Nintendo Switch patents tease a touchscreen, SD Card slot, and social functions
Nintendo will likely reveal concrete technical details at its January event, but these patents (kind of) answer questions while we wait for definitive answers.
Nintendo intentionally left players wanting more when it released a three-minute Switch trailer in October: what are the console's hardware specs? How will it store digital downloads? What social-friendly functions will it provide?
We'll have to wait for conclusive answers until Nintendo's January event, but several patents Nintendo filed in June have been published by the States Patent and Trademark Office. Studying them clears some of the haze of mystery still surrounding particulars of the console/handheld hybrid.
One diagram shows a slot for game cards. There's also an SD Card slot. The 3DS used SD cards to hold downloaded games and items; perhaps Nintendo plans to keep manufacturing costs low by shipping Switch with just enough on-board storage to hold a game or three, and let consumers dictate how much media they want to download via SD cards.
Patent images courtesy of US Gamer
Another filing breaks down the Joy-Con detachable controllers. There are four shoulder triggers—R, L, ZL, and ZR, like Wii U and New 3DS systems—as well as a "Pairing" button, probably to connect other controllers and/or the console's first-time sync with the dock that lets you play Switch games on a TV. Language within the patents indicates that players can attach any two Joy-Con peripherals to the "main unit," enabling them to pick and choose their inputs.
Of particular note is the Share button in the bottom corner of the left Joy-Con peripheral. The patent's language refers to it as "Record," and say its purpose is to store screenshots to the device. It doesn't mention anything about recording video clips or synchronization with the user's social media accounts a la PS4's Share button. Time will tell.
Arguably the most exciting patent shows a mockup that illustrates Nintendo Switch being paired with what appears to be a VR headset. Polygon pointed out that the setup looks similar to Google Daydream View and Samsung Gear VR: the Switch tablet would be affixed to the headset, and users would view it using lenses that widen its viewing angle.
Another document lists acceleration and angular velocity sensors—components that could be used in conjunction with a VR headset accessory to calculate the position of the user's head. On their own, those parts will track player movement, so it seems developers can add some form of motion controls to their Switch software—such as tilting the tablet to aim Link's bow, a use shown in Wii U footage of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
We've got several weeks before Nintendo divulges more information on the Switch, but these patents certainly give fans plenty to talk about in the meantime.
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replyDavid Craddock posted a new article, Nintendo Switch patents teases a touchscreen, SD Card slot, and social functions
