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Nintendo Patents Watch @ninpatentswatch.bsky.social · 2d

• The dimensions of both ICs are about the same (img 1)
• GC2’s contacts are showing along one edge (img 2)
• GC2 has one more layer of PCB than GC1 (img 3)

Note: Both ICs tested are made by Rohm. ICs from other manufacturers may or may not be identical.
Source: www.bilibili.com/video/BV16MH...
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Side view of Game Card 1 IC on top, and Game Card 2 IC below it; showing that the IC heights are about the same
(else where in the video it shows that their dimensions are about the same, not just the heights)

Side view of Game Card 1 IC on top, and Game Card 2 IC below it; showing that the contacts of GC2 IC are showing along the edge

Photo of Game Card 2 IC; only a small area is decapsulated, exposing the underlying structure

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Nintendo Patents Watch @ninpatentswatch.bsky.social · 2d

A Chinese repair shop decapsulated a Game Card 2 IC and Game Card 1 IC to compare the dies (img 1; GC1 on top, GC2 below).

• GC2’s memory area is larger than GC1’s (img 2)
• GC2’s controller is smaller but has more contacts (img 3)
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Photo of decapsulated Game Card 1 IC on top, and Game Card 2 IC below

Photo of decapsulated Game Card 1 IC on the left, and Game Card 2 IC on the right, showing that the memory area is larger in GC2

Photo of decapsulated Game Card 1 IC on the right, and Game Card 2 IC on the left, showing that GC2’s controller is smaller but has more contacts

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Nintendo Patents Watch @ninpatentswatch.bsky.social · 3d

This is way more complicated than it should be. I suspect that the BC requirement caused the team to overthink, resulting in this messy system and a slow GC2 (see embedded link below). Failing to keep things simple is a common trait of smart yet under-experienced product managers.

Game Card Compatibility

Game Card 2 uses eMMC for backward compatibility, featuring dual memory areas for Switch 1 and 2 games. Technical analysis explains bypass routing and potential cost reduction through 3D memory tec…

ninpatentswatch.wordpress.com

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Nintendo Patents Watch @ninpatentswatch.bsky.social · 3d

3⃣️ Is there a “free update” for NS2?

✅ Yes ✅
• NS1 app w/ NS2 enhancements
• Game Card 1, or digital
• Downloadable update required

🚫 No 🚫
• Separate NS2 app and NS1 app
• NS2 app: Game Card 2, Game-Key Card, or digital
• NS1 app: Game Card 1, or digital
• No upgrade/update path for NS1 app

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Nintendo Patents Watch @ninpatentswatch.bsky.social · 3d

2⃣️ Is it a “Nintendo Switch 2 Edition”?

✅ Yes ✅
• NS2/NS1 universal app
• Game Card 2, or digital
• Both physical and digital are backward compatible
• Upgrade Pack* to turn NS1 app into universal app

🚫 No 🚫 (go to step 3)

* Some Upgrade Packs include NS2 exclusive DLC

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Nintendo Patents Watch @ninpatentswatch.bsky.social · 3d

Still seeing some confusion regarding different formats of Switch 2 games, hopefully this may help:

**Cheatsheet to Understand NS2 Game Types**

1⃣️ Is the game available for NS1?

🚫 No 🚫
• NS2 exclusive app
• Game Card 2, Game-Key Card, or digital
• Not backward compatible

✅ Yes ✅ (go to step 2)

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Nintendo Patents Watch @ninpatentswatch.bsky.social · 4d

If you have a Snapdragon device capable of QC 5, this may charge your device faster than a standard USB PD charger.

Although NGN-001 has two manufacturers—Delta and Lite-On, supply chain news from Taiwan suggests that Weltrend supplies the controller to both. So either one should work the same.
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任天堂 Switch 2 港版 / 日版 60W 充电器深度拆解，核心元器件全一致，仅两处细节有差异！ - 充电头网 - 我们只谈充电

www.chongdiantou.com

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Nintendo Patents Watch @ninpatentswatch.bsky.social · 4d

ChongDianTou did a comprehensive teardown of Switch 2 charger NGN-001, including Type G and Type A versions. Aside from the plug, logo location (img 1), and a time-delay fuse (img 2), they are identical (img 3).

One interesting detail: The Weltrend WT6633P controller supports Quick Charge 5.
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Comparison photo of NGN-001, Type G and Type A versions: the difference of a time-delay fuse

Comparison table of NGN-001, Type G and Type A versions:

任天堂Switch 260W快充充电器港版和日版拆解对比
外观
版本
初级主控芯片
同步整流控制器
协议芯片
整流桥
初级开关管
同步整流管
VBUS开关管
高压滤波电容
低压滤波电容

港版
P057N
芯源MP6908
伟诠WT6633P
杨杰YBS3008
英飞凌IPL60R185P7
万国AOY66920
富鼎先进
AP3NA4R2YT
艾华400V100µF
钰邦25V820µF

日版
P057N
芯源MP6908
伟诠WT6633P
杨杰YBS3008
英飞凌IPL60R185P7
万国AOY66920
富鼎先进
AP3NA4R2YT
艾华400V100µF
钰邦25V820µF

数据来源:充电头网,更新日期:2025年9月28日

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Nintendo Patents Watch @ninpatentswatch.bsky.social · 5d

Square Enix Asia for some reason released an *official* platform comparison video for Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade. Watch it here and switch to 4K: weibo.com/6048193311/5...

