New Nintendo Switch Controller: More Details About Leaked Peripheral Surface Online

A recently discovered FCC listing hinted at the possibility that Japanese gaming giant Nintendo is developing a new Switch controller, but since the company applied for confidentiality, details about this supposed upcoming product have been limited until now.

A reliable industry insider, Samus Hunter, shared a new detail about the supposed upcoming Nintendo Switch controller. According to them, the incoming Switch peripheral will not be compatible with the company's fan-favorite amiibo line because it does not feature NFC support.

"I can confirm that this controller isn't a new Switch Pro/Joycon controller or the Amiiboard given the absence of NFC support," the insider said in a tweet Sunday. "The only doubt I have is that I don't think the Bluetooth has enough band to transmit this signal, but the controller does have some CPU and things to help elaboration," they added.

"Could it be a N64/GB wireless controller like the SNES one? It's possible, but unless Nintendo want to release it later than expected (next year) or they have plan for another firmware update before its release, I have some doubts. In the OS we don't have icon for such a controller," the insider noted.

"It could be another controller device, similar to the RingFit or MK Live controller. "Recently" filed this patents that illustrate a controller that inferact with amiibo in a board-like setting (possible Mario Party?)," Samus Hunter said in another tweet.

The new detail about the controller suggests that it will not be a substitute for the Switch Pro Controller or Joy-Cons, as earlier speculated because both feature NFC support. Interestingly, this new information does not bring fans any closer to an answer, instead makes the incoming peripheral more mysterious.

Along with the discovery of the new Switch controller in the FCC, fans speculated that this could be for the rumored Nintendo 64 games that the company would soon feature in the Nintendo Switch Online. Both the NES and SNES apps received wireless controllers, which give the latest detail about the incoming controller more weight than it could for the N64 games.

Earlier this month, insiders claimed a new Nintendo Direct could happen sometime in September. If the Japanese gaming titan is planning to launch this new product, a gaming event may be the best venue to unveil it.

Nintendo might also announce its plans about Switch Online and if the rumors are true, fans might hear the details about the N64 games being on the online subscription service at that same event.

Unfortunately, Nintendo has not yet said anything about the rumored new Switch controller. So, at this point, fans should take these details as speculative.