come to mind). Despite these patent applications, it is still unknown if the company will follow through and transform these concepts into real products.
