Over the years, Nintendo has given us many consoles from mobile devices like the GameBoy to home systems like the N64. Some of these consoles have been pretty experimental, especially compared to other gaming companies. From the motion controls of the Nintendo Wii to the dual-screen action of the Nintendo DS, many games made use of that unique Nintendo tech. But some of those experiments have posed a problem when it comes to Nintendo’s library of retro games in the Nintendo Switch Online subscription.
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The Nintendo DS and 3DS used a dual-screen model, with the top screen display-only and the bottom screen adding touch controls. This led to some unique game controls that we haven’t really seen since, as many developers from Nintendo and beyond made use of that dual-screen setup. But the downside is that the Nintendo Switch Online library doesn’t really have any DS games as a result of the inherent translation issue. For those of us hoping to see DS classics like Nintendogs in the NSO library, a newly filed patent could be excellent news for the future of DS games on Switch.
New Nintendo Patent Suggests They’re Still Working on Bringing DS Games to NSO
Back in September, MikeOdysseyYT uncovered a Nintendo patent that looked like a potential solution to the DS games on NSO problem. This design featured an apparent Switch 2 accessory that would give the console a second, flip-up screen that could help the system run Nintendo DS titles that use the dual-screen model. Now, MikeOdysseyYT has shared a new patent from Nintendo that seems to reveal another potential workaround to get DS games to run on Switch and Switch 2 consoles.
This latest patent looks to show off different gameplay options for DS titles on Nintendo Switch Online. One features the typical dual screen option, which would presumably use a device like the one from the previous patent. The second option is a single-screen with picture-in-picture, showing a smaller version of the second screen in teh corner. Finally, there is also a single screen mode where the player would switch between the two screens on a single display as needed.
From the looks of this latest patent, Nintendo is continuing to work through the logistics of running Nintendo DS titles on a single-screen device like the Switch and Switch 2. Other systems, including retro handhelds like the R26S, have used a similar screen-switching feature to emulate DS games. But from the looks of it, Nintendo has something more elaborate in mind to give players that true DS experience from Nintendo Switch Online titles.
Nintendo working to bring DS games to NSO certainly makes sense, given that Nintendo GameCube titles were recently added to the for Switch 2. This means that the library features titles from many earlier Nintendo systems from the SNES to the N64 and now GameCube. So, it’s natural that Nintendo would want to find a way to bring Nintendo DS games into the fold eventually.
While this update does look promising, Nintendo has yet to publicly share its plans or timeline for bringing DS titles to the NSO library. That means we could be waiting quite some time for the option to revisit our Nintendo DS favorites, but it does seem that it is in the cards eventually. It’s quite possible this will be another Switch 2 expansion, similar to the GameCube catalog. But until Nintendo is ready to share more details, all we really know is that the company is certainly exploring options for making DS games run on its modern platforms.
Which Nintendo DS game do you most want to see in the Nintendo Switch Online library? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
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