Nintendo is a company that loves to experiment and try new things with its hardware. Some are hugely successful, like the Wii Remote, and others, like Virtual Boy…well, not so much. A patent filing by Nintendo has revealed yet another effort on its part innovate and do something different with the controller. Of course, it also bears mentioning that this patent does not guarantee this concept will see the light of day in whole, or in part.
The U-shaped controller would be made of aluminum and feature plenty of familiar and new ideas. First, the four face buttons and D-pad should be instantly recognizable, and the inclusion of gyrometers and accelerometers should come as little surprise considering Nintendo’s success with motion controls and the fact that they have become nearly ubiquitous across all but only a few platforms in all of gaming. What’s unique is the temperature and load sensors, though that might be explained with some other tidbits from the filing. These show the controller is meant to work with, and even physically connect with other accessories that appear to be focused on exercise and physical fitness. This wouldn’t be too much of a stretch when you take into account how successful Wii Fit was for Nintendo.
Whether or not this patent will prove even remotely relevant in Nintendo’s future plans with NX and beyond remains to be seen, and it could, in fact, be further dependent on how deeply Nintendo is still interested in its “quality of life” focus. Of course, rampant speculation is fun, but this is clearly a situation where we will have to wait and see.
Source: IGN