New Nintendo Patent looks at ‘Supplemental Computing Device’ and the cloud for gaming

Nintendo has spoken little about the NX since it was first announced, as we would expect from the Big N.

But this week a patent has revealed a crazy idea that gels well with the theories on what the NX could be and it’s certainly ‘something unique and different’ as Nintendo President Tatsumi Kimishima says it will be.

The thing is to keep in mind that is just a patent. A loose idea and how it might work. It’s language is meant to be vague and could have absolutely nothing to do wit the NX. It was filed in June 2014, we don’t even know if Nintendo was thinking about the NX back then.

There are three figures in the patent and a lot of legal busy words to get through but the main feature of the patent is what Nintendo are calling the ‘Supplemental Computing Device’. As the name suggests this supplement device works in tandem with not only the cloud but also uses its own power to help the console out. 

The patent suggests that the supplement device, because it is in closer proximity to the game console could provide real time services including ‘processing real-time graphics and sound effects’ to the main console. Far away devices over the cloud would be relegated to more “ asynchronous or supplementary support to the events occurring on the console”. The patent gives examples of “weather effects in games [and] artificial intelligence”.

Microsoft has attempted such things before with the Xbox One but it has never really been used (or at least we’ve never seen it make a significant difference). Nintendo’s solution would be two-pronged with a mix of cloud bases services and the Supplemental Computing Device.

We know what you’re all thinking, just what is this ‘Supplemental Computing Device’. It could point to the device being a handheld itself, any device made for the purpose of ‘processing real-time graphics and sound effects’ would be pretty good to play games on it own even without a console. Perhaps this means that the NX is more of a platform and the portable device can come home and be played more like a console at home and help boost the power.

There’s also another interesting part of this whole setup. It seems to tie in with the loyalty and rewards program My Nintendo that the company announced last month. The patent suggests that for having this device and leaving it connected to the internet others can use it – for what purpose isn’t stated – and you’ll get a reward. See figure 3 below.

Some patents are really boring, some like this give an insight in what Nintendo’s thinking. Whether or not any of this ever actually happens is another thing.

Source: USPTO via NeoGAF