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[Buggy Loop]

The OG thread on Neogaf on this patent focused, as many of the articles/youtubers back then, on the hall magnetic effect. Peoples stopped at HE sticks, bye bye drift! Hooray !

Or not?

The Patent in question

That patent is MUCH MORE than that. I'm surprised to not have seen this discussed here, but god help me, the search engine might have failed me.

It's also a force feedback system that influences directly the analog stick.

HOW?

Well it's a magneto rheological fluid contained inside.



Coils that have a wide range of oscillations, up to 200Hz, voltage controlled creates the magnetic field in. That magnetic field changes the viscosity of the fluid. X & Y Axis are independent from each others magnetically.

Some description in the patent will convince you that its for force feedback

The viscosity can become so thick that a joystick will not recenter by itself or require force.

Or even to make a state which the stick can be moved ONLY in X axis direction

By playing on X & Y fields at maybe different oscillations and viscosity controls, it gives the analog stick a feedback and as they put it "feelings". Corresponding to the scene.

Moving objects in the world could give that feedback, of course everything is programmable but here I can't help but think about Zelda BOTW or TOTK where sheikah abilities of moving things in the world. Blocks getting resistance when hitting an object, you would have trouble moving the stick or if it's in a different medium, like a block underwater, a block in snow, something with friction to the ground, etc. Imagine your character stuck in the mud, with a lot of resistance to movement?

Again... it can stay a patent forever, but if implemented

 

[kevboard]

a force feedback stick was already rumoured back when the Switch 1 leaks started.
what I gotta say tho, is that every mockup shown so far had weird looking sticks... could be just down to the mockups tho

 

[calistan]

That sounds cool but not the sort of tech I'd expect Nintendo to be using in a tiny thumbstick. Maybe in a high-end flight sim stick or something like that. Also, don't MR fluids deteriorate? The higher the performance (speed and strength of activation) the faster they begin to suffer from sedimentation and become less effective.

 

[Buggy Loop]

That sounds cool but not the sort of tech I'd expect Nintendo to be using in a tiny thumbstick. Maybe in a high-end flight sim stick or something like that. Also, don't MR fluids deteriorate? The higher the performance (speed and strength of activation) the faster they begin to suffer from sedimentation and become less effective.

From reports on knee joint with actuators that support human body shocks to ground it lasts 1 million cycles. But they see way high Nm of torque and energy fields than a joycon would ever see. There's also MRFs now with high stability with all kinds of recipes.

a force feedback stick was already rumoured back when the Switch 1 leaks started.
what I gotta say tho, is that every mockup shown so far had weird looking sticks... could be just down to the mockups tho

I don't remember those rumours on Switch 1 ? Cool if so. Maybe an older patent.

This one was filled in May 11, 2023.

 

[calistan]

From reports on knee joint with actuators that support human body shocks to ground it lasts 1 million cycles. But they see way high Nm of torque and energy fields than a joycon would ever see. There's also MRFs now with high stability with all kinds of recipes.

It would certainly make for a cool gimmick if it’s possible! I’d love for the new console to be something other than the Switch Pro we seem most likely to be getting.

I don’t see how it fits with Nintendo’s policy of repurposing cheap old tech though (or what it would do for the joycon’s battery life).

 

[kevboard]

I don't remember those rumours on Switch 1 ? Cool if so. Maybe an older patent.

This one was filled in May 11, 2023.

yeah, the specific example that I remember was given is if you run against a wall, the stick will push against you.
this was around the same time where the rumour about scroll wheel L and R buttons was floating around.

lot's of crazy stuff was rumoured ahead of the NX reveal lol

 

[rabbity-thing]

I suppose it'll be neat to actually FEEL the drift this time around.

 

[Buggy Loop]

It would certainly make for a cool gimmick if it’s possible! I’d love for the new console to be something other than the Switch Pro we seem most likely to be getting.

I don’t see how it fits with Nintendo’s policy of repurposing cheap old tech though (or what it would do for the joycon’s battery life).

This could be replacing the old HD rumble to not have extra battery life draining.

Nintendo at the least always try something new with controllers. We don't know the gimmick for sure yet, except that for sure we see optical sensors on them if the leaks at even accurate.

I suppose it'll be neat to actually FEEL the drift this time around.

This of course is magnetic. No drift possible.


They get to have a new gimmick, a new HD rumble, and no joycon drift lawsuits looming for a 2nd gen. Feels like a no brainer (watch them not do any of that, I just jinxed it,.)

 

[diffusionx]

 

[Robb]

I’d be up for some new analog stick features. But at the end of the day all I’m hoping for is that the Hall Effect rumors are true.