Nintendo files touchscreen gamepad patent

When it comes to generating buzz, video game giant Nintendo has been doing so by keeping mum about what’s under development, but its recent patent filing has some speculating that touchscreen technology is coming to a gamepad near them.

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In a Dec. 10 filing to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, potential clues were revealed about what might be under wraps and in store for its next-gen console, code named “NX.”

Jon Fingas at Engadget noted that the gamepad’s design included a touchscreen covering the entire front panel.

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“You’d still have familiar elements like analog sticks (poking through the display) and shoulder buttons, but the usual front-facing buttons would be replaced by context-aware touch,” wrote Fingas.

Rumors have swirled that Nintendo was in talks to use free-form displays by Sharp and that it would pursue a mobile unit. The filing reveals that some of these rumors could at least be partially true.