Screenshot from the comparison video: Switch 2 (TV mode), XBOX Series X, PS5, and PC

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Nintendo Patents Watch @ninpatentswatch.bsky.social · 5d

2. Projecting procedurally generated polygons to the game board, and comparing their coordinates to the camera-captured polygons’ coordinates

Patent link: image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-pu...
Previous patent for Zapper & Scope SP: bsky.app/profile/ninp...
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Drawing from patent US20250317538:
FIG. 9 illustrates a process of associating a projector coordinate system with the camera coordinate system

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Nintendo Patents Watch @ninpatentswatch.bsky.social · 5d

Nintendo Museum’s AR Hanafuda game (img 1) requires projection calibration regularly. However, the busy graphics and background make calibration difficult. Two solutions:

1. Comparing the game board image taken by an overhead camera to the reference game board image (img 2)
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Official photo of the Nintendo Museum Hanafuda game, showing AR projection over a physical game board

Drawing from patent US20250317538:
FIG. 5 illustrates a process of correcting a distortion of a taken image by associating a field coordinate system with a camera coordinate system

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Nintendo Patents Watch @ninpatentswatch.bsky.social · 5d

The original patent was filed in Japan in April 2024, but hasn’t been published by JPO. This one was filed in the US in April 2025, and published today by USPTO.

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Nintendo Patents Watch @ninpatentswatch.bsky.social · 5d

Previous patents and Furukawa quote regarding the Playtest Program here:
ninpatentswatch.wordpress.com/2025/09/05/p...

Playtest Part Deux

With Nintendo reviving the Nintendo Switch Online ‘Playtest Program,’ this post spotlights four related patents (with figures) and notes Furukawa’s April remark that Playtest learnings will inform …

ninpatentswatch.wordpress.com

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Nintendo Patents Watch @ninpatentswatch.bsky.social · 5d

The mysterious NSO Playtest Program got another patent. US20250312694 describes a system in which the player can intuitively select multiple objects in a virtual space by walking around them.
image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-pu...

Drawing from patent US20250312694:
FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a non-limiting example of a second stage of a player character PC's action of surrounding terrain objects Lt using a selection tool object OBJ so as to subject the terrain objects Lt to a predetermined process

Drawing from patent US20250312694:
FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a non-limiting example of a third stage of a player character PC's action of surrounding terrain objects Lt using a selection tool object OBJ so as to subject the terrain objects Lt to a predetermined process

Drawing from patent US20250312694:
FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a non-limiting example of a more detailed change of a shape of a selection tool object OBJ when the selection tool object OBJ surrounds terrain objects Lt

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Nintendo Patents Watch @ninpatentswatch.bsky.social · 5d

User configurable rumble strength for either the mouse or handheld mode is also mentioned, but that’s only an patent example (may or may not be implemented later).

Previous patents for HD Rumble 2 overheat prevention here: ninpatentswatch.wordpress.com/2025/08/29/r...
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Rumble Responsibly

Reports of HD Rumble 2 shutting down after prolonged play are explained by four recently published patents. A thermistor near the motor monitors temperature via a measurement waveform. The controll…

ninpatentswatch.wordpress.com

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Nintendo Patents Watch @ninpatentswatch.bsky.social · 5d

Just-published Joy-Con 2 patent indicates that HD Rumble 2 vibrates stronger in the mouse mode than in handheld. By varying the amplitude and frequency of vibration, it can deliver similar haptics even when the Joy-Con is held differently.
patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/de...
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Drawing from patent WO2025210902:
[図7] ゲーム処理の詳細を示すフローチャート

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Nintendo Patents Watch @ninpatentswatch.bsky.social · 6d

Unfortunately I don’t know if NWeedle’s “leak express” would ever go away. Like mediums and fortunetellers, he tells people what they want to hear, and there’s a big enough audience for that.
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Nintendo Patents Watch @ninpatentswatch.bsky.social · 6d

Weedle’s last point is a mashup of patent text regarding capture frequency (img 1), image scaling (img 2) and image synthesis (img 3).

He uses the same M.O. every time. Here are two other instances that I bothered to respond:
ninpatentswatch.wordpress.com/2025/08/25/p...
bsky.app/profile/ninp...
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Excerpt from patent US20250301105:

In other words, a transmission order and a transmission pattern in alternate transmission of first image data 262 and second image data 264 may freely be set and modified in accordance with convenience of a device 100 side. For example, a frequency of transmission of one of first image data 262 and second image data 264 may be higher.

