Nintendo patent shows detachable 3DS-like device with an outer screen
Yep, it has 3 different screens
Let’s start off this story with the most important note, and this goes for all patent-related posts. While Nintendo certainly releases products that are detailed through patents, they also file a ton of patents for ideas that never see the light of day. For every patented device or software idea Nintendo actually releases, there’s at least 10 more that never get released. Keep that in mind with the following news.
Yet another Nintendo patent has popped up, and this one is for an interesting piece of hardware. With Switch successor speculation running wild, something like this popping up is likely to get even more attention than it normally would. That said, we have absolutely no idea what Nintendo’s true plans for this device are, or if it’s anything more than an experiment they wanted to lock in.
As the images in this post show, Nintendo has filed a patent for a device that looks quite similar to a 3DS. That said, there are some very notable differences mentioned in the patent itself. Perhaps the biggest differentiator is the fact that this device can be separated into two halves, and they can communicate wirelessly to one another. This means you and a buddy can split the device and enjoy some local multiplayer with ease.
Also of note is the outside of the device, which features yet another screen on it. This is a touchscreen, so it does allow the player to manipulate software in some way, but you obviously wouldn’t have the same functionality that the inside of the device provides through its buttons and joystick.
Again, we really don’t have any insight at all as to what Nintendo cooked up this idea for, but it’s an intriguing one nonetheless. It seems quite unlikely that this would be the Switch successor, but you never know when this product might pop up. Now we all get to sit back and wait to see if this becomes a reality, or yet another unused Nintendo patent for the heap.
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conangiga
6M agoSeems like overkill that would cost too much on top of it.
donutmuffin
6M agoI'm ready for a successor to the Dual Screen line. The 3DS was probably my favourite handheld system.
isuki92
6M agoI’ve been waiting for a new model in their lineup since New Horizons came out.
smasher89
6M agoA future console with backward compatibility with 3ds and Switch and also having more power would be a instant buy for me (wii u and switch i bought preowned a couple months into that generation to compare), as long as they have another solution to controlsticks that wouldnt drift after a month of use.
tendonin
6M agoThere's been a gap in the market for game hardware under $200 (Switch Lite gets overshadowed by its mostly better cousins). But if they were going to make another one, a third screen probably won't keep costs down.
hawk
6M agoI know we got a disclaimer on this, but the fact that we're all bracing for a new Nintendo console makes this all juicier.
Personally, I don't what them to stray very far from "Switch, but with more power". Not unless they come up with something really cool that we hadn't thought of. I don't know if this qualifies or not.
enthropy
6M agoThey also have several VR patents, but doesn't mean it's happening.
Wonder what quality these screens would have if this ever happened.
enthropy
6M agohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2MKgqsexts
ayoubw
3M agoI have an idea of what it MIGHT be.
so in handheld mode, it's like a 3DS, but you can take off the top screen and give it to a friend.
The top screen will connect to the TV and you will hold the bottom screen with the controls, like a Wii u.
It's sort of like the last 3 Nintendo consoles ( Wii U, 3ds, switch) combined to make whatever this is gonna be called.
I can imagine people in the future looking back at these comments.
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