Topic: Nintendo Patents Handheld with Swappable Buttons

[Phi]

Here's the patent.

The patent (via NeoGAF) was filed in October of last year. It describes a game system similar in appearance to the 3DS, though it doesn't appear as a clamshell design in the illustrations. The figures show four slots, each of which supports the ability to slide buttons or other control configurations inside. Examples shown include swapping a directional pad for an analog stick, or switching a four-button face for a three-button face.

And you can read this thread for a summary of the system's functionality.

[Sakura Leic]

Very interesting idea, I like how they are using plates with the buttons on them instead of the buttons themselves like how I replaced the joy stick on my PSP, since the joystick was broken, but had to keep replacing it since those replacements kept breaking. 

I like the concept of it and will like to see the finish product.

[Protoman Blues]

Very curious. Although this could just be blueprints of something that will never come to fruition. But hey, you never know.

[Sakura Leic]

I don't know, they could be taking a note from the concept of modular phones like Phonebloks and Project Ara, but just with buttons.

[Protoman Blues]

Oh they definitely could be, no doubt about it. I'm just saying that they might never implement it.

[Sakura Leic]

That is true, we'll have to see.

[Pyro]

If they plan on using it, I imagine it will not be for another few years as the 3DS is not that old and I imagine Nintendo wants to get some more mileage out of it.

Conversely, it did not take them long to jump from the GBA to the DS.

[xemiroth]

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