A newly published Nintendo patent reveals the company has explored the possibility of creating a “touch pen attachment” for Nintendo Switch.

Filed in June 2019 and published this month, the patent (via Siliconera) describes a stylus-like device housed in what looks like the existing Joy-Con controller strap.

It can be attached to either the left or right Joy-Con controller and features a nib at the top for interacting with the console’s touch screen in handheld mode.

One patent image shows how pressing a button on the Joy-Con controller could alter the thickness of the touch pen’s stroke, while another shows the controller rumbling in response to an on-screen object being touched.

Nintendo’s UK arm recently released a standalone stylus for Switch priced at £6.99, but Nintendo of America has chosen not to sell one and doesn’t recommend using third-party products.

The company previously offered an official Switch stylus as a Super Mario Maker 2 pre-order bonus in some regions, enabling users to sketch courses when playing in handheld mode, while a stylus is also included with the packaged version of Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training.

Nintendo recently chose not to comment on a report claiming it will launch a new Switch model in mid-2020.

Citing sources from the related supply chain, Taiwanese website DigiTimes said the new Switch hardware will enter mass production in the first quarter of this year.