Apparently the patent for a new Nintendo Switch controller, or the controller for the next Nintendo console, has leaked.

I don't know exactly what to make of this, why is it circular? And Sony is making a similar controller for the PS5 called the PS5 Accessible Controller or something.

Well, what do you all make of this?

It's patent. Remember the Oval device before Switch was revealed? Nothing came of that either. Patents don't mean much other than they had an idea and made a patent to secure it in case they want to use it. Don't give it much more thought than that.

True, but what if this time it's not gonna be abandoned like the ovular device before the Switch? We may want to listen for anything new that comes from this.

Game companies patent various different controller designs that they never end up using. Could be an accessibility controller like PS5's, could be some random peripheral, or most likely something that will never see that light of day.

Here's another thing, what makes Sony's controller an accessibility controller? Is it designed so that you play it while holding it one way or another?

You can use either hand for the joystick, whichever is more dexterous. You can use an analog stick or what seems closer to an arcade stick, which can be gripped more like an arcade stick. That means the movement is coming mainly from your shoulder and elbow joints. This is good for people with some form of carpal tunnel, which mainly impacts the more sensitive and often overused joints in the fingers. 

Because of the disc shape of the controller, you can plant your fingers on five of the buttons, and activate them by simply pressing down. You can set the buttons to toggle, so you won't have to hold a run or crouch button. You can assign two buttons to one input.

With a traditional controller, you are going to have to use your thumb for at least four buttons which involves motion beyond just applying pressure. Your index fingers will each have to cover two buttons and move between them (unless people use their middle finger for the back triggers? Does anyone do that?). You can also lay this flat on a table which means you don't have have to constantly have your fingers flexed as with a typical controller. And, it has multiple expansion ports so you can have other accessories to use with it. 

In a lot of ways, this is more like an arcade stick, which makes sense if you think about it. Most FGC players prefer to use fight sticks because they minimize the amount of movement necessary to allow you to do combos and such easier. Likewise, someone who has difficulty with their hands will want to minimize the amount of movement necessary. 

The accessibility controller is pretty cool. I sometimes worry that someday I'll find it difficult to play videogames as my hands get older, and I'm glad they're working on solutions. Probably what this Nintendo thing is all about, which would be a good thing. 

What has been said above already. We've seen controller patents ending up to be nothing but a smoke screen to the real deal.

The way this controller looks would obviously be against the idea of the Switch current form factor so this has to serve another purpose.

I was thinking it was something like that, but you put it better. ^^

The oval controller was actually a fake mock-up scam prior to the Switch launch.
https://www.polygon.com/2016/3/25/11303690/nintendo-nx-controller-hoax

Patents are "ideas" that are protected under intellectual property laws, they are NOT products... And it would be nice to see this community move on from propagating each and every single rumor, which many people end up believing as fact.

To be fair, that was how this forum lived throughout most of 2016 since it wasn't much a incredible year for the medium. The NX phenomenon was truly unique. 

In comparison, the Switch sequel isn't gonna garner the insane buzz because the internet is already expecting an iteration on the Switch, there isn't room to speculate as much