Nintendo NX Rumors Roundup: Rotational Shoulder Buttons & Haptic Touchscreen Rumble?

Nintendo’s NX system is rumored to feature rotational shoulder buttons & rumble for the Wii U-like tablet touchscreen, according to new rumors based off some Nintendo patents that have been unearthed.

If you haven’t heard, the Nintendo NX is the codename for Nintendo’s next major platform, which will be the successor to the Wii U, and may possibly also be the successor the Nintendo 3DS. As rumors abound that it may be a home console & portable system all-in-one.

As always, this is rumor & speculation and should be taken with a big grain of salt. These patents are just that; often patents are made and Nintendo (and other companies) don’t actually use them or bring them to reality. Remember the Wii Bicycle Accessory & Wii Teddy Bear patents? Case in point.

Nintendo NX Patent Rumors:

* Rotational Shoulder Buttons On GamePad

This patent features an all-new way to control videogames: Rotational Shoulder Buttons! In the diagram, the GamePad/Tablet only features two face buttons, everything is else done via “rotational shoulder buttons” which is exactly what it sounds like.

Here is the official patent description:

A configuration example is an operation apparatus enabling an operation input by a user for performing predetermined information processing. The operation apparatus includes a direction input operation section and a rotation operation section. The direction input operation section: is provided on a front surface of a housing of the operation apparatus and at such a position that, in a state where the operation apparatus is held with at least one hand of a user, the direction input operation section is allowed to be operated with a thumb of the hand; and is an operation section for direction input. The rotation operation section: is provided on a surface different from the front surface of the housing and at such a position that, in a state where the operation apparatus is held with the hand or the other hand of the user, the rotation operation section is allowed to be operated with an index finger of the hand or the other hand; and is an operation section capable of being rotationally operated.

According to the above configuration example, it is possible to provide a new operation apparatus which can effectively utilize an index finger.

In another configuration example, the rotation operation section may be provided at a position included in two of side surfaces of the housing of the operation apparatus. The rotation operation section may be provided at either one of the side surfaces of the housing of the operation apparatus. The rotation operation section may be provided near a position where two of the side surfaces of the housing of the operation apparatus intersect each other. The rotation operation section may be provided at a shoulder portion of the housing.

Nintendo NX Touchscreen Rumble Patent Diagram

* Rumble i.e. Haptic Feedback For Touchscreen.

This rumor would make touchscreens more tactile by having a rumble or haptic feedback feature.

Here is the official patent description:

“Haptic based information processing apparatus, information processing program, information processing system, and information processing method”.

Very, very interesting.

I really hate commenting on rumors & speculation regarding new systems.

To me it really spoils the surprise. Why are people so intent on spoiling the surprise these days? Whatever happened to just waiting to see what happens?

But I digress. The Rotational Shoulder Buttons is a really cool idea.

It will be really interesting to see if Nintendo once again goes with a Tablet/GamePad design with the NX, or if they do something entirely different. 2016 can’t come soon enough!

Are you excited about these patent ideas for the Nintendo NX?