Nintendo seeking startups to improve Switch hardware Platform holder teams up with Scrum Ventures to source new add-ons and technology for hybrid console

James Batchelor UK Editor Friday 13th April 2018 Share this article Share

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Nintendo has partnered with a venture capital firm to identify start-ups working on tech that could become part of the Switch offering in future.

The firm has tasked San Francisco's Scrum Ventures with finding teams suitable for the Nintendo Switch + Tech program, which aims to "expand the scope of Nintendo Switch in gaming and beyond."

The innovations sought will be primarily hardware-based, with no interest in software proposals for this project.

Instead, this is looking for tech startups, research teams at universities or even smaller divisions of larger corporations working on add-ons or new technology that might enhance the Switch going forward.

The move follows the positive reception to Nintendo Labo, a line of carboard board peripherals and associated games that offer more creative ways to play with the Switch. Announced earlier this year, Labo led to a sharp rise in Nintendo's share price.

Applications for Nintendo Switch + Tech are now open, and close on June 9th. A shortlist will be drawn up over the summer, with the selected candidates given the chance to pitch their tech to Nintendo in the early autumn.

It's likely this will lead to new peripherals and accessories for Switch, but there's also the possibility that Nintendo is seeking new components and other tech that can enhance the Switch, suggesting future hardware revisions.