A brand-new Zelda game is coming out in less than a week. Super Mario Party Jamboree is a month away. Switch successor rumors are at a fevered pitch. The world of Nintendo is on fire right now in the best way possible, and now we have yet another talking point to fuel the flames.
Nintendo has submitted something to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) with the model number CLO-001. Based on the numbering and Nintendo’s history, this model number would indicate that this is a brand-new product, rather than the Switch successor. Furthermore, the device is labeled as a “wireless device” and not a “wireless game console” as the Switch is.
It’s also clear that this device isn’t a controller either. We know it doesn’t include a battery and can only function when plugged in, and it’s not something a user would wear. The device is USB-C powered, and it includes a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi radio and a 24GHz mmWave sensor, but not 5GHz or 6GHz Wi-Fi radio or Bluetooth. The 24GHz mmWave sensor could mean that this device can track movement that would let it activate when something comes near, but that’s just speculation based on previous devices that use similar tech.
Unfortunately, that’s where the details end, leaving us wondering what on earth this device could be. As is always the case with Nintendo, this patent may get turned into a product we can all purchase, or it may never see the light of day. Either way, let’s hope we at least get some more details on it as the weeks roll on.
UPDATE: Fresh speculation about this device has surfaced, and while we have no concrete details, we do have some new insight from experts.
Tech channel Remote Play Gaming has done a deep dive on the the FFC filing, and in particular looked into the tests related to the wireless transmitter being used close to the body. It seems like this could be some sort of wearable sensor that’s meant to communicate with another device. Again, speculation for now, but hopefully we get full details soon. Until then, you can see the full report from Remote Play Gaming below.
UPDATE 2: Yet another wave of details about this mystery device have come in thanks to additional FCC docs, and here’s what’s been discovered:
- dimensions should be approximately 90.6mm x 90.6mm x 83.7mm
- Nintendo submitted this as a Wireless Device
- the device is listed as a UMPC portable device (Ultra Mobile PC or tablet-esque)
- UMPC devices according to the FCC have some type of screen
- according to the FCC this is a portable device
- UMPC devices/tablets are meant to be held or carried around
All of these details and more are covered in another video from Remote Play Gaming, and you can check it out below.
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sinfield99
15d agoIt's probably too late to be switch successor related but maybe it's the dock and it allows wireless communication with the handheld so that you can play dual screen with the main TV?
Not sure whether it would require 5Ghz though or if 2.4 would be sufficient for 4K AV
aussiemcbucket
15d agoOr it's something that plugs into the mysterious USB-C port from the purported leak?
smasher89
15d agoAgree with tied to the dock, but more hopeful for some tie in to some new kind of streetpass, like you could streetpass while out console to console like on 3ds, but also connect in a similar way with the dock(as it mentions wireles communication), so it could double the amount of potencial passes when you are out.
EDIT: wireless but needs wires to be plugged in, feels like potencially a charger(so a dock).
alleycat
14d agoI’d hazard a guess that this could be equivalent to the GameCube/Gameboy Advance cable that was introduced with Final Fantasy Christal Chronicles. It allowed you to attach 4 Gameboy Advances to a GameCube and use them as a controller with their own private screen. What if this allows you to hook up 4 switch wirelessly to one Dock for some kind of party game?
That could be neat. And you think the proximity sensor or whatever it is could just detect the different systems?
That’s what I’m thinking. Couch Mario Kart where all players have their own screen but spectators see everything on the tele except for any items the players are holding.
that would be brilliant if they have the next console be able to have a peripheral like that to use switch as controllers for next gen games to open up for creative games like those.
kingbroly
13d agoI'd guess this is a new dock for the next system. But I dunno.
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