Key Takeaways
- Nintendo has patented an unconventional technology that would allow a Switch-like console to dynamically change the contents of its screen.
- Such actions would be informed by controller positions relative to the console, which could result in an unprecedentedly smooth couch co-op experience.
- The patented technology most likely wouldn’t be compatible with the Switch, but could work on the Switch 2 if the console was purpose-built for it.
Nintendo is experimenting with a technology that could help the Switch 2 deliver a significantly improved couch co-op experience over its predecessor by personalizing screen elements for every player based on their physical position, Game Rant has learned. And while there are no guarantees that this solution will actually make its way to the company’s new console, its overall requirements do seem to call for something more different than the Switch.
During its latest earnings call on November 5, Nintendo reiterated its plan to announce the Switch 2 before March 31, 2025. But the company has yet to reveal any specifics about its design and capabilities.
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And while this radio silence continues, Nintendo has now secured a patent describing one unconventional technology that could make its way to the Switch 2. According to regulatory documentation reviewed by Game Rant, the company envisioned a console hardware-software combo that could generate images based on the direction of an arbitrary number of connected controllers relative to itself. This could be used to dynamically change the orientation of parts of the HUD or entire screen segments depending on where each player is sitting. It could also support an external display like a TV, the patent reads.
How Nintendo’s New Patent Could Benefit the Switch 2
The overall technology could deliver a substantial quality-of-life improvement to the Switch 2 couch co-op experience by having the console react to, e.g., players moving around or exchanging controllers. It could also help pave the way for seamless co-op on Nintendo’s next gaming system, allowing users to easily switch between single-player and multiplayer modes in supported games. Another potential application could be in mixed reality experiences, which might be able to leverage the fact that the hardware they’re running on tracks where its users are located in real time.
Nintendo’s Improved Co-Op Concept Most Likely Wouldn’t Work on the Original Switch
While the recently patented concept doesn’t necessarily require cutting-edge hardware, the chances of something like this ever being implemented into the Switch are slim. This is largely because the solution hinges on a multi-antenna setup specifically configured for detecting controller positions. The original Switch communicates with Joy-Cons via Bluetooth rather than multiple antennas. Furthermore, the gyroscopes and accelerometers in the current-gen Joy-Cons may not be enough for performing precise calculations required for determining their direction based on antenna signal phase differences that the patent describes.
So, although there are no guarantees that this solution will be part of the Switch 2 feature set, the overall concept does appear to call for purpose-built hardware that Nintendo has yet to commercialize. Time will tell whether this ever happens, especially since Nintendo has plenty of patents that it secured without ever implementing them into consumer-grade products.
Nintendo
- Date Founded
- September 23, 1889
- Headquarters
- Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
- Parent Company
- Nintendo