A pair of Alps Alpine and Nintendo patents detail the hardware design of HD Rumble 2 motor:
JP2026015698 is a straightforward patent application that describes the exterior shape of the motor, and how it fits inside the Joy-Con without the vibrations interfering with other components.
US20260036442 on the other hand is denser. It describes a design that produces stronger yet more precise vibrations in a slimmer profile. This is achieved by sandwiching a board of coils (“NV DM” in the image below) between two eight-pole magnets (“VB DM”). The multi-pole magnets are illustrated in the Welcome Tour.
Note that the description in the Alps Alpine patent application aren’t exactly identical to the end product. There are 2 coils instead of 3, and 4 four-pole magnets instead of 2 eight-pole magnets. (image sources in alt text)
[Originally posted on 2026-03-02 Pacific Time]
