Beyond the touch pen nub at the top, the stylus actually looks almost identical to the Joy-Con strap accessory. It has the same two buttons on the side for easier access to the usually tiny SL and SR buttons. It even comes with the same strap. Despite all this, the accessory described in the patent is more than just a fancier version of an existing one. When attached to a Joy-Con, touching an item in-game with the stylus makes the Joy-Con rumble. This allows for feedback in Nintendo Switch games that make use of this accessory that wouldn’t otherwise be possible with standard styluses.
You can also use the buttons on the attached Joy-Cons to affect the way the stylus works on the fly. For example, in a drawing game, you can change the thickness of your pen immediately with a press of a button. To be fair, Nintendo already has a stylus for its Switch. But with this new patent, the company may be looking to combine it with the Joy-Con strap. For those who make use of both, they may at least have the option to buy just one accessory rather than two. But on the flip side, games that actually make use of a stylus are uncommon to begin with. One of the only examples that come to mind is Brain Age. (Source: USPTO via Siliconera)
