Nintendo NX may have detachable, customisable buttons

The detachable controllers sources claim will be used to play Nintendo’s next console may actually be more intricate that originally thought.

While there’s still no official word on the device – codenamed NX – leaked information recently revealed the platform is a hybrid of both portable and traditional consoles, something later confirmed by Develop’s sister publication MCV.

The reports suggested the NX will be a tablet-like device with controllers that detach from the sides, but an updated patent filed by Nintendo reveals it might be the buttons themselves that can be removed.

Reddit users, spotted by NintendoLife, shared images from a patent filing that show detachable D-pads, and customisable layouts for a tablet-like games device. 

At its simplest the D-pad can be swapped with other forms of input, such as a thumbstick. More complex designs show variations with three or face buttons, and multiple D-pads and thumbsticks.

Of course, being a patent this may not be a true indication of what Nintendo is planning but more a case of the platform holder protecting its ideas.

Nintendo NX is due for release in March 2017, with MCV revealing that it will receive Pokémon and Mario games in the first six months in addition to Zelda: Breath of the Wild. 

The platform holder is expected to reveal more about the NX later this year.