Details regarding a series of alleged patent applications filed by Nintendo back in November 2022 have surfaced. They reveal the concept of a new device with a dual screen that can be split in two. Remember though, applications for patents, let alone granted patents, do not serve as guarantees that a real product will see the light of day.
According to the World Intellectual Property Organization, this device closely resembles the DS and 3DS handheld consoles that preceded the Switch. Both of them used a dual-screen setup for games. However, this recent patent application shows that the top and bottom halves of the device can operate independently, which is something never seen in the DS or 3DS.
When you close the two halves of the device, it shows a screen still visible from the outside.
The patent application reads, “This electronic apparatus comprises a first device and a second device…The first device and the second device can be detachably attached to each other. The first device has a first surface, and a first display and a first connection unit which are positioned on the first surface. The second device has a second surface, a second display that is positioned on the second surface, a second rear surface that is on the reverse side from the second surface, and a second connection unit that is positioned on the second rear surface.”
It’s worth mentioning that, in the past, Nintendo has filed numerous patents for new devices, many of which were never realized beyond the application. For the moment, this could be yet another example of Nintendo simply future-proofing its breakthroughs in case it decides to ever return to a dual-screen handheld console.
Still, the Nintendo DS represents the most successful video game console in the history of the company, outselling all others including the Switch.