A recently approved Joy-Con patent may offer the first glimpse of what the Nintendo Switch Pro controller will look like.

The patent, found by Nintendo Academy at the USPTO, features a Joy-Con with a redesigned and repositioned D-pad similar to those found on the Nintendo Switch Lite and Nintendo 3DS. There is also a circle pad below the main joystick, which is also similar to the pad on the Nintendo 3DS.

We are definitely pleased that Nintendo is including the Switch Lite's D-pad on the Joy-Cons.

We are less enthusiastic about the prospect of a circle pad being added to the left Joy-Con. While we always appreciate more input options on a controller, the circle pad was not universally loved on the 3DS and can be quite cumbersome to use, especially in games that require precision.

Aside from these additions, the general appearance of the controller is nearly identical to the current Switch's Joy-Con; the rail system for sliding the Joy-Con into the Switch itself has not been modified, and the triggers remain intact. The patent strongly suggests that Nintendo is considering making smaller tweaks to the Joy-Cons rather than completely redesigning them.

If Joy-Cons are to be redesigned, a major issue that would need to be fixed is the persistent joystick drift problem that has plagued the Nintendo Switch pretty much since its launch. It has gotten so bad that Nintendo is facing multiple lawsuits over the issue, and a controller redesign would certainly address this problem.

The patent was originally filed in 2018 and was just approved this month. Of course, it is worth noting that companies often apply for patents for products that do not ultimately make it into production. As such, there is certainly no guarantee that this tweaked Joy-Con will see the light of day.

Nevertheless, the discovery of this patent has led many gamers to speculate that it is further evidence that the Nintendo Switch Pro is indeed real and will appear this year.

Bloomberg recently noted that the Nintendo Switch Pro could use Nvidia's AI technology to upscale games to 4K resolution. This report added more oil to the fire of Nintendo Switch Pro rumors that had been steadily growing over the past few weeks. It seems certain that Nintendo is preparing something, and this patent may be the latest hint.

With so many rumors and theories flying around about the Switch Pro, Nintendo plans to make an official announcement this year. And if this patent is any indication, we could be getting a refreshed Joy-Con set along with a more powerful device.