AND new patent from South Korean tech giant Samsung suggests the company may be tinkering with a potential handheld gaming console.
That's not all though. The patent suggests that such a device could follow in the footsteps of the Z Flip and Fold phone lines and boast its own foldable screen. As reported 91 Mobile phones (Thanks, Tom's Guide), the patent was registered earlier this month through the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), showing some pretty clear images of a device that looks very similar to the Switch in design, but with a few obvious differences.
The largest, of course, is the folding screen. Samsung has been using this technology for several years now, implementing small but welcome improvements with each iteration of its foldable phones. We also have what appear to be recessed analog sticks and buttons on either side of the screen, but it's not entirely clear what exactly they are or how they would work. We're also confused as to how a foldable screen would actually be useful for a handheld console, but then we're not as smart as those tech-jumps from Samsung.
It's worth noting that Samsung itself might not want to enter the gaming industry, but would rather make foldable displays for other companies. Samsung Display worked with Nintendo to produce the screen for the Nintendo Switch – an OLED model, so it's entirely possible that it could be acting on behalf of another company.
Whether this device will actually make it to market is currently uncertain, but it's certainly an intriguing possibility. Based on the 'Switch 2' leaks, it's unlikely that Nintendo is looking to implement foldable screen technology into its own consoles anytime soon; especially considering how damn expensive those flip phones still are.
