Nintendo Patent Application Shows A Dual-Screen System That Can Be Split In Two

Details on an alleged series of patent applications filed by Nintendo in November 2022 have surfaced, revealing the concept for a new dual-screen gaming device concept that can be split in two. However, it's worth bearing in mind that even a granted patent--let alone an application for one--does not mean a real product will ever see the light of day.

Shared on the World Intellectual Property Organisation website (via ResetEra and first spotted by GameRant), Nintendo's device is reminiscent of its DS and 3DS handheld consoles, which utilized a dual-screen setup for games on those systems. According to the application, the top and bottom halves can operate independently of one another, something that the DS and 3DS handhelds weren't capable of. When the two halves are closed, a screen is still visible from the outside.

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"This electronic apparatus comprises a first device and a second device," the patent application reads. "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 noting that Nintendo has filed several patents in the past for new devices, including an oval-shaped handheld device, and many of these ideas have never been fully realized beyond the application phase. For now, this could be another case of Nintendo future-proofing its technological breakthroughs in case it ever does decide to once again release a dual-screen handheld gaming console.

What is known about the next Nintendo console is that the transition from the current Switch to its successor could potentially be smoother. Nintendo of America boss Doug Bowser has stated that the Nintendo Account system in place on Switch will carry forward to whatever it is that Nintendo is rumored to be working on. Nintendo's CEO, Shuntaro Furukawa, had also previously discussed this, saying the next Nintendo console will use the same Nintendo Account system as the Switch. Whether that means Nintendo's next system supports backwards compatibility with Switch games remains to be seen, however.

The company might have shown off its new system to developers at Gamescom in August, and it has been reported that some studios may already have the console.