Experts may have worked out what Nintendo’s mysterious new portable device is and it seems to be something you can wear.
Rumours and leaks for Nintendo’s next console have escalated considerably over the past few weeks, indicating some kind of reveal could be about to happen.
Nintendo has said it will showcase the follow-up to the Switch before April 2025, but between seemingly leaked prototypes and various insider winks, it’s starting to look possible we’ll hear something before the end of the year. Perhaps even within the next couple of weeks.
Amid all this speculation, Nintendo has submitted a mysterious new device to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). It’s definitely not the Switch 2 but a wireless expert now suggests it is some kind of wearable tech.
Previously, there was no clear indication of what the device is, as Nintendo’s application comes with a confidentiality request, which will be held for the next 180 days (until late March 2025). This is because Nintendo claims it contains ‘technical information which we deem to be trade secrets and proprietary’.
Despite this, there are some details in the documents. It’s listed as a ‘wireless device’ – so not a console or controller – and it has a square-like shape with curved corners when viewed from the bottom. It’s also powered by a USB-C connection and doesn’t have a battery.
While this might suggest it’s a peripheral of some kind, especially as the supposedly leaked Switch 2 prototype has USB-C ports, the device’s model number (CLO-001) indicates it’s an entirely new product line, unrelated to any other piece of hardware.
For comparison, the original Switch has the code HAC-001, while any peripherals have the same prefix with a higher number attached to it. The dock, for example, is HAC-007, while the Pro Controller is HAC-013.
So if it’s unrelated to the next Switch, what is it? The most noteworthy detail is that it sports a 24GHz mmWave sensor, which are typically used in smart devices to detect human presence or movement in a room, whether to monitor activity or allow for air gestures.
This could relate to several things, between some kind of gesture control for use in an upcoming game, sleep tracking in the vein of Pokémon Sleep, or something related to AR functionality as seen in Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit.
It was very common for Nintendo to release bespoke, low cost peripherals with specific games during the GameCube and Wii era, including everything from pedometers to microphones and unique controllers.
What is the new mystery Nintendo wireless device?
Many guessed that it may be something fitness related, especially as Nintendo is likely to have a new equivalent of Wii Fit or Ring Fit Adventure for the Switch 2.
And now, analysis of the patent by a wireless expert has suggested that whatever it is, it’s something that’s designed to be worn on the body.
There’s a lot more detail in this YouTube video from Remote Play Gaming, which makes a convincing argument for the idea that the device is supposed to be worn on or near the body and is possibly used to track movement.
That still doesn’t explain exactly what it is though, or what kind of game it might be used for. Since it is patent there’s also no guarantee it will ever actually be used or that it will be unveiled early on in the Switch 2’s career.
However, the confidentiality request until March does suggest it’s something that may be unveiled at the same time, or soon after, the Switch 2 itself.
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