Nintendo Finally Released This Useful Switch Accessory

Sometimes we forget that the Nintendo Switch actually has a touchscreen. Today, Nintendo reminded us that, yes, you're free to get your grimy fingerprints all over the screen if you like. Or you can behave like a civilized gamer and use a stylus.

The official Nintendo Switch Stylus has just launched, and, as one would expect, it is "designed for use with the Nintendo Switch console's capacitive touch screen." Really, this little glorified pencil isn't all that impressive other than the fact that it has Nintendo's official seal of approval. No, it doesn't feature the same HD Rumble of the JoyCons or even customizable colors. It's matte black, and priced at a pocketbook friendly $7.

Back when Super Mario Maker 2 was released for the Switch, players were sorely in need of a way to more precisely place blocks as they created their crazy kaizo levels. The Switch's touchscreen doesn't have the sensitivity that Mario Maker level designers needed, and so they turned to off-brand styluses to help them.

The official Nintendo Switch Stylus, however, appears to have been launched in order to support Dr Kawashima's Brain Training. This game was a hit for the Nintendo DS back in the day, and relied heavily on the use of the console's stylus for the sake of solving puzzles, playing piano, and (shudder) doing math.

The Switch is considerably larger than the DS was, and so we've seen advertisements for Brain Training that feature the Switch being held vertically, complete with the Nintendo Switch Stylus. The Stylus is heavily featured in the game's trailer, but is glaringly absent in the Mario Maker 2 trailer, despite this video being featured on the Stylus' listing on the official Nintendo Store. 

The official Nintendo Switch Stylus is, perhaps belatedly, available today for a super low price. Maybe this minuscule price point is how Nintendo is making it up to Mario Maker players of the past.