Let’s face it: the NX and anything having to do with Nintendo’s next console has got everyone on edge these days. We’re all eager for more information, or even a name drop, but Nintendo has done a great job keeping its lips sealed about the upcoming project. However, that doesn’t mean that no information is getting out there!
In the form of patents, fans of developers can be given possible insights to these companies’ futures, and while a patent is by no means a reliable source for what’s to come, it does allow for speculation. Recently, Nintendo has patented a console that can be upgraded with a supplemental computing device, meaning an external device that connects to the console, effectively allowing it to process information faster, run faster, or run at a higher resolution.
As we all know, this could just mean Nintendo is covering an idea in the event that it chooses to go through with it, and nowhere does it state that this would even be for the NX; though, it’s a fair assumption that that’s the plan.
This is an especially fair guess when you consider the Wii U’s lifespan in comparison to its competitors. Is Nintendo preparing to get back in the game by, essentially, creating an anti-aging machine for its next home console? By creating an upgradeable system, Nintendo would be able to effectively keep itself in the running when things start to become obsolete around it. It’d be a great way to keep fans happy while the work on their next project after that.
Some of Nintendo’s older fans may be getting flashbacks to the N64 Expansion Pak, which upgraded the system from 4MB of RAM to 8MB. This, however, is to a much grander scale, and something that hasn’t really been seen in the industry yet.
You can check out the abstract summarizing the patent below.
“Supplemental computing devices that provide processing and/or storage resources to game consoles to assist these game consoles in executing a game. In some instances, a game console locally executes a copy of a game using resources of the game console. In addition, however, the game console may couple to a supplemental computing device that includes resources that the game console may also utilize to increase the speed or quality of a user’s gaming experience. For instance, the supplemental computing device may couple via a physical connection (e.g, a wired connection) to the game console for processing data associated with the game and providing a result back to the console, and/or for storing game data on behalf of the game console.”
Personally, I think this is a great idea for Nintendo to have its hands on, and the concept would be a really interesting way to keep itself in the game as technology started to advance after release of the NX. However, knowing Nintendo, the NX could be near completion and this could be an idea for an entirely new project. Either way, it’s an interesting route to be taking, and one with a lot of potential, though there’s really no way of knowing how it will work out in reality until its executed. That is, if it is at all.
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Written by George Comatas
As a wannabe social media personality and professional in the world of sarcasm, George does his best to always adapt to the changing world around him. He considers himself a maverick: a true-to-heart gamer with the mind of a pop star. Whether this makes him revolutionary or a setback, he's yet to find out. But one thing’s for sure; he's one-of-a-kind.
