Patent reveals a potential new Nintendo controller

It looks like Nintendo could be up to its old disruptive controller-design tricks again.

NeoGAF game-forum member Disorientator spotted a patent application, published earlier today, for a “game apparatus and information processing apparatus.” Although the 42-page document doesn’t mention Nintendo specifically, names listed in the inventors and author fields are associated either with Nintendo, or in other patents that named Nintendo specifically as an assignee — including Masato Kuwahara, who was behind the GameBoy Camera, GameBoy Printer, Nintendo DSi, and Nintendo DSi XL.

What’s interesting here is that this design puts a display on the face of the controller, which has two holes going through it for real-life controls such as buttons or sticks to pass through the screen. What we’ve typically seen for displays in controllers is something like the Wii U GamePad, where the sticks and buttons are on either side of the screen. And for smartphones and tablets, we see virtual control interfaces for touchscreen gaming.

This would be the first time I’ve seen someone suggest sticking controls through the display.

Disorientator mentions rumors that Nintendo had been playing around with Sharp’s new free-form display technology, which allows product designers to produce concepts that are not restricted by the rectangular nature of most screens. A free-form display can fit unusual shapes and allow for gaps in the surface — such as creating gateways for stick and button switches to easily pass through.

GamesBeat has reached out to Nintendo for further comment, and we will update as more information becomes available.