There were android tablets that had them before the switch even launched, they probably have some patent on exactly how they connect, but the concept itself seems too broad to patent.
There were singular units that can also house the phone like the Backbone One, but there were no units that connected physically to the phone via rails like the Nintendo Switch (and this Lenovo device, apparently) does.
Those types of controllers work very differently and thus are not affected by Nintendo’s patent.
I hope not, because the potential for systems like this is great.
Imagine it with an open faced dock below your TV, but the console screen is running a mini map, for example. It could show your inventory or missions and side quests in adventure games.
If it’s a touch screen, a long display cable could let it be a part of the game. Building things or making potions could be done on it by dragging and dropping, or stirring with your finger.
It feels like there’s a lot of possibilities, but nobody’s trying them out yet.
Interesting. I thought Nintendo had a patent on the detachable controller thing?
Maybe they had a patent on their mechanism. This looks like the controllers may magnetically lock in rather than be slid on.
That’s…worrying. Considering they’re going to be the main holding points for a handheld games console.
There were android tablets that had them before the switch even launched, they probably have some patent on exactly how they connect, but the concept itself seems too broad to patent.
There were singular units that can also house the phone like the Backbone One, but there were no units that connected physically to the phone via rails like the Nintendo Switch (and this Lenovo device, apparently) does.
Those types of controllers work very differently and thus are not affected by Nintendo’s patent.
I hope not, because the potential for systems like this is great.
Imagine it with an open faced dock below your TV, but the console screen is running a mini map, for example. It could show your inventory or missions and side quests in adventure games.
If it’s a touch screen, a long display cable could let it be a part of the game. Building things or making potions could be done on it by dragging and dropping, or stirring with your finger.
It feels like there’s a lot of possibilities, but nobody’s trying them out yet.
I’m sure there are ways around the Nintendo patent :) and yes I imagine stuff like this would be great for DS/WiiU emulation.