Engineer creates Switch Joy-Con controller for one-handed players

Mechatronics engineer Julio Vazquez has created a Joy-con adapter that makes it possible to play the Nintendo Switch one-handed, making the console slightly more accessible.

Two blueprints for the design are available to download via Vazquez’s Thingverse page, with the first being a shell that holds the Joy-con gamepads together, allowing for one-handed use. The second design is a little more unusual looking and slots the Joy-cons together at a sharp right angle.

Amusingly, Vazquez says the design of the controller was inspired by The Legend Of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’s Sheikah Slate.

“The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has a complex control scheme, and the shape of the included Joy-Con grip doesn’t help at all. So, I decided to make a customized grip that would help in this situation,” writes Vasquez on the controller’s blueprint page.

Vazquez says that he developed the unique controller at request of his friend Rami Wehbe, who wanted a way to play Breath of the Wild with only his left hand. Wehbe lost the ability to use his right hand following a cerebrovascular accident.

“This current design was the result of almost a week of research and lots of failed prototypes, as I had to ensure that it would be easy to print, lightweight and practical. After testing that it works properly, we decided to share it, so that it can be of help to other gamers in a similar situation,” writes Vazquez in his Thingverse post about the project.

Vasquez, however, says Wehbe actually found an issue with his original design, causing him to revamp it slightly. Because of the size of Wehbe’s hands, it was difficult for him to reach the Joy-con’s shoulder buttons comfortably. The second version of the one-handed gamepad design reduces the space between the Joy-cons, though his Thingverse page hosts both iterations of the one-handed controller.

Source: Thingverse Via: IGN