New Nintendo Patent Sparks Rumors: Could DS and 3DS Games Return?

Fans of Nintendo may have a new reason to be excited—or worried—after a recently released patent from the company sparked rumors that DS and 3DS games might come back to current or future platforms, or at least that they might work on two screens at once.

The patent, filed on April 1, 2025, describes a system comprising a "parent apparatus" and a "child apparatus". This has caused a lot of discussion in the gaming community. People often guess what game patents mean, but it's important to be careful.

Reports have already hinted at a return of the DS or 3DS, but the patent itself doesn't say for sure. Still, the filing's details point to a connection between two screens: the main screen shows one picture, and a second screen shows another, similar to how Nintendo's popular dual-screen consoles work.

The patent was found online, but anyone can view the filing through the US Patent and Trademark Office. The document explains how operational information from both devices works together to display visuals on both screens. One picture is shown on the main system, and another is sent to the second device. This led to early comparisons to how the DS and 3DS work.

Dual screens could mean dual possibilities.

Some experts think the patent could show a way to share games by having a second device mirror or augment the main display, rather than bringing back old DS or 3DS games. The patent includes screenshots of common game elements, such as maps and item selection screens. These screens can be viewed as a single screen or used to share a gaming experience across multiple Switch devices.

The argument is still going on, though. Some pictures clearly show the layout of the controls in DS and 3DS games, while others show a more modern style that fits with the hardware in the Switch right now. The patent can be interpreted in different ways, and Nintendo hasn't said for sure what its plans are for dual-screen support or releasing old games.

A patent is still not a promise.

It is important to keep in mind that patents are often just ideas and don't always lead to finished goods. Nintendo might have internally tested ideas for dual screens, but that doesn't mean they'll ever be added to a Switch, Switch 2, or Nintendo Switch Online. Fans should wait to get too excited until an official statement is made.

In the meantime, people who play video games are welcome to look at the invention and make guesses about what it could mean. Could it mean that DS and 3DS games are coming back, that second-screen devices are coming out, or that it's just a more advanced way to share games? We'll have to wait and see, or maybe Nintendo's next hardware show will tell us.