Nintendo™is no stranger when it comes to console accessories. Nintendo targeted particular previous accessory product releases to niche markets, such as the Nintendo Labo™, a cardboard cutout-style set of physical accessories for the Nintendo Switch™.
But the Nintendo Labo™ was lacking in one area: mobile communication. Now, Nintendo™ believes there's room for improvement in this area. A newly issued patent suggests that Nintendo™ is looking to expand the cardboard cutout-style of accessories with data transmission capabilities. In one example, a cardboard backpack houses a data transmission device and captures user data and user interactions from within the pack. Thus, the case does not need to include an electric component that detects a specific interaction made by a user, nor does it need a separate part for transferring user interactions to another information processing device, such as a Nintendo Switch™.
Patent 10596461 represents Nintendo™'s first patent in the Mobile Data Communications Sector, classified under the "WI-FI" subcategory. While an accessory like this may serve a smaller market within the video game console market, Nintendo™ has shown that it's willing to take a hit to profits if they believe the technology to be useful and entertaining to customers.