Excerpt from patent US20250301105:

Since the extracted image data has the size of 480 pixels×270 pixels in the example above, image processing unit 230 of camera 200 resizes (for example, scales down or up) the extracted image such that the image size thereof matches with the image size (for example, 640 pixels×360 pixels) set in initial setting 180. Image processing unit 230 of camera 200 may scale up the extracted image (or scale up a resolution).

Excerpt from patent US20250301105:

An image synthesis unit 130 generates a synthesized image 170 including a first image 172 based on first image data 262 stored in buffer 140 and a second image 174 based on second image data 264. Image synthesis unit 130 may generate synthesized image 170 also based on an app image 160 generated by an app execution unit 150 that executes application program 114 (FIG. 1). A cycle of generation (or a cycle of update) of synthesized image 170 may be shorter than a cycle of transmission of the image data from camera 200.

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Nintendo Patents Watch @ninpatentswatch.bsky.social · 6d

The second fib about wireless camera was also from the patent: “Communication unit may be connected to camera through a wired or wireless connection”

Anyone reading Nintendo patents regularly knows that the first example given (“wired”) is usually real, and the rest (“wireless”) are just ideas.
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Excerpt from patent US20250301105:

Communication unit 120 transmits and receives data to and from camera 200. Communication unit 120 may be connected to camera 200 through a wired or wireless connection. In wired connection, for example, universal serial bus (USB) connection, parallel connection, and the like may be adopted. In wireless connection, for example, Bluetooth®, ZigBee®, wireless LAN (IEEE 802.11), and the like may be adopted.

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Nintendo Patents Watch @ninpatentswatch.bsky.social · 6d

The first “leak” about avatar was derived from the following text: “an avatar that moves with movement of [user, or] facial expression of which changes with a facial expression of [user]”

This isn’t a new revelation. Welcome Tour already did it: ninpatentswatch.wordpress.com/2025/08/26/f...
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Nintendo Patents Watch @ninpatentswatch.bsky.social · 6d

I’m tired of debunking Nash Weedle’s made-up “leaks” based on patent text, and yet they kept coming. The latest is a fictionalized version of this camera patent (US20250301105) that I shared two weeks ago: bsky.app/profile/ninp...
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Tweet from Nash Weedle (machine translation by X):

🔥Leak Express: The Nintendo Switch 2 camera will receive new features:

- Avatars can be created that replace your image and reproduce your gestures through motion capture. It will be useful for GameChat and games will be able to take advantage of it. Mario copying your gestures?

- A new wireless camera? Switch 2 is prepared for wireless connection with a camera. It could be related to a future Augmented Reality feature.

- The quality and fps of the camera capture can be selected. Even if we select a low range, the Switch 2 processes the image to increase the quality and give it greater smoothness of movement. This could be aimed at saving battery on the wireless camera.

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Nintendo Patents Watch @ninpatentswatch.bsky.social · 7d

Also note it is canon that Pikmin “cannot be seen with the naked eye”, as stated on the official Pikmin Bloom site.

Sources:
www.nintendo.com/jp/interview...
www.pikminbloom.com#whats-pikmin...
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Nintendo Patents Watch @ninpatentswatch.bsky.social · 7d

In Pikmin 4 Ask the Developer, Miyamoto-san literally said:

“ピクミンは、あなたの近くにいるよ”
→ Pikmin are close to you

(The official English transcript is “Pikmin are all around us” instead, because they translated it idiomatically instead of literally.)
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Excerpt from Pikmin 4 Ask the Developer:
10年以上前のプロモーションから、「ピクミンは、あなたの近くにいるよ」と言い続けてきました。
それがやっと想像でなく、いろんなところで見つけてもらえるようになったと思います。
ピクミンを知って、遊んでくれる人の数も増えたらいいなと思いますね。

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Nintendo Patents Watch @ninpatentswatch.bsky.social · 8d

The design registration of GameCube Controller for Switch 2 has been published in Japan. Since the controller design is largely unchanged from the original (dotted lines in the images), only the newly added components are registered (solid lines).

www.j-platpat.inpit.go.jp/c1801/DE/JP-...

Drawing from design registration JP 1809999
Perspective view of controller, drawn using dotted lines; newly added components for Switch 2 are drawn using solid lines

Drawing from design registration JP 1809999
Top view of controller, drawn using dotted lines; newly added components for Switch 2 are drawn using solid lines

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Nintendo Patents Watch @ninpatentswatch.bsky.social · 10d

This should give Japan’s content industry, and by extension game publishers, enough political clout to influence relevant policy-making.

[Sources]
METI www.meti.go.jp/shingikai/mo...
CESA via Famitsu www.famitsu.com/article/2024...

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