• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechGaming

Is This the Secretive Nintendo NX Controller?

By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 24, 2016, 1:26 PM ET
Nintendo Holds News Conference At Start Of E3 Gaming Conference
LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 05: The new Wii U is displayed during a press conference for Nintendo's new hand held game console at the Electronic Entertainment Expo at the Galen Center on June 5, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. Thousands are expected to attend the annual three-day convention to see the latest games and announcements from the gaming industry. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)Kevork Djansezian Getty Images

Nintendo has kept its plans for the future out of the spotlight, but newly surfaced images may give us a glimpse at what the company’s NX controller could look like.
A Reddit user on Wednesday published images that this person says is the controller for Nintendo’s next hardware launch, the NX. The images show what appears to be an oval-shaped, glass-faced device sporting two controller nubs on either side. It’s believed that most of the area could be used as a touchscreen. According to the Reddit user “perkele37,” who published the photos, the controller also comes with “rollers” that “feel and look pretty much identical to a mouse scroll-wheel.” The controller also supports haptic feedback, meaning when users press down on the screen, it will respond with a slight vibration.
The Next Web earlier discovered the images.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

NX is the codename Nintendo is using for its next-generation hardware. The device was announced last March and pitched as a “dedicated games platform with a brand-new concept.” Nintendo has since said that it plans to unveil details on the NX in 2016, and a report in the Wall Street Journal last year revealed the company had already started distributing software development kits to developers so they could start creating games for the platform. It was reported at the time that the NX could launch this year.

Rumour: New Nintendo NX Controller Images Surface and Set the Web Alight https://t.co/XlPbcyvxyH #NintendoNX pic.twitter.com/e8tYSVdfO8

— Nintendo Life (@nintendolife) March 23, 2016


There is a lot riding on the NX. Nintendo has sold just 12.6 million units of its latest-generation console, the Wii U, since that device’s launch in 2012. Over the last year, investors have been placing their hopes in whatever NX turns out to be. They hope NX can overcome the many challenges Nintendo faces with the Wii U and reverse the company’s fortunes in the console market.
That said, it’s unclear based on what Nintendo has said so far whether the NX will even be considered a console in the traditional sense. While Nintendo has long been a console maker, the company’s talk of a “brand-new concept” suggests it may be considering an entirely new tack. At this point, there are far more rumors on NX than concrete details.


That’s precisely why the images posted to Reddit should be taken with the proverbial grain of salt. It’s unknown how the person obtained the device, and it’s unclear if it’s the real thing, a concept design, or something else entirely. The original poster only said that it’s the development kit controller and may not represent the final design. The person did not note how it was obtained.
However, there is one wrinkle that could lend some credibility to the images. In December, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) published a patent that was apparently filed by Nintendo in June. The patent, called “Game Apparatus and Information Processing Apparatus,” describes a gaming device that uses both a touchscreen and dual thumbsticks to control on-screen action. The patent, published by Patent Buddy, includes sketches of a device that looks extremely similar to the one in the leaked images.

Read more: Nintendo Cuts Earnings Guidance by Half

For its part, Nintendo has remained silent on the image leak and did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But that hasn’t stopped Nintendo’s legion of fans from obsessing over the images for every last clue of what NX might come with when it eventually reaches store shelves.

About the Author
By Don Reisinger
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
Fortune Secondary Logo
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Sam Altman speaking into a mic.
AIOpenAI
OpenAI’s Pentagon deal raises new questions about AI and mass surveillance
By Beatrice NolanMarch 2, 2026
28 minutes ago
iran
AIIran
Iran has the intent—and increasingly the tools—for AI-powered cyberattacks
By Sharon GoldmanMarch 2, 2026
2 hours ago
AITech
Anthropic’s Claude overtakes ChatGPT in App Store as users boycott over OpenAI’s $200 million Pentagon contract
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezMarch 2, 2026
3 hours ago
dave ricks
AIScience
Tech giants see a cure for cancer in AI. But Eli Lilly’s CEO finds it ‘not particularly good’ at solving biology or chemistry problems
By Jake AngeloMarch 2, 2026
3 hours ago
Photo of a young man holding a smartphone having his face scanned
LawSocial Media
Social media companies are fighting the ‘age verification trap’ as collecting biometrics on kids violates privacy rights
By Catherina GioinoMarch 2, 2026
4 hours ago
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman
AIOpenAI
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman defends decision to strike Pentagon deal after Anthropic blacklisting, admits ‘optics don’t look good’
By Jeremy KahnMarch 2, 2026
5 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Success
MacKenzie Scott's close relationship with Toni Morrison long before Amazon put Scott on the path to give more than $1 billion to HBCUs
By Sasha RogelbergMarch 1, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Your grandparents are the reason the U.S. isn't in a recession right now. That won't last forever
By Eleanor PringleMarch 1, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Middle East
U.S. military gives Iran a taste of its own medicine with cheap copycat Shahed drones, while concern shifts to munitions supply in extended conflict
By Jason MaMarch 1, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Middle East
As Iran attacks Dubai, the tax-free haven for the global elite could see 'catastrophic' fallout — 'this can also send shockwaves globally'
By Jason MaMarch 1, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
AI
American schools weren’t broken until Silicon Valley used a lie to convince them they were—now reading and math scores are plummeting
By Sasha RogelbergMarch 1, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Health
Gen Z men are eating ‘boy kibble,’ the human equivalent to dog food, to load up on protein cheaply
By Jake AngeloMarch 1, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.