July 2020

NERD Develops Several Key Enabling Features for Ring Fit Adventure In close collaboration with the game development team, NERD developed a heart rate detection system that uses the Joy-Con's IR Motion Camera. Pulse detection is performed entirely on the Joy-Con's microcontroller unit, then sent over Bluetooth to the main device with no additional bandwidth cost, thanks to a new NERD-developed protocol. This custom protocol was also used to send compressed Joy-Con accelerometer and gyroscope data in a highly reliable way, improving the responsiveness of the player's virtual position. The Joy-Con firmware was updated to include these changes, enabling some of the new features found in this fitness-filled quest.

July 2020

NERD Provides Deep Learning Technology Used in Dr Kawashima's Brain Training for Nintendo Switch In close collaboration with the game development team in Japan, NERD developed the software technology used to count fingers and allow users to play rock paper scissors with their hands in Dr Kawashima's Brain Training for Nintendo Switch. Combining computer vision and the capabilities of the right Joy-Con IR Motion Camera, this technology marks the first time NERD produces deep learning middleware to deliver a fast, accurate and fun experience to users.

August 2019

Nintendo introduces new gaming experiences to the world again with Nintendo Labo: VR Kit The quality of the overall VR experience relies heavily on the performance of the Nintendo Switch console’s accelerometer and gyroscope. In order to get the most out of this sensor, NERD engineers created a new technology to simplify calibration and improve the precision of sensor data. The result is a more stable virtual world that drifts less over time. In addition, NERD developed tracking and positioning technology uniquely tailored to the Joy-Con. Using the IR motion camera to capture a set of markers, it accurately situates the Joy-Con in the virtual world, allowing the user to reposition objects or create paintings in 3D space with remarkable precision. For this project, NERD's software team worked in close cooperation with the system software development team and the Nintendo Labo development teams in Japan.

September 29th 2017

Nintendo releases the Nintendo Classic Mini: Super Nintendo Entertainment System Nintendo releases the Nintendo Classic Mini: Super Nintendo Entertainment System, enabling a new generation of players to enjoy some of the most iconic games of the 1990s, an era considered by many as the pinnacle of 2D gaming and the start of 3D gaming. Despite early anticipation from fans following the release of the Nintendo Classic Mini: Nintendo Entertainment System in 2016, NERD has strived to surprise users with the Nintendo Classic Mini: Super Nintendo Entertainment System, all the while refining the Nintendo Classic Mini: Nintendo Entertainment System experience. In charge of developing the Nintendo Classic Mini: Super Nintendo Entertainment System software stack, NERD is proud to highlight the following contributions: Super FX support, bringing emulation of Yoshi's Island, Star Fox, and Star Fox 2, a previously unreleased title, for the first time!

The rewind feature, which enables you to redo a difficult section of a game without having to start at the beginning again

A refined, tack sharp 4:3 mode with no aliasing

Dynamic decorative frames that add color to all that unused space on modern 16:9 TVs

Smoother menu to game transitions

November 11th 2016

Nintendo releases the Nintendo Classic Mini: Nintendo Entertainment System The NES and some of its best games will be back in your living room! As one of the main contributors to the software that made this possible, NERD hopes that fans of all generations will enjoy the experience!

January 2015

NERD enables Wii games on the Wii U eShop Following a long tradition of Nintendo console backward compatibility, the Wii U has always been able to play Wii games from disc. However, in this age of permanent internet connection, Nintendo felt that its users should have new ways of enjoying Wii games – namely being able to access them as downloadable content. There was a catch: Wii games were never intended to run from anything but the optical disc. Yet, after much hard work, and overcoming a number of technical hurdles, the engineers at NERD finally succeeded in running Wii games from Wii U internal memory and external USB HDDs. Thanks to a tight-knit collaboration between NERD, Japanese and American developers, Nintendo then made it possible for Wii games to be launched directly from within the Wii U menu and allowed users to play select titles with the Wii U GamePad. Although bringing these improvements has been tricky – our hardware and software had to be used in quite unintended ways – it fills us with great pride to know that they are out there for users to enjoy today. Learn More

October 2014 - NERD teams up with hardware experts in Japan to deliver "super-stable 3D" on the New Nintendo 3DS. The first generation Nintendo 3DS, launched in February 2011 in Japan, was equipped with an autostereoscopic screen, allowing a user perfectly centered with the device to view stereoscopic images without the use of any additional headgear, thanks to a parallax barrier screen. The New Nintendo 3DS, launched in October 2014 in Japan, uses a new "super-stable 3D" screen that redefines the sense of immersion and comfort offered by 3D displays. Our team of software engineers created a new technology that takes full advantage of the New Nintendo 3DS system’s dynamic parallax barrier, by tracking the user's face with the internal camera and infrared LED to adjust the screen accordingly. To further improve the user experience and react to faster motion, it leverages on several technologies including machine learning, adaptive prediction, sensor fusion, etc. In the end, it provides 3D viewing with a significantly wider range compared to the original Nintendo 3DS. For this thrilling project, NERD's software team developed a close cooperation with Japanese colleagues in charge of the hardware. Learn More