Nintendo’s next console controller could be a touchscreen
Don’t worry though, analog sticks aren’t dead quite yet
Very little is known about Nintendo’s next-gen NX console, but we might now have a glimpse at what its controller could look like.
Newly-spotted patent filings show off designs for a controller that’s essentially a touchscreen with two holes cut directly into it, letting dual analog sticks poke through for regular use.
Traditional physical bumpers also remain, but the on-screen controls themselves can adapt to different games and specific situations, providing game designers with a larger degree of flexibility when it comes to creating gameplay options.
The patent states that the screen could use either LCD or OLED technology, and the 3DS’ glassed-free 3D screen is also an option. The screen could also be used to display supplemental in-game information, and can even host a miniature web browser, though we can’t imagine how useful the latter will be.
Nintendo has previously been linked to Sharp’s Free-Form Display technology, which consists of IGZO LCD panels which can be cut into different shapes, so unlike many patent rumours, there could be some truth in this one.
The controller itself is an interesting idea, but we’d have to wrap our hands around one ourselves to truly judge it. Assuming it ever becomes reality, that is.
Full preview › Everything we know about the Nintendo NX
Esat Dedezade
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