It seems that the Nintendo Switch may be facing competition in the future, in the form of a new piece of hardware that has been patented by Nintendo.

The patent is for a gaming device that uses a single touchscreen. The main gimmick of the device is that it has the capability to connect to other versions of the same device in a seamless manner. This manifests in using the touchscreen to influence part of a game and send that information over to the other system, such as a game like Pong being played over the two screens, with each player controlling a bat on their screen and sending the ball over to the other when it is struck.

It's difficult to tell from the illustrations in the patent documents, but it seems as if each person is expected to one device and to have it be compatible with those owned by others, rather than it being a single gaming device that is composed of multiple screens, like the Nintendo DS and 3DS.

The smart predictions for Nintendo's future hardware plans are all related to the Switch and its continued success. The Nintendo 3DS is on its last legs and the handheld aspect of the system has been merged into the Switch, so we aren't likely to see a successor to the DS line anytime soon. We would have normally guessed that Nintendo would be working on revisions to the Switch for the near future and would avoid releasing any other systems (save for their retro mini line of consoles) for the next few years.

This new patent has changed those predictions. These plans seem to be for an entirely new piece of hardware, rather than an extension of the 3DS or Switch's capabilities.

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It's also possible that these plans may be part of a move into the smartphone market by Nintendo. Their early experiments with mobile gaming have proven to be hugely successful for the company and they make seek to release their own smart devices and mobile phones, with the connected screens being a unique gimmick of the system.

These plans may also be related to the eventual successor to the Nintendo Switch. Nintendo has patented ideas for the upcoming systems in the past, as was the case with the motion controls that became an integral part of the Nintendo Wii, which was originally planned as an add-on for the GameCube.

Will this multiple interactive screen patent become a part of one of Nintendo's upcoming systems or will it forever remain as plans on a piece of paper? Only time will tell...