Earlier today, Nintendo finally confirmed that the rumors about a revised version of the Nintendo Switch were true,
by announcing the brand-new Nintendo Switch Lite; a console that does pretty much what the original does, but made some sacrifices — as it is now a handheld instead of a hybrid console.
Besides the fact that the console is now a single unit — without detachable Joy-Con controllers to be precise — fans were quick to notice that the Nintendo Switch Lite features a D-Pad instead of the directional buttons on the left Joy-Con.
Now that fans have seen Nintendo add a D-Pad to the Switch, albeit the revised Lite version, it's fair to wonder whether The Big N is also considering adding a D-Pad to the Joy-Con controllers of the original console.
According to Doug Bowser — the recently appointed Chief Operating Officer of Nintendo of America — the company has no plans to manufacture Joy-Con controllers that feature a D-Pad instead of the current directional buttons.
"There are no plans, or nothing to announce, in terms of further variations of Joy-Con," explained Bowser during a conversation with Cnet, where he also revealed that both the Nintendo Switch and the recently announced Nintendo Switch Lite "will complement each other and coexist in the market."
Nintendo currently offers a more traditional controller with the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller, which includes a D-Pad and all of the other features present in the Joy-Con controllers — so it is likely that they wouldn't want to offer a better alternative now that the Nintendo Switch Lite has that need pretty much covered.
Perhaps Joy-Con controllers that include a D-Pad will be revealed later on when Nintendo inevitably announces a Pro revision of the Nintendo Switch; until then, either the Pro Controller or the Nintendo Switch Lite will have to do.