Nintendo Switch Add-Ons Are About To Get A Lot More Creative
As evidenced by Nintendo Labo, the Switch and its Joy Con controllers are capable of doing some impressive things. This is thanks in large part to the Switch's portable nature, and now Nintendo is looking to leverage that portability further. Nintendo won't be doing it alone, however, as it will be looking to team up with startups to create new technology for the Switch.
According to Bloomberg, Nintendo has recruited Scrum Ventures to help it find startups that will creature new tools to "improve the Nintendo Switch platform." Neither Nintendo nor Scrum seem to want to talk specifics at this point, but it sounds like those tools could be anything in a range of products, such as new "components, sensors, chips or other add-ons."
Scrum won't necessarily restrict its search to startups either, as Nintendo is also interested in working with teams operating within larger companies or university researchrtd. Gaming, of course, is at the core of this search for new Switch components, but it doesn't take much imagination to think that Nintendo could be open to other applications. After all, previous Nintendo platforms, such as the Wii and Wii U, have done just that through releases like Wii Fit.
One interesting thing to note is that Scrum won't be presenting software pitches to Nintendo, so it sounds like Nintendo is only interested in creating physical add-ons here. In the near future, it sounds like Scrum will be tracking down teams with interesting ideas and approving them for a presentation to Nintendo in the fall. In other words, it could be 2019 or even later before we hear of any of the projects that were approved through this initiative.
It'll be interesting to see where this leads. Not only is it possible that we'll see new accessories like Labo, but we could also see products like new controllers that slot into the side of the Switch just like Joy Cons do. One thing is for sure: The possibilities are a lot greater than they would be if the Switch were a more conventional console, so Nintendo's risk in creating a hybrid platform could very well pay off in more ways than one.