A new patent filed by Microsoft details a new design for ‘removable game controllers’ that could function akin to Nintendo’s Joy-Con controllers.
As reported by Windows Latest, the patent was filed by Microsoft in 2017, but has only just been published by the US Patent and Trademark Office. The patent itself is for a charging device, but the ‘removeable input modules’ the device charges are controllers that can be attached to a touch-screen mobile device.
Illustrations in the patent show the basic structure of a traditional Xbox controller that can be split into two halves. When in the charging device, they appear more like a traditional controller, akin to how Joy-Cons look when docked into the controller peripheral.
Source: IGN.com Microsoft Patent Reveals Detachable Joy-Con Style Controllers